What makes a good cover?

So what's the brief???

Maybe we are after an outdoor cover for the purposes of this Blog.

Heat: We don't want the elements taking thier tole on the paintwork, the seals, the glazing and the contents of the cockpit - the panel (overheating) and the upholstery (sun bleaching/fading).

Moisture: Rain in itself isn't too much of a problem unless we have leaking door seals or panels. Moisture is more of a problem when its unable to escape from underneath a cover. So we would like some waterproof qualities and breathability, that way the worst of the rain is kept off and when the humidity changes the cover can allow the ambient moisture to escape through a wicking action.

Sun: Ultraviolet is our biggest challenge, the sun kills fabrics and stitching if they are not properly specified. So the material needs to be UV stable and the stitching needs to have a minimum of two rows to spread the seam load and add redundancy. A poorly UV stabilised fabric can be destroyed in two seasons, we need five to six seasons minimum to make the purchase worth while.

Fit: Wind is our next element that plays havoc with a poor fitting cover. The shape of the cover needs to correspond with the airframe shape as close as possible. There are caveats here, the fewer stitched panels there are on a cover the longer it is likely to stay weather proof and hold together; so avoid lots of stitched panels.

Humidity: It is important to allow for some air movement throughout the cover if possible as this helps to move moisture and humidity about without concentrating it on one area, so tight fitting covers are not so good as they will make the airframe sweat unnecessarily.

Security: How many straps are enough and how many are too many to bother with? Straps are the only way to secure a cover to an airframe. They need to be padded to prevent chaffing, idealy they need to be easily replaceable when broken. So a strapping system that allows for replacement is ideal. If there are a lot of straps on a cover it is tempting to think "can't be bothered to do them up" but regret could be costly.

Lining: Our glazed areas are vulnerable to chaffing and a tough fabric will chafe against a glazed surface. So we need a go between that can damp out the movement a little and offer a soft surface that presents the lowest threat to the Plexiglass (more often than not) surface.

Getting tough: Tear resistance must be high enough to cope with getting snagged while removal, fitting and stowing. This is especially important in high load areas such as strapping points where wind loads are concentrated.

To sum up: an ideal outdoor cover would be super UV stable, Breathable, good Tear Resistance, soft lined glazed zones, reasonably Waterproof, good general fit and well secured with serviceable straps; quite a demanding brief when all said and done!