Ted's Aircraft Shop
Step 5. Covering the Wings, page 4
Step 5.   Covering the Wings

At this point, plastic grommets are glued to the surface of the fabric at positions where inspection holes must be cut.  Like the rib stitches, they are covered with gussets and finishing tapes.  Straight and bias tapes, some with pinked edges, are used to cover the rib stitching and the inspection grommets.  Poly-Brush is used to hold them in place.  Tapes are used to cover every seam in the fabric.  Drain grommets are added at the lowest edge of the wing on the flying aircraft.  Then the whole wing is coated a second time with Poly-Brush.  Whew! 

The next step is rib lacing or “rib stitching”.  The pink coated wing is marked with pencil and chalk line at spacing specified in AC-43.13 (“Acceptable Methods”).  Reinforcing tape, about ½ inch wide, was laid over the ribs to protect the fabric from the lacing.  Then holes are punched in either side of the reinforcing tape (and rib) with a rib lacing needle.  Then the fun begins.  Using straight and curved rib lacing needles about a foot long, rib lacing cord is fed through the holes and around the rib, fabric, and lacing, and tied with a modified seine knot as shown in AC-43.13.  This takes some practice.  Hundreds of these knots must be tied over the whole wing surface.  They ensure that the fabric keeps its shape during flight. 

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Restoring a Piper Cub J-3
 
1.  Picking a  Project
 
2. Organizing and Planning
 
3. Overhauling the Engine
 
4. Assembling the Wings
 
5. Covering the Wings
 
6. Covering the Tail Surfaces
 
7. Repairing the Ailerons
 
8. Painting the Wings
 
9. Build Out of the Fuselage
 
10. Covering the Fuselage
 
11. Assembling and Rigging
 
12. Flight Testing