The fabric control surfaces of NC17634 were last recovered in the mid 1970’s. They had subsequently been resprayed with a polyurethane paint that was beginning to crack. The control surface project made it to the top of the list in the early part of 2014. There are five control surfaces covered in fabric on the Spartan Executive. They are the left and right ailerons, the left and right elevators and the rudder. For this project, the Randolph process and products were selected. The top coat is polyurethane and the color is Polar Gray, a non-metallic finish.
The basic steps you will see in the following pictures consist of the following:
- Removing the control surfaces from the airplane
- Removing the fabric from the control surfaces
- Epoxy primer applied to the underlying structures
- Installing and shrinking the fabric
- Applying green nitrate
- Rib stitching and taping
- Silver and paint application
- Final assembly
Removing the control surfaces from the airplane
Removing the fabric from the control surfaces
Epoxy primer applied to the underlying structures
Installing and shrinking the fabric
Applying green nitrate
Rib stitching and taping
Silver and paint application
Final assembly
