PilotRPI
Line Up and Wait
Anyone have experience with Air Tech Coatings for a fabric system? Especially regarding longevity? Sounds some info on the supercub site but seems to be a mixed bag or really old posts.
Air Tech Coatings
- Thread starter PilotRPI
- Start date
I do. Mostly from a repair standpoint but some general information as well. I’ve been part owner in three aircraft with the system on it and recovered another one that had it.
It is an easy system to use and will generally produce good results even for an amateur. Longevity can be a mixed bag and would be a concern of mine if I were using it today. Generally speaking, Air Tech paint seems to get brittle and is subject to cracking after 10-15 years, even when the aircraft are stored in favorable conditions.
Piper used Air Tech on most of the post restart Cubs, of which we have had two. One has the common Air Tech brittleness but is still in decent shape. The other had a weird issue where the paint seemed to separate from the fabric and start to get loose and wrinkled in areas. When the aircraft was subjected to hot temperatures the wrinkling got worse. This is the only aircraft I have ever seen this problem on, and nobody I discussed it with had seen it either. We paid someone to recover that airplane about 5 years ago now with a different system. If it weren’t for the failing paint we wouldn’t have recovered that aircraft because the fabric was still solid.
I personally recovered a Decathalon that was previously covered in Air Tech. It also got brittle and its demise was getting caught in a hailstorm. The paint was pulverized on all the top surfaces and there was no saving it.
If I were going to cover my personal airplane the system I’d use is Poly Fiber. It may not be the prettiest looking but it seems to be one of the most durable and repairable finishes.
It is an easy system to use and will generally produce good results even for an amateur. Longevity can be a mixed bag and would be a concern of mine if I were using it today. Generally speaking, Air Tech paint seems to get brittle and is subject to cracking after 10-15 years, even when the aircraft are stored in favorable conditions.
Piper used Air Tech on most of the post restart Cubs, of which we have had two. One has the common Air Tech brittleness but is still in decent shape. The other had a weird issue where the paint seemed to separate from the fabric and start to get loose and wrinkled in areas. When the aircraft was subjected to hot temperatures the wrinkling got worse. This is the only aircraft I have ever seen this problem on, and nobody I discussed it with had seen it either. We paid someone to recover that airplane about 5 years ago now with a different system. If it weren’t for the failing paint we wouldn’t have recovered that aircraft because the fabric was still solid.
I personally recovered a Decathalon that was previously covered in Air Tech. It also got brittle and its demise was getting caught in a hailstorm. The paint was pulverized on all the top surfaces and there was no saving it.
If I were going to cover my personal airplane the system I’d use is Poly Fiber. It may not be the prettiest looking but it seems to be one of the most durable and repairable finishes.
Dan Thomas
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2008
- Messages
- 11,360
- Display Name
Display name:
Dan Thomas
That there. It stays flexible. We had a Citabria with Air Tech, and yes, it cracked up. American Champion used a lot of that stuff. Ray Stits used to say that it was the fillers in the urethane and PVC finishes that eventually caused the hardening and cracking. Poly-Fiber (which some of us old guys still think of as Stits) is a polyvinyl chloride system, PVC, and uses no fillers. Makes it lighter, too.
Would be my choice as well, except I haven't been able to go near any solvent-based system for years. So for my last two projects it was Stewarts which requires relearning old tricks in new ways due to it being a water-borne system.
PilotRPI
Line Up and Wait
Thank you. This seems to be what I can find. Looks fantastic and shiny brand new, but starts cracking on short order. A pain to match a repair too. Was looking at a plane covered in the past few years and never heard of this stuff. Think I'll stick with something with the tried and true polytone or aerothane with poly fiber.
Last edited:
Skymac
Pre-takeoff checklist
Any reports on longevity for Stewart’s? Looking at a recovering job myself soon and weighing options. I really liked what I read on Air Tech but after reading online reports, not so much. Curious about Superflite too over Polyfiber.
PilotRPI
Line Up and Wait
Curious, what did you find that you liked? Haven't found any long term good reviews. Seems like it's an easy system to use initially and can give an initial show appearance if you like glossy.
Skymac
Pre-takeoff checklist
I haven’t started my project yet. Plans currently has polyfiber system on it, and I’ve made small repairs here and there. Just hate dealing with all the chemicals so much, seems a bit cumbersome too but again, this will be the first time trying it from scratch so who knows.
Older Superflite systems had some problems but it seems like things have been sorted out for a while now. The last few versions of the system are similar in application to Air Tech, but seems to be more durable. Repairs on either system aren't going to be as easy to hide as they are with Poly Fiber.
All the systems except for Stewart Systems use harsh chemicals so if that is what you're trying to avoid your choices are quite limited.
Will Kumley
Line Up and Wait
Our Piper Colt that we bought a year and a half ago was covered in July of 2004 using the Airtech system and it looks great to this day. It has supposedly been hangar kept since 2004 and I'm sure that has played a part in how nice it still looks today.
Attachments
Depending on what plane you're covering, Oratex might be worth checking out too.
I'll probably go for Ceconite/Randolph on the next project, but a friend of mine is planning on using old school cotton when he'll recover his Super Cub.
I'll probably go for Ceconite/Randolph on the next project, but a friend of mine is planning on using old school cotton when he'll recover his Super Cub.
painless
Line Up and Wait
Any experience out there regarding using Stewart system up to top coat, then shooting polytone over it? I’ve heard of it being done, just not so sure it’s a good idea as I’m in the camp that you don’t mix systems. I used Polyfiber on my Hatz and not dealing with the smelly stuff until paint would have been nice.
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2008
- Messages
- 16,021
- Location
- DXO124009
- Display Name
Display name:
Light and Sporty Guy
Some areas on my wing were repaired using Stewart System at least as far as the glue is concerned (blue) and finished with Poly Want A Cracker.
Have seen some aircraft pushing 20 years with Stewarts. Where I believe some of the negative press came from was some people applied Stewarts in the same manner they would Stits or similar solvent-based systems. You can’t with Stewarts since it is water-borne and behaves differently.
However, if the chemicals and fumes are not an issue then I would use Poly or dope on your Stearman. The best finish IMO comes from the use of dope over anything else. And with all that fabric on a Stearman it makes a difference especially when you’re at Galesburg and can compare a lot of aircraft to each other.
Stits is certainly easier than Ceconite and dope, but something about the smell of the Stits chemicals just makes my brain scream, "TOXIC!" Butyrate dope is probably just as bad for you but it doesn't smell as bad. Or maybe I just like the smell because it reminds me of all the model airplanes I painted with it.
But if I was planning a recover job today I'd probably look at Stewart or (more likely, because I hate painting) Oratex.
But if I was planning a recover job today I'd probably look at Stewart or (more likely, because I hate painting) Oratex.
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2008
- Messages
- 16,021
- Location
- DXO124009
- Display Name
Display name:
Light and Sporty Guy
MEK aka methyl ethyl ketone aka Butanone.
Butanone - Wikipedia
You can absorb it through your skin.
Dan Thomas
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2008
- Messages
- 11,360
- Display Name
Display name:
Dan Thomas
In Canada, mixing STC'd systems (on certified ships) is verboten, and the FAA might also take a dim view of it. Steve Wittman's death in his last Tailwind was due to fabric retention failure as mixed chemicals destroyed the bonds.
From the Poly-Fiber installation manual:
https://www.conaircraft.com/_files/ugd/d66f5e_1ec5fa221f42471385a8ed2c97c69571.pdf
Last edited:
painless
Line Up and Wait
Yup. Certified aircraft require the covering/finishing process to be completed with the same system throughout. I should have been more specific. My brain is more wired for homebuilts…..
Except, I think, Stewart is approved for repairs over any other system.
It is provided you use the complete Stewarts systems. But spraying Aero-Thane over EkoFill is not permitted under the STC.