FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1B
Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices
Aircraft Inspection and Repair
AC 43.13-1B | 2. Fabric Covering | 1. Practices and Precautions | 2-9. Reinforcing Tape
AC 43.13-1B
9/8/98
overlapped and doped seams on the longerons
or other wide fabric-forming structures in ac
cordance with the aircraft Vne speed. (Refer
ence paragraph 2-7 b.)
d. Holes in Fabric. Never cut any holes
in the fabric for inspection panels, spar fittings,
or drain grommets; or attach the fabric to the
airframe with rib lacing screws, rivets, clips, or
rib stitch cord until the fabric has been semi-
tauted and stabilized with several coats of
dope.
2-9. REINFORCING TAPE.
a. Reinforcing tape should be securely
bonded to the fabric surface with dope before
cord lacing or installation of hardware. Where
multiple attachments are in close proximity,
such as on a wing rib, continuous reinforcing
tape should be installed, extending at least
1 inch past the last attachment at each end.
Random or wide spacing, such as on fuselage
stringers or empennage surfaces, may be rein
forced with 2-inch lengths of reinforcing tape
centered on the attachment location.
b. Reinforcing tapes should be of the
appropriate width for hardware attachment
such as screws, rivets, wire clips, etc., which
pierce the center of the tape. Reinforcing tape
under cord lacing should be the same width as
the rib to which the fabric is laced and may be
comprised of multiple widths positioned
side-by-side to achieve the required width.
c. When the aircraft Vne speed is over
250 mph, anti-tear strips, cut from the same
quality fabric used to cover the aircraft, are
recommended for use under reinforcing tape
on the entire top surface of the wing and on the
portion of the wing’s bottom surface in the
propeller slipstream. The propeller slipstream
is considered to be the propeller diameter plus
one outboard rib. The anti-tear strip should be
installed completely around the wing, begin
ning and ending at the trailing edge in the pro
peller slipstream, and installed from the trail
ing edge over the leading edge and back under
to the front spar on the balance of the ribs.
Anti-tear strips should extend 1/2 inch past the
wing rib cap edges and be thoroughly bonded
to the fabric with dope before the reinforcing
tape is installed. (See figure 2-3.)
FIGURE 2-3. Exploded side view of rib.
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