Lood Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 Can anybody tell me the composition of the plastic used in the interior panels of our vintage Mooney's? Although certified, just by looking at them, I'm pretty sure that they will burn just fine during a cockpit fire. The panel on my cockpit door really doesn't look that good anymore and when removed, it is really very flimsy and a few of the fatsening screw holes are torn out. I have an old friend that has vast experience, not only in building airplanes and gliders, but also in working with all sorts of composite materials. I'm sure we can produce a panel of much better quality than the one currently installed, or maybe we can just strengthen the current panel on the inside with a suitable material. I haven't seen the replacement panel form Plane Plastics, but it will be almost impossibly expensive to import them to South Africa in anyway. Quote
pjsny78 Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 I don’t know the exact composition of the plastic, but I can tell you with age and UV Exposure the plastic will break down and become yellowish and brittle. Plane plastics makes a plastic that is thicker and adds a UV protectant in their plastics to hold up over time better than the original. I just went to their facilities last week and got a tour and it’s kind of interesting. I can tell you that plane plastics ships globally and I honestly do not know about the import/export process but they do make a fantastic product. Quote
Lood Posted January 23, 2012 Author Report Posted January 23, 2012 While I'm going to fiddle around with the panels inside the cockpit, I also want to sound proof my Mooney. It has no sound proofing material whatsoever and it is really extremely noisy inside while flying - even with an ANR headset. Amongst all the different options available, I came upon the following products: Soundex Premium and Super Soundproofing. Super Soundproofing's product appeal to me because they specifically state that it will not absorb moisture. Can anyone give me any feedback on either, please? Also, if I order the material in sheets, how much would I need to do my F and which thickness would work best? Or should I use different thicknesses in different areas? Quote
MARZ Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 Do a search on the forum for ABS - that is the interior plastic - many of us have had success in repairing and refurbishing our plastics if you don't want to go the replacement route. Quote
PTK Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 Check out my gallery. ABS panels refinished with the SEM system. Best part is I did it myself and saved a bundle. A bit tricky and requires patience removing and reinstalling the panels. But nothing magical about it. Relatively easy to do. Definitely not worth thousands and thousands that "experts" want to charge! Best to do carpet and leather if you need it at the same time. PM if you want more details. Quote
Steve65E-NC Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 The Plane Plastics door liner takes a little careful fiddling and trimming but sure does a nice job. Measure carefully to be sure that you have the correct liner before doing any trimming. The other Plane Plastics parts go in easily and all look fantastic. Quote
jetdriven Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 It's all in this forum but you repair it with fiberglass and ABS pipe glue Quote
SkyPilot Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 Quote: Lood Can anybody tell me the composition of the plastic used in the interior panels of our vintage Mooney's? Although certified, just by looking at them, I'm pretty sure that they will burn just fine during a cockpit fire. The panel on my cockpit door really doesn't look that good anymore and when removed, it is really very flimsy and a few of the fatsening screw holes are torn out. I have an old friend that has vast experience, not only in building airplanes and gliders, but also in working with all sorts of composite materials. I'm sure we can produce a panel of much better quality than the one currently installed, or maybe we can just strengthen the current panel on the inside with a suitable material. I haven't seen the replacement panel form Plane Plastics, but it will be almost impossibly expensive to import them to South Africa in anyway. Quote
Lood Posted January 23, 2012 Author Report Posted January 23, 2012 Indeed. Shipping is very expensive and the 8:1 $/ZAR exchange rate doesn't help. I'll get a quote from the guy that imported my engine parts. He gets a container from the US weekly and should be much cheaper than me dealing directly with Spruce. Quote
PTK Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 Quote: jetdriven It's all in this forum but you repair it with fiberglass and ABS pipe glue Quote
Cabanaboy Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 What is best Color to do panels with SEM product? How did you spray the paint on the panels? Quote
PTK Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 Quote: CABANABOY What is best Color to do panels with SEM product? How did you spray the paint on the panels? Quote
MARZ Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 Smiles - it's all relative - I spent about 6 hours toll - two cans of abs cement and some fiberglass and four cans of interior plastic paint - You can't tell where the cracks were. The repairs are made on the back side of the plastic, unless you are missing big chunks I definitely recommend it. Quote
PTK Posted January 23, 2012 Report Posted January 23, 2012 Quote: maropers Smiles - it's all relative - I spent about 6 hours toll - two cans of abs cement and some fiberglass and four cans of interior plastic paint - You can't tell where the cracks were. The repairs are made on the back side of the plastic, unless you are missing big chunks I definitely recommend it. Quote
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