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Starduster Paint isssues and Flying Quality

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Dave Baxter

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From Mountianflyer Germany

Hello from Germany!

I am new in this group, just about to get my used starduster too as of 1979, with IO 360 and 670hrs SN.
Flew the aircraft recently and I am surprised about the agility on one hand and the "calm reaction" on stalls in turns as well as power on and power off.

Did anyone of you ever changed the cover (fuselage as well as wings and rudders plus tail)?
The fabrics are in excellent conditions however the color gets lots of cracks which are optically not really nice.

Any idea of someohe out there?
Best regards from Germany

Volker


My answer on the Starduster Web Sight.....

Volker First of all welcome my friend. It is not unusual for many of these airplanes especially older ones to exhibit this condition if pained with catalyzed paint, as over time it becomes harder and harder, and the fabric flexes. The fabric in many cases is still airworthy but the paint cracking ends up being unsightly.

I know of no way to really fix the problem, I have had some success using a small vibrating sander called a mouse in these areas being very careful to not damage or sand through the fabric around and over sharp edges and corners, mostly out in the flat areas between the ribs on the wings and same on the fuselage around the stringers.

Please note that this site has little activity as few are still building starduster's most are now over on the http://www.biplaneforum.com/ that has all of the popular biplanes including starduster's, and is the place to ask this question. Dave


Volker zunächst alle Willkommen, mein Freund. Es ist nicht ungewöhnlich, dass viele dieser Flugzeuge, vor allem ältere, dieser Zustand ist krumm mit katalysierte Farbe, wie im Laufe der Zeit wird es immer schwieriger, und das Gewebe. Der Stoff ist in vielen Fällen noch flugfähig, aber die Farbe Risse endet als unansehnlich.

Ich kenne keine Möglichkeit, das Problem zu beheben, habe ich einigen Erfolg mit einem kleinen vibrierenden Sander als eine Maus in diesen Bereichen sehr sorgfältig darauf achten, nicht beschädigen oder Sand durch den Stoff um und über scharfe Kanten und Ecken, vor allem in den flachen Gebieten zwischen den Rippen auf den Flügeln und auf dem Rumpf um die Stringer.

Bitte beachten Sie, dass diese Site hat wenig Aktivität als Paar sind noch Gebäude Die starduster sind jetzt auf dem Http://www.biplaneforum.com/, das alle gängigen Doppeldecker mit starduster, und ist der Ort, um diese Frage. Dave
 

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