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Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 7:20 pm
by Miscellaneous
Anyone able to offer real life experience?

We are in the process of considering which material to use; price and turnaround aside what are the pros and cons of using Oratex?

TIA.

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 7:42 pm
by leiafee
An offline aquaintance recently recovered their Snowbird in Oratex I think. I can try and find a contect if no one else pipes up.

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 7:48 pm
by Paul_Sengupta
Thursday Paul raves about it. He says it's lighter, stronger, lasts longer. But to me it doesn't feel right. Not sure if this helps! :D

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 7:52 pm
by seanxair
I have some limited experience of assisting in a project in which it was used. There may be very good reasons to use other covering methods but if I was recovering all my aircraft I would not hesitate to use it. From what I saw it was apply and fly more or less. If there are any negatives I don't know them. Happy to discuss albeit with limited knowledge off line (talk rather than type!)

Also TLAC are soon to run some workshops on how to use it and while it might be an expensive day out it would be worthwhile if undertaking a total recover I expect.

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 7:55 pm
by mick w
A friend of mine in France has just re-covered an Auster's Wings with it , looked fabulous to me . :thumright:

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 7:57 pm
by bogopper
The Spirit of Goole Sherwood Ranger has been covered in Oratex. You should be able to find them on Facebook for info. The kids built it with guidance and have made an excellent job.

Mark

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:17 pm
by Rob L
I was the LAA Inspector for the first Auster in the UK to have its wings so covered and approved by LAA HQ (just the wings and ailerons, mind you). Despite any initial concerns I may have had, I was quite impressed with the system, and formally gave LAA HQ that opinion.

I really believe that it's a good system (new Robin aircraft are so covered, as I understand). But is a pre-coated finish coat, which is great for single-colour surfaces, but no good for fancy paint jobs.

Their salesmanship could do with improving. At Oshkosh, their sales booth is manned by very gutteral German-speakers, which no-one (including me) could understand easily. They also need to expand the colour selection.

I would use it for its ease of application (and relatively lack of toxins, apart from the initial epoxy glue coat). There is no spraying once the fabric is on.

Will it ever surpass Poly-Fiber or Randolph or Stewarts? Maybe, if they improve the colour selection. But not for owners wanting multiple colours on each fabric surface.

Rob

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:21 pm
by mick w
Image Spirit of Goole Sherwood Ranger .

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:27 pm
by Miscellaneous
Many thanks all.

I guess the colours have been achieved by using vinyl, Mick?

I think the consensus will be wing only, fancy paintwork won't be a consideration.

I had heard rumours of future repairs and patching being a disadvantage, although I don't know exactly why.

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:36 pm
by Rob L
mick w wrote: Spirit of Goole Sherwood Ranger .

Is that Group A or Microlight, Mick? (btw, it is seriously Fugly :mrgreen: )

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Wed Feb 08, 2017 11:20 pm
by Ben Twings
I'm building a Carbon Cub and covering with Oratex 6000.
Pro's:
Light, strong, fuel resistant, no spraying, no MEK vapours, quicker overall
Con's:
Translucent (blue or Olive less so), does not conform so easily over compound curves (wing tips etc), edges of tapes more obvious, only seven colours, slightly less shrinkage available (10%).

Spraying isn't permitted in the hangar where I'm building, which rather limited my choice. You can paint on top and use pink edged tapes if you want to look more classic, but then you lose some of the advantages.
Cost wise it's fairly neutral when you save on painting.

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Thu Feb 09, 2017 7:33 am
by mick w
Rob L wrote:
mick w wrote: Spirit of Goole Sherwood Ranger .

Is that Group A or Microlight, Mick? (btw, it is seriously Fugly :mrgreen: )


Group A I believe Rob .... fugliness down to it being fitted with a 'D' Motor . :thumright:

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:46 am
by jamespearce
Covered G-IMMI with it. Very easy and of course weight saving. The things I didn't like were :-
1/ It was not easy to keep clean. My colour was Cub Yellow so it easily stained and being a slightly matt surface I found it difficult to get back to the original brightness of the fabric.
2/ The pinked edges of the tape tended to lift and fray very slightly and although it was easy to reheat them to stick the edges back down, there was a colour loss of the edges and a vulnerability to soiling that looked untidy.
I painted over the Oratex for the tail feathers and the wing tips and that was the way to protect the fabric and edges and make it easy to clean.
To mitigate my comments above, the Oratex I used was an earlier generation of the product and even if a couple of coats of paint are added after the covering, far fewer pre paint preparation processes are required and it is still much easier to apply the fabric.

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Thu Feb 09, 2017 12:19 pm
by tomshep
I agree. It tends to look grubby and it is expensive. It is light and reputedly durable though. Repairs don't look like a serious problem.

Re: Would you use Oratex?

PostPosted:Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:28 pm
by Charles Hunt
Anyone know order of magnitude costs to cover say a Cub in Oratex rather than traditional dope and fabric?