Lastest Airplane Project

[NDAV8R]

Hi Gang! Here are some pics of my latest airplane project, a Piper Arrow...

Complete Interior Project which included all leather on seats and side panels that matched exterior paint job.


This was a UND AeroSpace trainer airplane...EEWW!

Don't you just love the front seat covers let alone the orignal seats!!

All new headliner and all window trim wrapped with Ultra leather, new carpet. All new headrests fabricated from scratch.

New carpet and floor insulation installed as well as pleated heel pads.



New headliner made with Ultra leather and overhead council repainted.

All new aluminum side panel backing was custom patterned and fabricated to fit the airplane.
New leather windlace,too.
Side panels have all hidden stitches on pleats. .

All seats frames were stripped down, cracks repaired and repainted. All new multi layered, multi density foam on all seats. All seams were double stitched.

All Pleats have hidden stitches to prevent future failures. Leather cording has a skived color change with no noticeable physical seam. French stitching is with #270 thread (#25 needle).

This was a project from Hell since it was my worst "before" shape airplane ever! I have worked late into the nights trying to get it done in a time frame of a normal interior. It was far from normal! And the customer could'nt understand of all the problems came up and was really bent out of shape when I ran a little over a week beyond the time frame. Did'nt even get a simple thanks or comment for the job from him! :(
Oh well, thats water under the bridge and this interior job has brought more business from people who have seen it, though. ;)
Gale Hansen.

[boyfalldown]

Wow! Those seats look great! I love the color change on the welt, so well done I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it. Really well done.

On a side note, how do you deal with the seat frame webbing? Most of the old Piper seats I've come across have rotten jute webbing. I'd prefer to replace it with nylon or poly webbing, but cant get the frames through the throat of my Juki to sew it. I see a lot of Ceconite used in place of webbing, but am weary of only having a glued bond holding the pilot up.

Thanks,

Jim

[NDAV8R]

I have used Ceconite for years with no problems, I have about a 3" min. glue overlap and have used hog rings for backup. I also have used seat belt webbing for a backup for the Ceconite. Thanks for the kind comments.

Gale.

[Mojo]

Gale:

Awesome work. It came out amazing. I would be proud to pull up on the flight line with that interior.

On another note I have never flown an Arrow but heard they are a fun plane to fly. But then any plane I can fly I consider fun. Which reminds me I need to add to my flying fund. I have my eye on a T-6 flight out of Orlando. never gotten nuts in a plane and done acrobatics. Its time before I am so old I cannot get out of rocking chair.  :)

Plane owners can be a different bunch sometimes. I have met a couple who made you want to slap the moose crap out of them. :)

Congrats on one awesome project. You Dah man........:)

( Dang we have some talented people on this forum. Amazing work cranked out by so many masters of the trade ).

Chris

[boyfalldown]

By coincidence, I'm getting ready to freshen up my Cessna's interior while its down for annual next week. I'll give the Ceconite a try in place the no sag spings. Do you use the regular Randolph super seam cement?


Jim

[NDAV8R]

Do you use the regular Randolph super seam cement?
Jim

I use Super Seam 17-ssn by Aircraft Spruce & Co. (probably the same)

[Mike]

aswome seats  that piping really pops :o2222

[Darren Henry]

WOW!!! :o That is Awesome Gale.

Any plans to pop over the border anytime soon?If you're ever going to be in Winnipeg I'll run in.It's only about 2 hours from Brandon to Winnipeg.

[gene]

Awesome work. Thanks for the pics.

I had a difficult day and it's great to see someone elses' hard work pay off!!!

gene

[NDAV8R]

Plane owners can be a different bunch sometimes. I have met a couple who made you want to slap the moose crap out of them. :)
Chris

Boy you got that right, Chris!  I have dealt with so many (deep pockets) clients that were so cheap, and others that will go all out.

In the near future, I have to meet with the Marvin Window Execs, in dicussing carpeting one of their Beechcraft 1900s. And then later upholstery of all of the 19 seats.  One carpet that I found that matches their Logo, is hand made for $400/sq yard...a mere $12,000 my cost for the airplane. I doubt they will go with it, but you never know, though. 
   The biggest problem they have is downtime of the airplane, and I am just a one man upholstery department where I work.  There has been some discussing in getting a couple of extra seats and I will sew them up and replace the bad ones as I go. We'll see.
Oh, Thanks for the comments! :)
Gale.

[JuneC]

What a transformation!  Beautiful work there!  Working in those tight quarters for the parts that aren't removable must be a nightmare.

June

[NDAV8R]

Working in those tight quarters for the parts that aren't removable must be a nightmare.
June

Ya, you got that right, June. This one was'nt too bad, but while I was removing the interior, I blew my knee out and had to finish the rest while on a knee brace which I still have on, waiting for surgery! On some airplanes are extremely tight quartered. I'm on my sides, knees, back, and virtually standing on my head! There are leg and arm cramps, brused ribs, scraped hands...things get black and blue, for sure! There are occations that I have to share the cockpit with other aviation technitions, which really gets interesting.
  On this one, I was in a rush by the owner to get it done, only to find out that he returned it to get some avionics worked on in the back. So the avionics techs tore it apart with NO CARE what so ever.(Why could'nt they do that work when I had everything apart???) I insisted that I put it back together. Ya, it took a good day to do, to redo what they tore apart, but it's back to my standards.
It goes on & on...
Thanks for your kind comments,
Gale.

[kodydog]

Nice job Gale. You took a ho hum interior and made it look like a million bucks. Way to go.

[NDAV8R]

WOW!!! :o That is Awesome Gale.

Any plans to pop over the border anytime soon?If you're ever going to be in Winnipeg I'll run in.It's only about 2 hours from Brandon to Winnipeg.

Hey there Darren: If I do have a chance to get up there, You will be one of the first persons I want to see. I think US Customs have changed now, I think I need a passport or something. They say it's easy to leave to Canada, but getting back in is a PIA!
   As a Photographer speaking, do you get good fall colors in your area? I do "chase leaves" in Minneasota every fall. Perhaps Canada could be in my sites!
Gale.

[Mojo]

Gale:

Your right. You need a passport now to go anywhere. The nice thing is your passport is god for many years. :)

I have always been treated by the Cannuck border patrol politely. It is the USA agents that give me fits.

Chris