National Aeronca Association Bulletin Board

We're about ready to install a headliner in a '46 Chief project. I have the Airtex vinyl headliner kit in hand. Thinking through the project, I'm stumped by how to route the headliner behind the baggage area. Also, seems like it would be very handy to have zippers or velcro to access the aileron pulleys up front just behind the windshield.

Any thoughts there? (Meant to look at some examples at OSH--let this one slip my mind.)

Thanks!!

I'm about half way putting my (wool) headliner in. Not a fun job. I found it was best to make a jig and tip the airframe over so the headliner layed down flat. Then I stitched the headliner in with safety pins so it was more or less held in place before I rolled it back level. It seems to take a lot of fitting (pulling) and cutting of the hangar wraps around the tubing. I'm sewing it in. I think others have glued it but I thought sewing would allow me to fit things a bit better later on after the outside fabric is on (so I can pull the headliner tight). Having done a couple of Champs previously, this is a lot more difficult. Of course my L16 had a green house so no headliner needed . I'll have to take a look at the old liner and see where it's attached behind the baggage compartment. I'm not quite to that point yet.
Hope this helps some.
Mike

MikeB is probably the expert in this area although there are a couple of others with some experience whom I hope chip in. I am hoping not to have a headliner project ahead of me for my Chief but have been looking at the related problem of passages for the strapping which will be needed when I finally get to installing shoulder harnesses. I have seen some where there were either 2 or 4 slits cut in the headliner to pass them through for frame tiedowns. Personally, I think these slits (which are unquestionably required) should be dressed with either some type of Collar or maybe even some stitchery around the holes. Ssomething to think about......

Dale

Dale,
Good point which I haven't thought about. I notched the wood former that goes over the spar carry through for the shoulder harnesses.
Guess I need to get my wife to stitch the 'slit' as your descibed. I'm down to sewing the the next to last bow wire and I've had some trouble getting the bows to fit in the 'flaps' (or whatever you call them). I found out they're not consistent and the last one is actually 3/4 of an inch different than the one I removed. By the way, I'm hardly an expert...just another poor soul muddling through and trying to get things fit without losing my religion. I have said a few nasty words in the process so far.

Mike

Mike, I vaguely recall that you must either cut a relief in the wood or weld on a tab for the shoulder belts. Is that correct?

Dennis

Dennis,
That would be correct as far as I know. On my L16 there is a tab welded for the front seat and also another at the rear (upper) cluster. On the Chief I cut out a relief in the wood (like you mentioned) and will loop the belts (left and right) over the carry through spar. I think I've seen at least one where there was a bolt though the carry through and a tab was connected to that for the front seat belt. The Wag Aero Aeronca belt setup as some kind of a bracket that attaches to the carry through spar on the 7 series. I sent it back since it wouldn't work on my Champ (bolt was in the way).

I had been wondering if you have been washed away with all the rain in your neck of the woods.

Mike

Not washed away but knee deep to a giraffe in grass. I have been away for three weeks, first Oshkosh then Sturgis. I have been mowing and raking wet cut grass for two days between the cells.

Dennis

The shoulder harnesses are in--we'll mark the headliner to locate the slots and do a buttonhole stitch around them. The plane is covered, with wings attached and on the gear--I think we'll have to skip the rolling it over part http://www.joea.com/phpBB2/posting.php? ... 2e38d740fa#

We've got a line on a professional upholsterer--thinking it may be prudent to spend the $$ to have him bring his sewing machine to the hangar and pitch in. Still scratching our heads over how to attach it behind the baggage area.

Alan,
It seems my old headliner was stapled to a board on the back of the baggage compartment. Didn't realize you were installing a headliner in an assembled Chief. Thinking through ....it is probably possible to put a headliner in with the fabric on although more difficult. In my case the headliner is going in before the fabric goes on so I have to contend with getting everything bundled and wrapped in plastic to prevent getting paint on the headliner. Kind of six of one and half a dozen of the other. The guy before me apparently didn't want to cover the plane so he sliced the top out of the cabin, installed the headliner and recovered the top.

Either way it's one of my least favorite jobs!

Mike

Holy Cow! He must not have been the one that covered the fuselage if he cut the top out! I can't begin to imagine I'd do that to my nice, new fabric!

We haven't put the windshield or side windows in yet so that gives us a little more access, but yeah, I'm looking forward to this less than a lot of things.

A wood stringer would make sense.

Regarding cutting the top off. I bought this basically out of an estate sale (had been sitting several years) but I think the previous owner was looking for an easy way to put a headliner in. He must have not looked behind the seat as there were all kinds of twisted and broken bulkheads and stringers. Although it never flew an hour with the new headliner I decided to recover everything, built all new bulkheads, etc. Good thing because I found a lot of 'gremlins' hiding in the air frame, oleo struts, rusty control cables, etc. I wasn't able to save the headliner and decided to replace it. Just finished today. After some thought, I think it would be possible to put a new headliner in with the fabric on if a person started in the middle and worked both ways as everything hangs on the support wires. Certainly easier than a Champ.

Mike