Polyken Tape Guide — 296FR, 290FR, 108FR, 345SW & More
Polyken Aircraft & Aerospace Tapes, Explained
Which Polyken tape do you need? A plain-English guide to every stocked grade — cargo pit, carpet, foil speed tape, military duct, and gaffer — organized by the job, with the specs and part numbers to match.
Polyken — a Vybond brand with a 60-plus-year history — is one of North America's most trusted makers of specialty pressure-sensitive tapes for aerospace, military, and professional use. The catalog spans very different jobs, from flame-retardant cargo-pit sealing to UV-reactive gaffer tape, so the real question is rarely "is it Polyken" — it's which grade fits your job, your spec, and your surface. This guide sorts every tape we stock by category and points you to the right part number. We ship all 11 stocked Polyken products from Melbourne, Florida, worldwide.
Ready to browse everything in one place? See the full Polyken collection with live pricing and stock.
Shop All Polyken →Quick routing: sealing a cargo-hold liner? → 296FR / 290FR / 225FR. Laying aircraft carpet? → 108FR / 105C. Need silver foil speed tape? → 345SW. Military duct tape? → 231. Neon gaffer for film/stage? → 510.
Category 01Cargo Pit & Flame-Retardant Aerospace Tapes
Cargo compartment tapes seam and repair the fire-barrier liner inside an aircraft cargo hold, so they're qualified to Boeing BMS5-146 and the FAR 25.853/.855/.856 flammability requirements. All three are flame-retardant; the differences are carrier, strength, and which sub-specs they carry. New to these? See our cargo compartment tape guide.
Category 02Aircraft Carpet & Double-Coated Tapes
Double-coated tapes bond aircraft carpet and interior trim. The choice is flammability: 108FR is the flame-retardant aviation standard (BMS 5-133); 105C is a general-purpose double-coated cloth for BAC5034-4 mounting where FR isn't required.
BAC5034 vs BAC5034-4: if your callout is a surface-protection masking spec (Type IV/Class I/Grade A) you likely want a Protex paper or film, not a Polyken carpet tape. See our BAC 5034 guide to be sure.
Category 03Aluminum Foil & Speed Tape
For temporary, non-structural aircraft sealing, masking, and heat shielding — the silver "speed tape" you've seen on a wing. One stocked grade covers it.
Want the full speed-tape rundown — what it is, whether it's safe, and how it's priced?
Speed Tape Guide →Category 04Military-Grade Duct Tape
A true mil-spec duct tape — not a hardware-store roll — meeting ASTM D-5486 and Douglas DPM 871-3, NSN-stocked for military procurement.
Category 05Neon Fluorescent Gaffer Tape (510)
Heavy-duty, UV-reactive vinyl-coated cloth gaffer tape for film, events, and production — matte finish, residue-free removal, LEED EQ 4.1 compliant. Same 11.5-mil 510 construction in four neon colors.
Full Polyken comparison — all stocked grades
Every stocked Polyken tape side by side. Click any part number to go to its product page. Values are typical, from current data sheets, and provided for reference — confirm against the controlling drawing and current data sheet for your application.
| Spec | 296FR | 290FR | 225FR | 108FR | 105C | 345SW | 231 | 510 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Cargo pit | Cargo pit | Cargo pit | FR carpet | Dbl-coated | Foil speed | Mil duct | Gaffer |
| Carrier | Fiberglass | PE fiberglass | PE cloth | Cloth | Cloth | Alum. foil | PE cloth | Vinyl cloth |
| Thickness | 7 mil | 13 mil | 12 mil | 15 mil | 11 mil | 5 mil | 12 mil | 11.5 mil |
| Adhesion (oz/in) | 45 | 38 | 40 | 60 | 40 | 68 | 95 | 50 |
| Tensile (lb/in) | 134 | 150 | 29 | 55 | 20 | 26 | 50 | 42 |
| Temp range | -40–275°F | 40–200°F | 40–200°F | 40–200°F | 40–200°F | -40–350°F | 40–200°F | 40–200°F |
| Flame retardant | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — |
| FAR 25.853(a) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — |
| Boeing / spec | BMS5-146M | Boeing SLs | DMS 1968E | BMS5-133 | BAC5034-4 | AMS-T-23397B | ASTM D-5486 | — |
| Price from | $59.99 | $48.99 | $47.99 | $31.99 | $23.99 | $28.99 | $22.99 | $27.99 |
Cinta Polyken — guía rápida en español
Polyken fabrica cintas técnicas para aeronáutica, uso militar y profesional. Para sellado de bodegas de carga (cargo pit) que cumplen Boeing BMS5-146, use la 296FR, 290FR o 225FR. Para alfombra de avión, la 108FR (retardante de llama) o 105C. ¿Cinta de aluminio (speed tape)? La 345SW. ¿Cinta duct militar? La 231. Envíos a todo el mundo con Certificado de Conformidad. Ver todas las cintas Polyken →
Frequently asked questions
What is Polyken tape used for?
Polyken makes specialty pressure-sensitive tapes for aerospace, military, and professional use. The range includes flame-retardant cargo-pit tapes (296FR, 290FR, 225FR), aircraft carpet tapes (108FR, 105C), aluminum foil speed tape (345SW), military-grade duct tape (231), and UV-reactive gaffer tape (510). The right grade depends on your job and the spec you need to meet.
Which Polyken tape do I need for a cargo compartment?
For sealing and repairing cargo-hold liners, use a flame-retardant cargo pit grade: Polyken 296FR (lightweight fiberglass, meets BMS5-146 and FAR 25.856(a)), 290FR (strongest, 150 lb/in tensile), or 225FR (duct-style FR cloth). See our cargo compartment tape guide for a full breakdown.
What's the difference between Polyken 296FR and 290FR?
Both are flame-retardant cargo pit tapes. 296FR is a lightweight 7-mil fiberglass tape and the only Polyken cargo grade meeting FAR 25.856(a); it's repositionable and the most-requested general cargo tape. 290FR is a 13-mil PE-coated fiberglass tape with no liner and 150 lb/in tensile — the strongest cargo pit tape in the lineup.
Which Polyken tape is aircraft carpet tape?
Polyken 108FR is the aviation-standard flame-retardant carpet tape (Boeing BMS 5-133), a 15-mil double-coated cloth. For general double-coated mounting where flame retardancy isn't required, Polyken 105C meets Boeing BAC5034-4.
Is Polyken 345SW real aircraft speed tape?
Yes. Polyken 345SW is a 5-mil self-wound aluminum foil speed tape qualified to FAR 25.853(a), SAE AMS-T-23397B, and L-T-80B, plus Gulfstream GAMPS 4002 / GAT100BC. It's used for temporary, non-structural aircraft sealing, masking, and heat shielding.
Does Skytapes ship Polyken internationally?
Yes. We stock all 11 Polyken products and ship from Melbourne, Florida to customers worldwide, with a Certificate of Conformance on every order and free US shipping. International rates are calculated at checkout.
Not sure which Polyken tape you need?
Tell us your spec callout, surface, and application and we'll confirm the right Polyken grade, stocked widths, lead time, and pricing. Certificate of Conformance on every order.
Shop All Polyken →This guide is provided for general informational purposes. Polyken aerospace and military tapes are regulated materials; use on any aircraft must follow the applicable structural repair manual, engineering order, maintenance manual, and the operator's approved procedures. Spec references (BMS5-146, BMS5-133, BAC5034-4, FAR 25.853/25.855/25.856, ASTM D-5486, SAE AMS-T-23397B, DMS 1968E, and others) are provided for identification; confirm the current revision and applicability for your task. Typical performance figures are stated at time of manufacture and are not for use in writing specifications; confirm current values against each product's manufacturer data sheet. Prices shown are current starting prices and may change; confirm the live price on each product page. Polyken is a Vybond brand; Boeing, BMS, and BAC are trademarks of The Boeing Company; other marks belong to their respective owners.