New Paint Job on our Lovely C-182.

[Unstable 9]

Hey Guys,

This year, for the first time in many-a-year, our Dropzone is hosting a decent-sized Tubine Boogie June 4-8 in Kansas. I'm in charge of planning the deal, and so far all of our ducks are in a row, and next week we'll start our advertising campaign and media blitz. I believe it will be a good thing for turbine-hungry midwest jumpers and a few corporate sponsors are really helping out.

The long and the short of it, our S&TA has been talking about using some of the money if the event goes well to strip down and repaint our venerable 182. She's a well maintained, cared for, and babied member of our club. We bought her for $20,000 after sitting in a field in LA for 10 years, and after $35,000 in major work, she's a wonderful workhorse, but certainly not a looker. Hence the proposed paintjob.

I'm no aircraft expert, but I know that many of you are. Are there any structural or maintenance benefits? Does it effect climb rate? Fuel Consumption? I think it would help inspire confidence in our students and jumpers, but are there any hard-core benefits?

=========Shaun ==========

[bodypilot1 0]

It would be best to just strip the paint. Paint adds weight which means more fuel to altitude. There are no structural benefits from it, and maintenance might be the extra care of keeping the alum from oxidizing if you do strip it to bare metal.

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[NewGuy2005 53]

Strip it and polish the aluminum.

[lippy 918]

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It would be best to just strip the paint. Paint adds weight which means more fuel to altitude. There are no structural benefits from it, and maintenance might be the extra care of keeping the alum from oxidizing if you do strip it to bare metal.

I agree, but I generally like anything shiny, sometimes I spend hours in the grocery store in the aluminum foil aisle.

I remember hearing some stats on just how much weight the paint actually adds and was super-surprised. I imagine somebody on here has the actual numbers.

I got nuthin

[bodypilot1 0]

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I remember hearing some stats on just how much weight the paint actually adds and was super-surprised. I imagine somebody on here has the actual numbers.

No one can actually produce real numbers to this, because there nobody that will get the same mil thickness while shooting the paint every time. Some will have extra primer and bondo as well. Adding paint to a plane does add alot of weight, adding extra feul cost to get to altitude, but it may be best to make the decision after you have stripped it to bare metal. Some aircraft may be heavily dented and the current paint is only masking it.

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[ltdiver 3]

When my sister and her husband met they both had Luscombe aircraft. One one polished silver (bare metal) with blue stripes...the other painted silver with blue stripes.

Since they like flying together they finally sold one. They sold the polished one. Why? Because it took SO much time to keep it polished and looking nice. Much easier maintenance on the painted one.


Just my .02.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[bodypilot1 0]

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When my sister and her husband met they both had Luscombe aircraft. One one polished silver (bare metal) with blue stripes...the other painted sliver with blue stripes.

Since they like flying together they finally sold one. They sold the polished one. Why? Because it took SO much time to keep it polished and looking nice. Much easier maintenance on the painted one.
Just my .02.

ltdiver

Exactly why I wrote this.

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It would be best to just strip the paint. Paint adds weight which means more fuel to altitude. There are no structural benefits from it, and maintenance might be the extra care of keeping the alum from oxidizing if you do strip it to bare metal.

Some are just too lazy to keep up on taking care of it.

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[ltdiver 3]

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Some are just too lazy to keep up on taking care of it.

That's not it at all. They just turned their attention to polishing another mode of transportation instead. Oh, they still have their airplane...and travel alot with it (airshows and stuff), but when the weather's not cooperative they use this instead.

http://globetrotter64.home.att.net/ They've won all kinds of awards for their work on this vintage airstream trailer that they rescued.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

Quote

When my sister and her husband met they both had Luscombe aircraft. One one polished silver (bare metal) with blue stripes...the other painted sliver with blue stripes.

Since they like flying together they finally sold one. They sold the polished one. Why? Because it took SO much time to keep it polished and looking nice. Much easier maintenance on the painted one.
Just my .02.

ltdiver

Exactly why I wrote this.

Quote

It would be best to just strip the paint. Paint adds weight which means more fuel to altitude. There are no structural benefits from it, and maintenance might be the extra care of keeping the alum from oxidizing if you do strip it to bare metal.

Some are just too lazy to keep up on taking care of it.

Correction. I just contacted my sister. They KEPT the polished plane and sold the painted one. So, I guess THESE POLISHING TIPS not only apply to their airstream but their Luscombe too.
ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[LongWayToFall 0]

If you like the shiny look and light weight, but don't want to polish it all the time, you could buff it up real nice and lay down a clear coat, no more oxidize!

[kschilk 0]

Bein' a former Navy AMS (airframe mech), I can honestly tell you that they don't paint aircraft, just for looks. I'd suggest that if you like shiny & silver, you apply some "country chrome" (silver paint). Actually, not just any paint can be used...especially primer. Some paints & primers contain metals that will actually promote corrosion, defeating the purpose. Cleaners and polishes are the same, exercise caution when applying to aircraft.

"T'was ever thus."

[flyboyne 1]

Having a new paint job can protect the airframe from getting corrosion if there is any bare metal showing. People will tend to clean the bugs off of a nice shiney looking airplane, which can help reduce parasite drag a litltle and help w/ the climb rate. Whatever you do dont try and polish it. I've polished a couple of luscombes, a swift, and a straight tail C-182. It litterally takes hundreds of hours of hard work and a lot of money for compounds and you still have to keep up w/ the polishing to keep it looking good. Paint doesn't add that much weight. Good luck w/ the boogie.

[riggerrob 643]

The primary function of paint is corrosion control ... a big problem along the coast, but insignificant in Kansas.

We just hope that Kansas skydivers are not silly enough to leave their airplane out all winter.

[Unstable 9]

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We just hope that Kansas skydivers are not silly enough to leave their airplane out all winter.

Well, ya know we do have a barn, but it's mostly for cows. I guess we could put them airplanes with the chickens and hens, maybe the shiny metal can help keep them foxes out.

=========Shaun ==========

[gdmusumeci 0]

There shouldn't be any measurable performance improvement. Paint is really about corrosion control, so maintaining the paint in good shape has a long-term positive impact on structural integrity.

Regretfully, paint is expensive. A good strip & repaint around here (northern CA) is $10-15K. Be careful in picking your shop, too: quality differs wildly.

[riggerrob 643]

When are you going to post a picture of your shiny, freshly-painted airplane?

[Unstable 9]

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When are you going to post a picture of your shiny, freshly-painted airplane?

Step 1: Book Airplane for boogie.

Step 2: Have great, profitable boogie

Step 3: Raise allocation request to club for vote

Step 4: Argue about it via listsev for 3 days.

Step 5: Someone get's feelings hurt. Deal with hurt feelings and talk to people who hurt their feelings

Step 6: Call club vote.

Step 7: Deal with people raising issues after voting began.

Step 8: Get plane painted.


I think I should get er all done by tomorrow!!

=========Shaun ==========

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

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Strip it and polish the aluminum.

Do you have any idea how much work it is keeping a polished aluminum airplane looking good?

[airtwardo 7]

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_05/textonly/fo01txt.html

Here's an interesting read...over 500 lbs. of paint on a 747!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[kschilk 0]

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http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_05/textonly/fo01txt.html

Here's an interesting read...over 500 lbs. of paint on a 747!

As I recall, the F-14 Tomcat carried as much as a half-ton of paint, including primer.

"T'was ever thus."

[kschilk 0]

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The primary function of paint is corrosion control ... a big problem along the coast, but insignificant in Kansas.

We just hope that Kansas skydivers are not silly enough to leave their airplane out all winter.

Corrosion is NEVER insignificant! I also have to doubt that Kansas has absolute zero humidity. Corrosion is an electrical process....that's how batteries work. Corrosion is a triad....anode & cathode (dissimilar metals) and a conductor (electrolyte). To prevent corrosion, the triad must be broken...either by insulating the dissimilar metals or eliminating/insulating the conductor. Aircraft are made from different types of aluminum (usually 7075, 2024 and 6061), each with a different alloying element and most aren't compatible. Most generally, they're insulated with sealants but those break down after time, restoring the connection. The moisture in the air, however minute, is the conductor (electrolyte) and without paint to insulate, completes the circuit.

Usually three or four mils is the recommended maximum paint thickness and on a 182, it's a negligible weight gain. The benefits of paint, far outweigh the downsides.

"T'was ever thus."

[Dean358 0]

According to LET, the manufacturer of my model L-33 Solo sailplane, the paint contributes 16 pounds to it's 514 pound empty weight. Generic photos here:

http://www.nwi.net/~blanikam/ba/prod02.htm

Not sure how that compares to the weight gain you'd have on a C-182, but its definitley worth it's weight in, um....paint, for my L-33.

Cheers,
Dean

www.wci.nyc

[skydived19006 4]

They do nice work for a decent price in Mena Arkansas. I think paint is money well spent! I also wouldn't even consider going with bare aluminum, it's enough work just washing, and keeping the belly clean on a painted airplane.

Seems that your "omni-vision rear window" needs to be replaced as well, it's more opaque yellow than "window." Spend the money! Raise prices if you have to! Spruce up that bird!

I'm painting my airplane one piece at a time, reminds me of Johny Cash's one piece at a time Cadillac. Last winter the wings came off, and went to Indiana for rebuild. Also last year we painted the right elevator, it got hit by a skydiver, repaired and painted. This winter we painted the horizontal stabilizer, and left elevator. Replaced a dented skin on the stab, and painted the whole thing while it was off the airplane. Maybe next winter, I'll pay to do the rest of the rest of the airframe. Well probability not, next winter is a Texas Skyways 520 and prop ($45,000 or so). Paint's ok for a while.

Martin

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[Unstable 9]

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Seems that your "omni-vision rear window" needs to be replaced as well, it's more opaque yellow than "window." Spend the money! Raise prices if you have to! Spruce up that bird!

This is true - that would be our first priority. We have the $, and in 500 hours we are up for an overhaul as well. That rear window would defiantly be the thing to do though. Hopefully the boogie this year will give us not the cash, but hopefully the momentum and "gung-ho" needed to rally that up.

=========Shaun ==========

[ElJosh 0]

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I'm painting my airplane one piece at a time, reminds me of Johny Cash's one piece at a time Cadillac.

Hey there Red Flyer what is the year on that flying machine you got there?

DS #149
Yes I only have 3 jumps...it's the magic number dude.