Alltrikes

i have two wings, the original 12m chronos , 1993, and a 15m northwing maverik, appx 200hrs. i,m flying the maverik on my cosmos echo  here in arizona, where i winter ( ain,t i a lucky bastard!). i have to tie it down here in the desert , my home-made wing covers (made from some $1 per yard cotten, ) over the wings. i hang empty plastic milk jugs all arround the edges to keep the covers on. i used to put water in 'em but with the covers frequently wet with dew the extra weight wasn't needed. (till the wind blows!). even though the material is soft it still seems to abrade the stitches (aided by the dust). some of which show fraying. i paint the leading edges of both wings black and yellow, plus the two outer wing panels, partly for visability, partly 'cos yellow is the fastest color! the paint stiffens the maverik leading edge panel and it SEEMS to climb better, that could be the yellow too! i use water based latex which dries very quickly, covers well ,sticks like shit to a blanket, and adds very little weight. sometime ago i built a 'bettsywhanger wing rippa'and tested my 'test panels' stitched to the rear of the wing. couldn't rip it, but i lack the 'gonadia' to try it on my stitches! (especially the 'wounded' ones). i don't have any parameters to  compare it to. i'm sure the 'purists' out there will castigate any moron that would fly with 'frayed' anything, and maybe i'm overplaying the 'wear and tear' on the stitches. i do look at the 'worn ones', as well as 'kicking the tires before 'most' attempts to aviate, and not much change is apparent to the fraying. i'll stick my scrawney neck out and ask " why not paint the UV damage - prone top surface when new with some kind of protective 'paint' that would delay the UV onslaught? the weight would be significant, but on a 100# wing wouldn't be a dealbreaker, though the passenger seat warmer might have to go! i'm thinking more of single surface 'dacron' not the 'high budget' fast wings out there, obviously they 'ain't covered with 'bed-sheet' cloth! my 12m chronos, although celibrating its 23rd birthday is still 'stiffer than a wedding dick', and when i tried my 'wing-rippa on it all that happened was the needle hole stretched a bit, no ripping. i believe it is 'trilem' or something like that, i think it's used to make french chastity belts .i haven't, (and won't ) tried to rip the stitching after all what would i achieve with out 'factory' figures to compare to. i have no idea what wing stitch material is, it well could be cat-gut for all i know! if any one out there in trike-land, oops! flex-wing-dom, has tried painting his wing, results? replacement ain't gonna happen, i'll run what i brung, (unless theres an abandoned revo, (low hours) out there somewhere! (preferably yellow). hugs and farts, monty (not python!)