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Bill Vickland's Schweizer 2-33 Glider

Old Dogs and New Tricks.

At age 68 and after recovering dozens of fabric aircraft in the past 35 years, I have adopted the Aircraft Finishing Systems products and process as my choice for fabric aircraft recovering and topcoating. The method resolves all of the concerns I have with the cotton and Ceconite fabric projects that I have repaired and refinished over the years. It is an easier process than the old Ceconite/Butyrate process, and one that will produce far greater quality, but it is a process that requires precision. Old dogs like me must be ready to learn new tricks. The new techniques are not difficult, but are different than those learned and used with other systems. If you are not willing to learn the steps and precisely implement the Stewart Systems instructions, you will likely make the job more difficult and you may compromise the quality of your project. My conversion to this process has been marked by problems that resulted primarily from by my false confidence that I could merely apply the Stewart Systems chemicals as I had with the dopes and enamels used with older systems. Having learned the methods correctly, I find the process to be easier and one that produces greater durability and appearance than other systems I have tried.

The Aircraft Finishing  Systems process provides nearly 100% UV blockage required to protect synthetic fabrics. It provides an excellent bond to the fabric, eliminating the problem of separation of top coats from the fabric that are associated with the aluminized dope processes. And, finally, it provides a flexible top coat that will not fade like Butyrate top coats and will not crack like acrylics and some urethanes. With these qualities, I feel that the fabric will last indefinitely.

The process is great and the technical assistance provided by Paul and Tammy Yedinak is outstanding. For an old dog like me, making the transition to Stewart Systems was less than smooth. Because I tended to rely on my old techniques, their assistance was essential for me to adopt the precision required by the Aircraft Finishing Systems process. It need not have, however, because everything I really needed to know is spelled out in the instructions. The problems come when I substituted older tried and true methods for those of the instructions.

For all you Old Dogs out there, I recommend the process highly, but with the provision that you make the conversion to Stewart Systems in a more systematic and logical way than I did. I cannot recommend too strongly that you not go into it with the assumption that your years of experience will serve you. It is an easy process, but a precise one, and you will make the process more difficult or you may screw it up if you rely on tried and true methods for the application of older fabric covering systems. You must carefully adhere to the precision laid out in the Stewart Systems Instructions. If you really want to ensure that you will fully and precisely implement the steps of the instruction, I strongly recommend attending the Stewart Systems three-day training program. In spite of fabric covering experience going back 35 years, the training was a revelation with regard to both the Stewart Systems process and many universal fabric application techniques.

Bill Vickland

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