The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Well, based on the current number of views to my last post about vinyl headliner installation, 66, and the number of comments, 0, I have taken a new tack. Calls to upholstry shops and people who have done headliner installations resulted in no one knowing a good way to get a headliner in with skylights wrinkle free. Airtex only said it was difficult. I was at a Christmas party last night of many in aviation including many experienced machanics who had installed headliners. Everyone agreed that getting one in wrinkle free would be difficult if not impossible. One person had actually known of a guy who did slit and sew a panel in with the headliner installed. I looked a 3 different Cessnas with skylights and all 3 had wool headliners and all 3 had wrinkles but not as bad as the vinyl ones in the photos in my previous post.

As you can see I removed the offending headliner...just cant live with it. Yes type A obssesive compulsive A+anal retentive...at least that is what my wife says...used to think it was a compliment but her inflection and look on her face says otherwise.

Ordering a new headliner tomorrow from Airtex. Installed a Selkirk one last year in a 206 and had to have the bag sewn in for the wire hangar at the zipper. They told me they had never had anyone tell them about that being missing before...

I will install it and believe that I need to pull the fabric forward and clamp it in place then have an assistant hold the fabric up high on both sides either side of skylights and then install it where it goes above doors, working forward slowly. Doing this will maybe make the forward fabric want to move a bit so that is why it wil be clamped only until all the way forward and can be attached to the hooked material.

Once I have that installed I will work from the sides to the outboard portion of the skylights and massage the fabric in.

Anyway I do have a plan and if it works I will post in detail how to do these installations with skylights...as that Austrian born former governor of California once said...

"I'll be back"

Stay tuned this could be very entertaining

Below is the reply I got from the shop in Illnois that installs headliners in 140's. A member gave me their information. I really really will figure this out. It cannot be impossible just difficult. I canprobably live with a few sags but not wrinkles. Oh wait maybe i can I just looked in the mirror

Thanks for the email.

I have to say I HATE vinyl headliners, because of the exact issue you are having. I stick to the wool because as you have found out, the wool can be steamed to get rid of most of the wrinkles.

That being said, I have never installed a headliner in a 170 with skylights. It looks like the skylight material is tucked around the surrounds that rivet to the cabin top and hold the skylights in place. As you probably know, the 140 uses a surround that the headliner is attached to, and that 'snaps' into the existing headliner surround. It alos looks like the additional height that the 170 headliner has to achieve with the skylights installed is considerably more than the 140. That also would contribute to the wrinkles in the corners.

All I can suggest is switching to wool and working as much excess material to the center from both sides so there isn't so much to bunch up in the corners. Other than that, looks like you are doing a good job.

If you haven't installed a 140 headliner before (with the skylights), I have a video that shows how to do that. But you probably have done that countless times!

Good luck!

Lorraine