PA22 Colt Interior panels/trim.

[Fliermike45]

My recently acquired Tailwheel Colt has interior trim forward of the seat backs made from painted fabric. It's in poor condition.
What was the original factory trim? What kind of material and backing?

Does anybody have a set of templates for the forward sections of the trim?

The baggage compartment is lined with patterned aluminium panels painted red.

[JohnW]

What you have is the original "stuff". There were two types of "baggage compartment walls" depending on your year. One was a dimpled set of three panels, and the other was "simple flat stock" panels. The "cockpit proper" in the Colt (as opposed to the "baggage compartment") was indeed cotton fabric. Adding to the "trim" inside, on the cabin sidewalls were "faux tuck and roll" side panels that were ABOUT 5" tall and were attached to the door skin (and under the left window trim) which were first "lagged" to the sidewall in the upside-down position, and then were "flipped up" and "finished" as above. That's it. The headliner choices were few, with a kinda neat "paisley-like" print pattern in three or four color choices. There are a couple repop companies manufacturing replacement headliners, but they do not offer the "original" Piper pattern. The best choice is real "antique car wool (felt)" material and it is available sewn, with zippers and bow channels sewn in, in (medium) gray, off-white, and tan (I think. See Aircraft Spruce and Specialties Catalog for choices). Vinyl is a POOR choice, contrary to what may SEEM to otherwise be true.

Now, AirTex makes REPLACEMENT PANELS for the Colt interiors that are intended to be mounted OVER the scummy, rotted original sidewall fabric, and on recover many people just cement them directly to the underlying tubing. On my restorations/rebuilds, I use ceconite. Fabric interior walls are bou coup lighter than backed uphostery panels, and ultimately will still be in excellent shape until the next time the airplane is recovered. Might not be the No. 1 choice on a "flying" airplane because it needs doping in and on -or whatever fabric covering system you prefer- but the fabric interior is probably just about a grand cheaper, by the time you are done installing aftermarket upholstery!). Besides, fabric is what they were, and there was NOTHING wrong with that.

So, there ARE no templates (except the ones AirTex and whomever else MIGHT make aftermarket sidewalls, and they ain't talking) unless somebody has a set tucked away that they made so they could have custom sidewall pieces made up by a talented upholsterer. There are alternative methods of coping with this "problem", but unless you are after "Trick Exotic" and/or have an unlimited budget, are frivolous (even though many are gaga over them...fine! Just not for ME, thank you. K.I.S.S. , ya hearin' me?), and either the "bump effect" -what, I assume, you are calling "patterned"- or "smooth aluminum flat stock" is correct. Red in the interior would have been original in an off-the line white Colt with red trim, a VERY popular color combo in the Sixties.

I have a ton of pictures of a Colt red interior (original, and removed in no doubt WORSE condition than yours is!), but no time right this instant to dig for them. Will do so at a later date, if you wish. These panels were not "simply wrapped around the tubes" when installed, but provided extra "clearance (Clarence)" in key areas. Even (or "especially") guys with multiple recovers under their belt will consult the Piper Drawings when it's time to install a fabric interior. I have NO IDEA what aftermarket "upgraded interiors" do in this respect. Probably "nothing".

The TriPacers (and Pacers, and Clippers) had similar "treatment" in their interiors. Piper didn't spend a nickel that didn't represent a compelling product or safety improvement. Tell ya what...after about twenty years on a chintzy plastic interior like the ones in Cessners, you're still gonna have a piece of junk- and for all things considered, "prohibitively expensive" to replace. Ceconite interior walls will live longer than the exterior fabric (but there would STILL be "no reason" to leave it there when the rest of the airplane was being recovered!). The Vagabond had a cotton fabric "headliner" rather than a wool one. Same fabric as your sidewalls. If yours is rotten, then "the last guy" cheaped out on the recover and left the original interior there as a token of his laziness (did I mention "ignorance"?). The good thing about that is that you can damn his eyes at any point before or after he is covered up on the wrong side of the grass. Only, then...ya gotta just move on and FIX his crapola.

Remember...we never "own" these things we call "airplanes". All we can ever hope for is to be the one responsible for TAKING GOOD CARE of them!

[MN_flyer1]

Maybe a case for Kydex that has been mentioned before. You can search for it on this site above.

[Fliermike45]

Well you live and learn.......Kydex looks to be a great product, seems to be what I need.
Thanks for the info guys.

[Stephen]

Using fabric on the side panels is lighter.