Looking for interior advice.

[DavidB.]

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since I have been to this forum. We have been working hard on our 1946 7AC and are almost ready for paint.
We want to replace the interior and started puling it out but realized the last time it was done it was installed before the fabrice was put on the fuslage. Is this normal to find? We can still remove it, but we will not be able to put in back in the same way it was. Does anyone have any advice for replacing the headliner with the fabric on the fuslage? Any pictures?
Do most people buy a ready to intall kit or sew one up themselves? We are able to sew one if needed but that would mean another weekend of work and we are trying to get this done before summer.

Here are some pictures of my Champ so far http://dbandkjp.smugmug.com/Airplanes/N ... 1677_2GkXE

The last page of 5 shows the fuselage almost ready to paint.

[Champ Dreamer]

David,

Nice Champ, nice pics. I recently replaced my headliner, but did so before covering. I understand it is difficult to do with the fabric in place, but doable. I would definitely buy a ready made headliner. Looks like it would be very tough to make your own. Where are you located? I'm in the mountains also (Colo Spgs area).

Brian Walker
NC1197E '46 7AC/DC

[DavidB.]

I am in Chelan Washington. It wouldn't be too hard to make, we have done that sort of thing quite a bit. I am just wondering how it is attached when the fuslage is already covered. We didn't need to recover the whole aircraft just some repair and did the control surfaces. I had been recovered in the late 1990's and then was not flown a lot and was stored indoors. Unfortunatly one of the times it was out being flown it suffered some hail damage, that is why we a repainting.

[jbaker]

Thanks for the pictures. You look like your doing a fine job. When I looked at the pictures of you and, I assume, your son it reminded me of a time I was going through some rough spots and my son showed up with a wrecked C170 on a trailer. "We'll rebuild it together" and after five nights a week for eighteen months we had a new plane. I learned to respect his judgement and found a father doesn't always know best. I now look back on that as one of my best times. Thanks for the memories.

[DavidB.]

Thanks for the pictures. You look like your doing a fine job. When I looked at the pictures of you and, I assume, your son it reminded me of a time I was going through some rough spots and my son showed up with a wrecked C170 on a trailer. "We'll rebuild it together" and after five nights a week for eighteen months we had a new plane. I learned to respect his judgement and found a father doesn't always know best. I now look back on that as one of my best times. Thanks for the memories.

Funny, I am not in those pictures. They are the two guys I went in on it with. the older guy is an IA and has a FBO at Chelan Municipal. The young guy is an apprentice at the FBO. I was raised by wolves who ate my birthparents, which were truckers.

[sevenacjack]

I restored my champ and put in the interior after covering, what I did was turn the fuselage upsidedown and let gravity hold everything in place, but if I had it to do over I would'nt do it, I'd just paint it all and leave the headliner out, be able to get at everything, and save weight, maybe a skylight too. Jack

[joea]

I was raised by wolves who ate my birthparents, which were truckers.

Thats why you are flying a Champ. If you were flying a Chief or Sedan then your parents would be Thor and Freya!

[DavidB.]

I was raised by wolves who ate my birthparents, which were truckers.

Thats why you are flying a Champ. If you were flying a Chief or Sedan then your parents would be Thor and Freya!

LOL.

[DavidB.]

I restored my champ and put in the interior after covering, what I did was turn the fuselage upsidedown and let gravity hold everything in place, but if I had it to do over I would'nt do it, I'd just paint it all and leave the headliner out, be able to get at everything, and save weight, maybe a skylight too. Jack

So it is possible. Good. It appears the headliner is attached by wrapping it around the tubing. Was that how you attched it, or did you need to do it another way because the fabric was already on. We have the Fuselage mounted to be able to rotate it, I can see how using gravity will be a help.