I found an extra hour or two during the day to install the Dee Rings at the throat (to attach the skirt and suspension cables). Before I slid the ring onto the load tape to create my loop, I added an extra piece of load tape to the inside of the gore load tape to serve as a friction pad for the Dee Rings. I highly doubt the rings would cause any damage from rubbing (I haven't seen any damage on other balloons in all my years working at the repair station) but I figure the simple addition couldn't hurt. Now, if the rings do begin to damage the load tape, I can simply open up the loop, remove the extra piece of load tape and sew in a new one. It sure beats having to splice in a couple feet of load tape on each (potentially) damaged loop. Here are a few pictures:
The extra piece of load tape
Here it is sewn into place
A closer view
Here is the Dee rings installed on the loop
A better view of the loop and Dee Rings
A side view of the loop, friction load tape and two Dee Rings installed
I have 15 of the 16 loops with Dee Rings done. I haven't closed up the balloon yet so I still have one more gore seam to complete. I wont close it until I add my circumferential load tapes. I installed 1 of them today and will hopefully install the other three on Wednesday the 28th.
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