Interior Side Panel Material

Rob58

Rob58

Pre-takeoff checklist
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While traveling on a commercial airliner recently I noted how thin yet strong the side panels were. Thickness was about .125 to .156. Panels were formed to match various curves and other features. Anyone know what materials might be available for GA interior use that have these characteristics? Thanks in advance!
 
Rob58 said:
Anyone know what materials might be available for GA interior use that have these characteristics?
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You'll find most Part 25 and similar aircraft use Kydex and Boltaron thermoplastics for interior trim. The materials have been around for ages and are also used by some vendors for aftermarket trim for small GA aircraft. While these materials are more expensive than the standard trim materials, have seen a number of store bought and DIY Kydex/Boltaron interiors installed on small single aircraft and helicopters.
 
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I've made some hobby stuff with kydex. Knife sheaths, etc. Really neat stuff. Heat to 225 and it becomes soft. Drape on complex objects and it takes that shape exactly. Sandwich between a couple of towels and stack a few books on for light pressure. As soon as it drops below a certain pressure, it sets up in that shape permanently.

DIY larger objects like interior panels would be challenging. First, you will need an oven that large. I have tried spot heating with a heat gun without success. Second, you need a continuous surface as a mold. If your interior panels spanned gaps between ribs or bulkheads, it would take a lot of work to mock up a mold. Kydex picks up any tiny variation in the surface, especially with thinner stock, so everything would need to be a close fit.

For smaller projects, 12"x12" squares are cheap and readily available on Amazon, so nothing lost by a little trial and error.
 
Ed Haywood said:
DIY larger objects like interior panels would be challenging. First, you will need an oven that large.
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Not necessarily. Depending on thickness Kydex can also be cold worked. And if you use a torch vs a heat gun you can form larger panels without the need of a large oven. I haven't done too many airplane interiors with Kydex but have done a few helicopter cabins. Have also seen some pretty tricked out Super Cub/C180 interiors in my travels all from hand-formed Kydex. Once you get the technique down there's not much you can't form with a good torch, a stack of scrap lumber to make forms with, and a box of various clamping devices.
 
I did a Kydex interior in my old Cub. .040 sheet worked well. It can be formed using a heat gun and patience. A buddy did one using a roller to form ridges and seams, which stiffened it a bunch. My current Cub has a carbon fiber interior. For utility and appearance I like Kydex better. I’ve always wondered why Plane Plastics hasn’t changed from abs plastic to Kydex.
 
Bell206 said:
Not necessarily. Depending on thickness Kydex can also be cold worked. And if you use a torch vs a heat gun you can form larger panels without the need of a large oven. I haven't done too many airplane interiors with Kydex but have done a few helicopter cabins. Have also seen some pretty tricked out Super Cub/C180 interiors in my travels all from hand-formed Kydex. Once you get the technique down there's not much you can't form with a good torch, a stack of scrap lumber to make forms with, and a box of various clamping devices.
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I'll try the torch method. My glare shield is thermoformed plastic and is badly warped. Was unable to get any effect with heat gun, but it is pretty thick material.
 
Ed Haywood said:
My glare shield is thermoformed plastic and is badly warped
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I've also used an iron to smooth out Kydex pieces but you'll need a barrier between the kydex and the iron. Or if your glareshield is curved make a form out of aluminum sheet that duplicates the curve and heat till it conforms to the form?
 
For a glare shield you could roll it and put in into an oven to heat. A torch is too focused to be any good for anything more than a small area, and even than a heat gun is a better solution. Heating takes time. Compound curves are challenging no matter what. If you have a rolled edge on an arc? You’ll find out.

.028 may be adequate for a glare shield if it has support underneath. The thinner the Kydex, the easier it is to work.
 
The POA brain trust never disappoints. Great help, thanks!
 
I used to work for the company that made most of those side wall lining panels. The big pieces with the window holes are thin fiberglass with a layer of decorative laminate on them. They shouldn't be anything like 0.125" before the decorative laminate is applied
The sliding window pieces are (as stated above) Boltaron. In a previous life I made the tooling for those window shades. Those tools have a machined aluminum surface which is heated and it has strategically placed holes where vacuum is applied. There is a separate trim fixture used after the part has cooled.
 
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