Author: "luap71" <luap71@...> Time: Tue Nov 22, 2005 11:46 am PST Link
Does anyone know how much weight a "typical" paint job adds to the plane?
Author: "Jon Baker" <jon@...> Time: Wed Nov 23, 2005 8:11 am PST Link
My 6A weighed 1080 before paint and fairings and 1120 afterwards --
40 pounds. Weigh your fairings and subtract to get a ballpark
figure for the paint alone. My homemade intersection fairings are
heavier than the ready-made ones Van's is selling now. But my paint
is probably lighter than average since it was professionally done by
a guy who paints nothing but airplanes and it isn't an automotive-
style clear-coat system. I've got 3 coats of Sherman-Williams "Jet-
Glow" over an epoxy primer.
Paint weighs a bunch. My elevators were considerably nose-heavy
before paint. Afterwards they were dead-on.
You definately need to re-weigh after painting. Not only do you
lose useful load, but it also moves your C.G. aft.
Jon Baker
RV6A N883TT
--- In RV7and7A@yahoogroups.com, "luap71" <luap71@y...> wrote:
>
> Does anyone know how much weight a "typical" paint job adds to the
plane?
Author: "pepeborja925mb" <pepeborja925mb@...> Time: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:43 pm PST Link
To keep the airplane light, the best bet is to use a single stage
automotive paint applied on 2 coats over a light spray of self-etch
primer.
The surface is prepared first using a scotchbrite pad to lightly remove
the alclad shine (provide teeth!!!). You will be good to go and will
not gain 40 pounds. Use white if possible as it is cheaper too. A
paint job like I described should run about $750 DIY on materials and
supplies using 1.5 to 2.0 gallons of paint/trim.
Weight the paint and hardner cans and you shall get an idea of what
the "worst case scenario gain will be". That assumes zero evaporation,
which we all know is not possible.
Jose Borja
Elk Mound, WI 5 years with that paint job described and she looks
good as new.