An Interview with Robert Fraser of HIPEC Aircraft Coatings

This interview will appear in the February 2020 edition of COPA Flight magazine

Perhaps I can start by asking about your aviation background and how you came to be involved with the HIPEC aircraft fabric system?

My Dad owned a Luscombe so I started flying very early. I received my pilot's licence at 17, through air cadets and have been flying for more than 40 years, with many licence endorsements added along the way.

I presently own four flying aircraft, a Decathlon, a Zenair STOL CH 750, a SeaRey amphibian and a Grob motorglider, plus I have three additional aircraft under construction using HIPEC: a Bushmaster, a second SeaRey and a Chipmunk. My formal education is five years of university in civil and structural engineering, with a math major.

One of our good members at the Stanley Aviation Club here in Nova Scotia indicated there was a Rans aircraft covered with the HIPEC system, that was just applied with a paint roller. I viewed the aircraft and was so impressed with the finish that at first I did not believe him.

We started getting more information on the HIPEC system and met with company founder, Chris Falconar, early in the summer of 2018, purchasing the company in January 2019. We started the process to get a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for all certified aircraft in the fall of 2018 and received the STC in late May 2019.

Chris was a spry 92 years young at this time and was still going strong, but decided it was time to retire. He was an extremely talented person with endless amounts of aviation knowledge. We will miss him dearly. (Editor’s note: Chris Falconar died on 9 September 2018)

Where is the company located?

It is a registered Alberta company and our products are made in Edmonton, but our office and hangar are located in Porters Lake, Nova Scotia.

How big is the company?

Presently there are two people in the office and four dealers, plus subcontractors to build our airplanes.

Do you have dealers or sell direct?

We mostly sell direct, but we have an Ontario and a western Alberta representative, plus a US and Australian one also, Manna Aviation.

Can you describe how HIPEC is applied and what makes it different from the other systems?

HIPEC is a well-researched and developed, proven system that's been flying for 50 plus years with thousands of examples. No rib stitching, no rivets and no tapes are required. It is a seamless system with blending of the overlaps, which disappear after four or five brushed applications of thinned HIPEC Attach Glue (HAG) over the seams.

HIPEC is STC'd for almost all certified aircraft, with ease of application (just 3 coats) being a strong advantage. It is the lightest system by far available.

The fabric is attached to the structure using HAG (similar to most systems), then ironed tight using two heat ranges. Then, four or five small, brushed-on, thinned HAG coats are applied to the seams.

The first coat of HIPEC Sun Barrier is then rolled or brushed on. It soaks through the fabric and adheres it to the structure whether metal, composite or wood. A second coat can be cross sprayed then lightly sanded, for optimum results. The Sun Barrier is a single component, moisture cured, silver-grey polyurethane with unmatched bonding characteristics. It saves a huge amount of labour (100 hours or more on an aircraft). The topcoat is then sprayed on, resulting in a long lasting high gloss finish that retains its flexibility indefinitely. For an award-winning level of finish, a second topcoat can also be sprayed on. It's really a three coat system, versus the competitions’ six to eight coat systems. It even meets or exceeds FAR 23.337 design requirements for aerobatic aircraft, without applying rib stitching. It has seven times the peel strength versus most other fabric systems and has never had a single lab failure, ever.

HIPEC provides a faster and better performing, lighter airplane, with its seamless finish, with no draggy rib stitching, rivets or reinforcing tapes that have extra coatings to fill the tapes. The tapes alone can cost $500 or more to finish a plane.

How does it compare for cost, speed of application and ease of use?

It is the most cost effective and one of the lightest systems there is. It can be quickly applied with very little sanding. It is one third the cost of a single coat European system and is significantly more economical than other competitors’ multiple coat systems. For instance, on a rudder or elevator, you can apply the fabric on day one with HAG, allow overnight curing, shrink the fabric and apply the Sun Barrier in the morning, spray the second coat of SB in the evening, light sand and tack rag, then spray the topcoat the next morning and you are done. Actually, all three coats can be applied with only a roller with excellent results, when done in a clean and dust-free environment.

The finished, cured weight on a Just Aviation STOL aircraft will be 18 to 20 pounds, with a Citabria tipping the scales at approximately 32 pounds.

What precautions are required when applying HIPEC?

You will need good ventilation, a clean dust free work area and proper personal protective equipment (PPE). The HIPEC Sun Barrier, a single component product, has to be applied in a higher relative humidity setting (with a wet floor) for best results, as it is moisture-cured. A good organic breathing filter is recommended for spraying, although our new HIPEC system “B” can be ordered at no additional cost and it is a volatile organic compound (VOC) free product.

The system must be applied as described in our new 23rd edition manual, with no “MacGyvering” whatsoever. The HIPEC products were scientifically developed and rigourously tested to be chemically compatible. All our products are mixed simply one part “A” to one part “B”, so no special formulas are required.

What kind of fabric lifespan can you realistically expect on an aircraft with HIPEC, stored in a hangar or stored outdoors?

While attending Oshkosh in 2019 as a vendor, we were shown examples of aircraft that were covered in the early 1980s and still looking fine. Our Ontario dealer, Monty Wells, covered his J3 in 2000 and it still looks great. It was subject to a hail storm three years ago, which caused several punctures. His friend's plane, same place, same storm, was un-airworthy from the hail damage. Monty repaired his with several “loonie” dollar sized pre-finished patches.

If hangared, the HIPEC finish will easily last many decades.

Any idea how many aircraft are flying with HIPEC?

It would be in the thousands, as it has been around for a very long time.

At Oshkosh in 2019 we were overwhelmed by response to HIPEC, including its new STC for use on certified aircraft. The polyurethane paints are much more durable than the vinyl lines of paint.

I noted your company also sells a hangar floor coating system. How was developed?

With my environmental company, we were involved in many floor coating applications and it was just a natural progression. Our system provides a super-durable, long-lasting and less slippery product. It costs approximately $1.25 per square foot and is available in many colors. It really adds new life to a hangar or garage and is very easy to apply.

Any future plans for the company?

At this point in time, we are aggressively promoting HIPEC, after years of little or no advertising.

We will attend Oshkosh AirVenture in 2020 with a highly modified Smith Super Cub built by our western dealer, Shane Madson, from the Edmonton area. It will, of course, feature a HIPEC paint job.

We have had some excellent responses from many well-established aircraft companies using our product, as it provides them with a much lighter aircraft, large labour-savings and a well-proven system.

Anything else we should know about HIPEC?

We have test sample kits available which will do a complete rudder and elevator with our entire process, including the new manual.

We will soon be completing our brand new HIPEC Bushmaster demonstrator, complete with a 200 hp Lycoming engine, plus the modified Super Cub, both featuring HIPEC high quality, lightweight paint jobs.

We have 45,000 colors to choose from with high or low gloss, metallics, pearls, candied and fluorescents available.

External links

• Company website
• Transport Canada STC SA09-3 for HIPEC covering on certified aircraft

An Interview With Phil Hale of Manna Aviation

This interview also appeared in the October 2019 edition of COPA Flight magazine

Chris Falconar’s homebuilt aircraft designs are well-known in Canada. His company, Falconar Avia, based in Edmonton, Alberta, supplied many homebuiders with plans, kits and parts over the years, in particular for his wooden aircraft designs.

Falconar passed away on 9 September 2018 and the company was wound-up on 30 June 2019. The rights to his F-series aircraft, Minihawk, 2/3 Mustang and the S14 Miranda aircraft plans were purchased by Manna Aviation of Toronto, New South Wales, Australia and are now back on the market.

I interviewed Manna Aviation’s General Manager, Phil Hale, in July 2019, asked him about his company and his future plans.

1. Perhaps we can start with some background on you. What is your flying and homebuilt aircraft experience?

I initially learnt to fly in 2007 in Australia in the ultralight category (equivalent to light sport in the USA) and then upgraded to a full Private Pilots Licence in 2010. During 2008, I was introduced to a colleague who was building his own aircraft, it was a Jabiru 120 and after researching how this was achievable, I decided to give it a go.

After researching many designs and in particular, recognized easy-to-build kits, I decided to build a Zenith CH601 XLB. I built this aircraft from the kit and it was completed in two years, with the first flight being in June 2008. This aircraft was sold in May 2019.

In 2013, I got the bug to start another build, but this time is was going to be from plans. The mission for this aircraft was to be two seat, low wing, retractable undercarriage, respectable range being at least 700 miles, cruise speed of at least 160 knots and of timber construction. I decided to start an Osprey GP4 aircraft which is still in the build process.

2. When did you start Manna Aviation and what were the aims for the company?

Manna Aviation was started in February 2012 with the aim of providing a service to match available hangar space with aircraft owners looking for spaces. The aim of the business was noble, but the reality of finding and match hangar space was limited and not profitable. So began the change in focus, to finding products and services in the aviation industry, which are not currently represented in the Oceania region, was the mission.

The first product we came across was an oxy-acetylene welding torch for use in welding chrome-moly 4130 steel, for the rag and tube aircraft builds. This product was spun off as a separate business, Cobra Torches Australia. Once the welding torch business was established, Manna Aviation became our focus again.

We initially were looking for any aviation-related products and were able to seal a dealership with Flybox Avionics from Italy. We continued our search for other products and we fortunate to be able to pick up the plans business from Falconar Avia, to supplement the avionics business.

3. Who else is involved in the company?

Manna Aviation is a family owned and financed business, with four employees. We are a lean organization, which gives us the ability to adapted to an ever-changing world in which we operate. We add resources as needed to meet peak demands and provide the highest level of customer service.

4. You have a line of EFIS, Engine Information Systems, instruments and an autopilot system, all aimed at homebuilders. How did you get involved in these product lines?

We initially were looking for avionics products, which supported three fuel tank levels as well as the standard engine monitoring systems of EGT, CHT, etc and most of the common makes do not support three tanks. We were able to find a product made by Flybox Avionics from Italy. After making inquiries with Flybox about the product and finding out they did not have any dealers in Australia, we entered into a contract to represent Flybox Avionics in the Australia and New Zealand regions.

5. Your company is in Toronto, New South Wales, Australia. How did you come to get involved in Chris Falconar's aircraft designs all the way from Canada? Did you know Chris personally?

In 2013, while looking for the next build project, the Falconar F-12A “Cruiser” was one of the aircraft I was considering. I was specifically looking for a wooden design and the Falconar designs are a simple to build design with a proven heritage. Although I decided to build the Osprey GP4, I continued to monitor other wooden designs, you just don’t know what will come your way. I was unfortunate that I never got the chance to know or work with Chris Falconar, but my experience of working with Kalvin Falconar and Mel Locke in the transition of the business has been a real pleasure.

6. With the winding up of Falconar Avia this year, after Chris Falconar's death in 2018, you bought the rights to eight of his homebuilt aircraft designs, including the Falconar F-9, 10, 11 and 12, Minihawk, SAL P-51D Mustang and the S14 Miranda. What led you to want to market these aircraft classic plans over something newer?

As an aviation enthusiast, I am disappointed at the number of homebuilt aircraft designs that just disappear and are no-longer available. No contact details to follow up, they just disappear. There are many wooden designs that I would love to have on the books, I am trying to find contacts to make these designs available again, but to no avail. So, I like to think, we can preserve the aviation heritage that designs, like those of Chris Falconar and other designers provided, that started the homebuilt industry, like the Taylor Monoplane, Chilton, Jodel D-9, etc.

7. Is there still a market for plans-built wooden aircraft here in the 21st century?

There will always be a market for plans built wooden aircraft because there will always be the purest who wants to build from plans. Wooden aircraft have a proven heritage going all the way back to the Tiger Moths, and they are still flying. Wood is a wonderful building material and with the modern epoxy-based glues, the ability to build a wooden performance aircraft from timber is easily achievable today. With plantation timbers being available and suitable for building aircraft, the future looks good.

8. Will you be adding partial or complete kits for the aircraft over time?

With the purchase of the rights to the Falconar family of aircraft, came the full kit parts listings and over time Manna Aviation will begin to add kits for each of the aircraft to the range of products available. As Manna Aviation builds the business over time, we are expecting that all the kits previously offered by Falconar Avia will be made available. We will also look into partnering with other businesses in producing the kits.

9. It looks like you are selling the aircraft plans on paper, like Falconar did. Some, like the Mustang plans, are pretty big and heavy and must be costly to ship. Are you considering selling digital copies or are they less useful?

Manna Aviation will be offering the paper-based plans for the near future, while we digitize the plans sets. We have been looking into the shipping costs and this has been kept to a minimum where possible. With today's’ capabilities in digital file technology, Manna Aviation will move to a full digital file delivery of the plan sets. For those clients who prefer to have the paper based plans, we will produce the plans and ship them.

10. What does the future hold for Manna Aviation? Will you be adding more aircraft from other designers or a bigger range of building supplies?

The future for Manna Aviation is bright, with the intention to grow both the plans and avionics business. We will always be on the lookout for new products to add to our range and this will encompass any product that is aviation-related. Manna Aviation will also be working with the team from Hipec Systems [of aircraft fabric coverings] to supply and recommend their products for use in the construction of the Falconar range of aircraft.

Manna Aviation hopes to provide builder-assist programs in the future and the development of a builders’ blog for the Falconar range of aircraft. In relation to adding additional plans from other designers, this is a major part of the business plan. We are dedicated to maintaining the wooden heritage and, where possible, re-establish the market of lost plans like the Jurca range.

11. Is there anything else you want to add?

The Manna Aviation website will be wholly devoted to the aircraft plans business and the avionics and parts business will be moved to a sister company Cobra Aviation.

External links

• Manna Aviation website

Innovative VProp Finds New Home

The VProp automatic variable pitch propeller was originally designed by Thomas Strieker and produced by Silent Aircraft GmbH of Verl, Germany, but has been unavailable since it went out of production in 2011.

Intended as a purpose-designed propeller for the Jabiru 2200 and 3300 engines, in its two and three-bladed version respectively, the rights to the design have now been passed to the well-established propeller manufacturer, Hoffmann Propeller GmbH & Co. KG of Rosenheim, Germany.

Hoffmann are not currently offering VProps for sale, but are engaged in further developing the design to make it available for a wider range of engines with a wider range of power outputs. Hoffmann Propeller Technical Engineering's Stefan Bichlmeyr is leading the development effort.

The innovative VProp design uses aluminium blades mated to an aluminium hub through vibration dampened ball-and-socket joints. The pitch of the blades is controlled automatically, without pilot input. The blades are kept at an optimal angle of incidence through a co-axially-mounted, counter-rotating vaned spinner mounted in front of the blades on the hub. The vanes drive an internal generator which measures the prop's rpm and the speed of the aircraft. An electronic control unit mounted inside the hub takes this information and compares it to optimal profiles set on the ground and then uses an electric motor-driven pitch change actuator to optimize the blade pitch for the aircraft's speed and engine rpm.

The VProp's pitch range is limited by mechanical stops and if electronic control is lost it mechanically reverts to a safe pitch angle automatically, as a fail-safe.

Because there are no cockpit control runs the VProp is entirely self-contained and internally powered, making it simple to install and maintain. In flight it reduces pilot workload over traditional constant speed propellers, as there is no pilot input required.

In the past the VProp has been available only for experimental installations, but Hoffmann hopes to eventually certify the design.

Note

This article also appeared in the August 2013 edition of COPA Flight.