Sources: FAA-H-8083-31B wood, covering and composite chapters, and AC 43.13-1B for acceptable practice. Public domain. Pointers only.
Chapter and section verified against FAA-H-8083-31B, 2023 edition, on 28 August 2026. Page numbers are deliberately not cited: they move between printings, and a citation that rots silently is worse than a coarser one that stays true. Checked by our handbook citation check against our index of the handbook's chapters and sections.
Knowledge only — no skill element touches these
| Elements | Subject | Where in FAA-H-8083-31B | Why it is still here |
|---|---|---|---|
K1–K6 |
Wood structures — inspection, moisture, species, substitutes, defects, repair | Ch. 6 — Wood Aircraft Structures; Inspection of Wood Structures; Wood Condition; Suitable Wood; Glues (Adhesives); Glued Joint Inspection; Repair of Wood Aircraft Structures | You may meet a wood-structured airplane and must not be ignorant of it. AF-B Concepts §1 |
K7–K17 |
Fabric covering — materials, seams, terms, preparation, methods, attachment, deterioration, preservation, inspection, repair | Ch. 3 — General Fabric Covering Process; Fabric Terms; Seams; Preparation for Fabric Covering Work; Preparation of the Airframe Before Covering; Fabric Strength; Fabric Testing Devices; Fabric Repairs; Legal Aspects of Fabric Covering | As above |
S8 |
— | Ch. 7 — Tap Test; Audible Sonic Testing (Coin Tapping); Automated Tap Test | — |
S9, S10 |
— | Ch. 7 — Damage Classification; Bolted Repairs; Flawed Fastener Holes; Fastener Holes | — |
Seventeen of the twenty-nine knowledge elements, and none of the twelve skills. Read them; you will be examined on them; you will not be asked to do them.
What the skills actually cover
| Elements | The ACS asks for | In the handbook | Where in FAA-H-8083-31B | What it does not give you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
K18–K20, S1–S3 |
Composite inspection and testing; defect types; fiber, core and matrix materials | Construction, defect types, inspection methods | Ch. 7 — Nondestructive Inspection (NDI) of Composites; Visual Inspection; Ultrasonic Inspection; Manufacturing Defects; In-Service Defects; Fiber Orientation; Types of Fiber | Why composite damage is invisible. AF-B Concepts §2 |
K21, R4, R7 |
Storage practices and shelf life | Storage requirements | Ch. 7 — Storage & Handling | Shelf life as an airworthiness matter. AF-B Concepts §3 |
K22, S12, R2, R5 |
Composite repair methods; lay-up and vacuum bagging; measuring and mixing | Repair process and bagging | Ch. 7 — Composite Repairs; Bonded Flush Patch Repairs; External Bonded Patch Repairs; Bolted Repairs; Vacuum Bagging Techniques; Vacuum Bag Materials; Envelope Bagging; Single Side Vacuum Bagging | — |
K23–K27, S4, S5 |
Thermoplastics; window care and repair | Transparent plastics, crazing, temporary repairs | Ch. 7 — Transparent Plastics | Which solvents destroy them. GEN-G Concepts §4 |
K28, R3 |
Safety practices; exposure to composite materials | PPE and handling | Ch. 7 — Safety; Repair Safety | The exposure is real. AF-B Concepts §5 |
K29 |
Inspecting restraints and upholstery | — | Not in this handbook | 14 CFR part 91 for what is required |
R1, R6 |
Adhesive and fastener selection; use of materials outside an approved repair system | — | — | AF-B Concepts §3 |
S11 |
Determine extent of damage and repairability | — | Ch. 7 — Defects; Nondestructive Inspection (NDI) of Composites | AF-B Concepts §6 |
The operative sources
- The aircraft's structural repair manual, which for composite specifies the repair system — the resin, the fabric, the cure schedule — as a matched set, not as ingredients.
- The material manufacturer's data sheet for mix ratios, pot life, cure schedule and shelf life.
- AC 43.13-1B where the SRM is silent.
License
CC BY-SA 4.0 (Licensing).