COMCO IKARUS
Maintenance Manual C42 Series
MaintenanceManual C42-
Series_Issue_VII_18.02.2014.doc
Revison No.:1 92 from 107
5.5 Repairing the glass-fibre / carbon-fibre skins
In contrast to many sailplanes and other micro-light aircraft, the glass-fibre/carbon-
fibre parts of the C42 rarely carry loads as they are mainly fairings. Damage to
glass-fibre/carbon-fibre parts thus has no effect on the strength of the aircraft. This is
also the reason repair work on the glass-fibre/carbon-fibre parts of the C42 is
relatively simple. One must, however, be careful that repair work does not lead to an
increase in mass or a change in the centre of gravity of the aircraft.
Normal glass-fibre/carbon-fibre repair kits may be used. The instructions
accompanying the kit must be followed. If large-scale damage has been done,
replacement of the damaged part should be considered as original glass-
fibre/carbon-fibre spare parts for the C42 are relatively inexpensive. Large-scale
repair work is thus not particularly practical. The IFC / ISC provide information about
spare parts.
During repair work a minimum temperature of 20°C is necessary to ensure that the
laminate hardens properly. Higher temperatures will accelerate the hardening
process. Before beginning with repair work, clean the repair area thoroughly. Then
grind the damaged area and remove the adjacent coating (polyester gel coat) using,
for example, 60-80 grain sandpaper. The fibre layers should be visible 30-50 mm
around the damaged area. If possible, enough of the damaged laminate should be
left to act as a mould for the repair work. If this is not possible, a base for laminating
can be formed using a wide adhesive tape and a thin sheet (glass-fibre, sheet metal,
etc.). The sheet must be covered with a separating agent (e.g. packing tape) so that
it can be removed after laminating.
Figure 86: Grinding of laminate
grinded
auxiliary laminating base plate (sheet
metal, plastic, glass-fibre) mounted on
the inside with adhesive tape
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