What the title says... I removed the elevator gap seals from my Parrakeet today. They were fake leather, aka Naugahyde, installed by a previous owner and glued on with what I assume is some kind of contact cement which has so far resisted my efforts to remove. The naugahyde strips peeled off easily, they were already coming loose, but the remaining adhesive is tenacious. Alcohol and mineral spirits don't touch it, acetone seems to soften it slightly but also takes off the dope.
I will need to repaint that area anyway-- removing the seals exposed silver dope underneath. I don't know whether the owner who installed them removed the color down to silver before attaching the seals of if the color coat peeled off with the seals. I don't plan to reinstall them... the guy I bought the plane from also owned it before the guy who installed the seals, and says the plane flies better without them. But I want to limit the damage to the existing fabric and paint to minimize the work of refinishing it.
I will need to repaint that area anyway-- removing the seals exposed silver dope underneath. I don't know whether the owner who installed them removed the color down to silver before attaching the seals of if the color coat peeled off with the seals. I don't plan to reinstall them... the guy I bought the plane from also owned it before the guy who installed the seals, and says the plane flies better without them. But I want to limit the damage to the existing fabric and paint to minimize the work of refinishing it.
Last edited:
