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Flying with an unpainted plane.

togaflyer

Well Known Member
Weeks away from having a flying plane. It will probably be 3-6 months before I can get it painted. Should anything be done to protect the aluminum and composite parts until its painted.
 
I flew my -7A for nine years without any paint on the aluminum with no special care other than an occasional wash to remove bugs and bird droppings. I primed and painted the fiberglass pieces a couple of times with epoxy boat paint.

When I finally got the plane painted 4 years ago, the painter did his standard prep to apply Acry-Glo. Since then, there haven't been any issues of corrosion or paint not adhering that I've found.

In short, based on my experience, with your scheduled painting within the next 6 months, I wouldn't bother doing anything.

Mike
 
If it's going to be hangared, no. I flew for 2 years before mine was painted. If it's going to sit outside all the time, I'm no expert but think it would be prudent to prime the fiberglass to protect against UV damage.
 
Have heard that one should avoid using any surface cleaning products containing silicone. Also, lingering residue from most of the spray-on anti-corrosion treatments (e.g., Corrosion X, BoeShield, ACF-50, etc.) can be problematic when painting.
 
I primed and put a coat of PPG single stage paint on all the fiberglass (simple garage paint job). I figured I had a year or so before I could paint and I wanted something that looked halfway decent. I also assumed sanding the single stage paint before final paint would help me get a better end product.

I left the aluminum bare - but even stored in a T hangar I noted some surface corrosion after a few months.

Carl
 
Unpainted

My 7A has been unpainted for 5 years. Yes, it?s hangared. Polish on demand about every +/- 6 months. Holds a good shine without much attention. I find the occasional polishing by hand to be Both relaxing and satisfying. Try not to be too fixated on the shine.

Jim Diehl 7A
Lock Haven, Pa
 
I flew 160 hours and almost 18 months before paint, no big deal. Like others said, avoid putting anything on the skin or fiberglass that contains silicone, your painter will thank you.
 
Been flying for 5+ years, no paint, no issues. Live in a dry part of the country though. Vlad probably offers much more compelling evidence and, if he's still flying unpainted, Dan Checkoway would as well.
 
Yes she will be hangered. I need to avoid any type of do it yourself paint job, Im terrible at it. I would just be creating more work for the paint shop down the road. Can you put a light coat of wax on it or should that also be avoided.
 
As a data point, we have an unpainted RV-4 in our hangar that was completed over 10 years ago and has been regularly flown in our somewhat salty west coastal air (Santa Rosa, CA). There is no evidence of significant surface corrosion other than light corrosive etching of the various Alclad surfaces -- which should clean up OK as part of the eventual paint prep. The builder/owner has made no real effort to protect the surface over the years (other than hangaring and occasional washing) and intends to paint it "one of these days".
 
Bare metal

Silicone & Teflon can be hard to remove from skin seams and around rivets and can cause paint adhesion issues. I wouldn?t use any products that contain these things until after paint. WD-40 is a acceptable spray lube for now.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
If it's going to be hangared, no. I flew for 2 years before mine was painted. If it's going to sit outside all the time, I'm no expert but think it would be prudent to prime the fiberglass to protect against UV damage.

If you are certain you will be painting the airplane in a few months I wouldn't do anything. However, I flew my airplane almost 5 years without paint. The airplane was hangared with the exception of trips and fly-ins. Yet the fiberglass on my airplane exhibited signs of UV damage before it was finally painted. I wouldn't go more than a year without at least some primer on the fiberglass if you plan on hangaring the airplane. If it's going to be outside, I would prime the fiberglass as soon as possible.
 
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