Fabric Covering Practice Flashcards

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering aircraft fabric covering materials, testing methods, doping processes, and repair regulations.

Chafing Strips

Strips often made of leather, neoprene, or polyethylene and used where a cable or control passes through the fabric.

Organic fabric materials

Fabric materials made of cotton or linen used to cover aircraft.

Pull or Grab Test

Considered the most accurate means of fabric testing, it is a destructive method which requires removal of a strip of the fabric being tested.

Butyrate dope

Dope containing plasticizers and thinners that provides greater shrinkage of the fabric and is more fire resistant.

Aluminum powder

An additive mixed into fabric dope to reflect ultraviolet rays.

Weft

The fiber orientation that runs at a $90$ degree angle to the warp threads.

Z-twist

A type of thread twist that signifies a left handed twist.

Fungicidal paste

An additive to dope used to prevent microbial growth and prevent organic fabrics from rotting.

Apex

The specific location from which sewing should start when repairing an L-shaped tear in an aircraft covering.

Baseball stitch

The specific type of stitch used when performing a sewed repair to an L-shaped tear.

Major Repair

Classified as re-covering an aircraft using materials and procedures specified in the manufacturer's service manual.

Dope

A substance used to seal, tauten, and protect the aircraft fabric covering.

Seyboth test

One of the two specific tests, along with the Maule test, used to determine fabric strength.

Maule test

A test used alongside the Seyboth test to determine the strength of aircraft fabric.

Rejuvinator

A mixture of very potent solvents and plasticizers that penetrate into the dope to restore its resilience.

Reinforcing tape

Tape that has a much larger warp thread than fill thread, used for inter-rib bracing and over the fabric on ribs.

Retarder

A special slow drying solvent that prevents rapid evaporation and the temperature drop which causes blushing.

Nitrate dope

Highly flammable dope consisting of cotton fibers dissolved in nitric acid, often used as the first coat due to adhesive qualities.

Distilled or demineralized water

Liquid that may be applied to fabric after installation to remove any wrinkles present.

Modified seine knot

A specific knot used to secure rib stitches.

Sewn Patch

The required repair method for fabric on an aircraft that has a Vne greater than $150\,MPH$.

Areas exposed to sunlight

One of the primary locations in an aircraft most susceptible to fabric deterioration.

Areas finished with dark colors

A location in an aircraft susceptible to fabric deterioration due to heat absorption.

Grade A Cotton or Linen

Specific organic fabric materials used to cover aircraft.

Rib Lacing Cord

Cord used to secure aircraft covering to the capstrips of ribs to help prevent the fabric from pulling away during flight.

Polyester and Synthetic

Materials considered to be inorganic fabric materials.

Bias

Fiber orientation that runs $45$ degrees to the warp threads.

$$70\%$$

The maximum percentage of deterioration allowed in an aircraft fabric before it is considered unairworthy.

Martin clips

Fasteners used alongside sheet metal screws to secure fabric to certain sheet metal parts of the aircraft.

Inspection rings

Components added into fabric covering to provide access to the interior structure of an aircraft.

Selvage Edge

The tightly woven edge parallel to the warp direction which prevents edges from unraveling.

Cellulose Nitrate

A substance often used as a base coat for CAB dope because of its better adhesive qualities.

First coat

The specific coat of dope to which a fungicidal additive should be added before spraying on cotton fabric.

Blushing

A surface condition caused by rapid evaporation of solvents and temperature drops, prevented by using retarders.

$$80\,pounds\,per\,square\,inch$$

The minimum value for tensile strength of new Grade A cotton fabric.

FAA-PMA

The mandatory stamp that should be visible on the edges of FAA approved aircraft fabric.

Envelope method

One of the two primary methods used to cover wings.

Blanket method

A primary method used to cover wings, distinct from the envelope method.

$$16\,inches$$

The size of a damaged area beyond which it is required to complete an FAA Form 337 for repairs.

Surface tape

Tape that is usually "pinked" for better adhesion quality and is used to streamline and reinforce openings.