Dacron types – weight & resin impregnation

We're thinking to buy a new

Finsterwalder generally uses resin-free, light 110 g/m² (2.6oz per sailmakers yard) dacron for the top surface:

The top sail is generally made from white Finsterwalder AIRCLOTH Dacron 110 g/m². This is a hangglider sailcloth specially manufactured for Finsterwalder which maintains it's shape thanks to a particularly fine weaving method and not due to impregnating or tempering. Manufacturing this cloth is quite time consuming, but one achieves a sailcloth that is extremely crease resistant, pliable, light-weight and long-lasting.
160g/m² dacron surf and sail cloth is used for optional reasons for the lower sail and leading edge, available in the colors shown on our color sail card. You can piece together your dream sail free of extra charges (delivering time 4-8 weeks) or ask about the sail we have on stock.

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In contrast, Wills Wing uses resin-impregnated 170 g/m² (4 oz per sailmakers yard) dacron:

4.0 Ounce Woven Polyester Fabrics: These are the most commonly used types of sailcloth. They form essentially the entire sail on gliders like the Falcon, and are typically used in the bottom surface and mid-chord top surface of many other model gliders. They are a very tight weave of small diameter polyester fibers, which is subsequently stabilized by the hot-press impregnation of a polyester resin. The purpose of the resin impregnation is to provide &#;dimensional stability&#; which is the resistance to distortion or stretch of the material along the &#;bias&#; &#; in other words, at some angle to the two perpendicular directions of the threads that form the weave. This resistance to bias stretch is important in maintaining the aerodynamic shape originally designed into the sail, when the sail is placed under varying loads. These materials are relatively light in weight, moderately elastic, and have good durability. They provide the best combination of light weight and durability in a sail with the best overall handling qualities on those models where very high sail tensions are not required.

In the V170 designation it has a 4.0 ounce weight, (4 oz per sailmaker&#;s yard &#; 28.5&#; by 36&#;, or 170 grams per square meter) and comes in white and in a selection of colors.

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Finsterwalder told us "generally we recommend the 110 g/m2 cloth, because it is finer and more flexible. This improves the handling of the glider." On one hand, with the lighter cloth, I'm a bit worried about it wearing out and/or starting to flutter prematurely (WW purposely puts even thicker dacron on TE to prevent flutter, no?), on the other hand, the manufacturer probably knows what sailcloth is better on their particular wing?

I'm rather confused now. Do you know anything about this? Have you personally flown a glider with light, resin-free dacron? I wonder what kind of dacron her old Airwave Pulse has...

Hey everyone,We're thinking to buy a new Finsterwalder Airfex glider for my wife (not too many options for very light pilots, and the portability is a bonus).Finsterwalder generally uses resin-free, light 110 g/m² (2.6oz per sailmakers yard) dacron for the top surface:In contrast, Wills Wing uses resin-impregnated 170 g/m² (4 oz per sailmakers yard) dacron:Finsterwalder told us "generally we recommend the 110 g/m2 cloth, because it is finer and more flexible. This improves the handling of the glider." On one hand, with the lighter cloth, I'm a bit worried about it wearing out and/or starting to flutter prematurely (WW purposely puts even thicker dacron on TE to prevent flutter, no?), on the other hand, the manufacturer probably knows what sailcloth is better on their particular wing?I'm rather confused now. Do you know anything about this? Have you personally flown a glider with light, resin-free dacron? I wonder what kind of dacron her old Airwave Pulse has...

Qicai contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.

If you are building a fabric-covered aircraft, you have multiple fabrics to choose from: polyester, Dacron, Stits, Ceconite, Poly-Fiber, Superflite or Oratex. Which one should you use? What are the differences&#;or similarities&#;between them? Have you ever been confused by these terms? Let&#;s cover this topic once and for all. The most surprising fact is, with the exception of Oratex, they all are names for the same basic material.

In the early days of aviation, fabric aircraft were covered with cotton or linen, two natural fibers that both come from growing plants. Nowadays, aircraft fabric is made from synthetic materials due to their superior qualities, including strength and endurance. These modern materials are what we will discuss here.

Polyester is a thermoplastic made primarily from petroleum. It can be fashioned into fibers and woven into a fabric. We are all familiar with clothing articles made from this man-made material and the way it feels and wears. Its durability is a favorite trait. Polyester would be a very generic term for describing aircraft fabric.

Dacron is a brand name and is produced by DuPont. It is a proprietary recipe for making polyester. DuPont&#;s chemical formula for polyester has some wonderful qualities engineered into it. For example, it resists mold and mildew and it repels water. Dacron is a more accurate term to use to describe the polyester fabric that covers your aircraft.

Now it turns out that DuPont does not manufacture aircraft fabric. They license the formula to manufacturers that create the material. So, who actually makes Dacron fabric for your aircraft?

Two companies that have factories (mills) creating this fabric are Consolidated Aircraft Coatings and Superflite. Both of these companies manufacture the same Dacron material, but there are differences in the way the material is woven (like varying the threads per inch and other details). This results in some very subtle differences between the fabrics that may be noticed when covering an aircraft.

The company is the world’s best dacron material manufacturer supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Consolidated Aircraft Coatings sells their products under two brand names: Ceconite and Poly-Fiber. The actual fabric is identical for both brands. There is no difference other than a brand marking on the fabric. So, as an example, if you tell someone that your aircraft is covered in Ceconite, you are being very specific about identifying the manufacturer of your Dacron polyester fabric.

There is also a fabric some builders call &#;Stits.&#; Ray Stits was the founder of the company that is now Poly-Fiber. His name sometimes is used in place of the fabric sold by Poly-Fiber (which is made by Consolidated Aircraft Coatings)!

Both manufacturers (Consolidated Aircraft Coatings and Superflite) make Dacron polyester fabric in three varieties of fabric weight. The lightest weight fabric is often used on ultralights, and the middle weight is most commonly used on homebuilt aircraft.

Let&#;s see if we can shrink this down to a single sentence. The next time someone tries to explain what type of fabric covering they are using, you now know that they are describing some version of DuPont&#;s Dacron polyester material, manufactured by either Consolidated Aircraft Coatings or Superflite, and possibly rebranded as Ceconite or Poly-Fiber (which was originally founded by Ray Stits).

All of these fabrics require various coatings and paint to complete the installation process. If you&#;d like an easier alternative, Oratex (from Better Aircraft Fabric) is a modified polyester fabric that has UV protection and a color coat added at the factory. Just glue it down, shrink it, and you&#;re done!

If your plane is covered with fabric, it&#;s good to have choices.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website polyester mesh fabric manufacturers.