Which paint to use on a spinner?

I’ve got an ugly spinner on my plane and would like to strip it, and paint it white. I don’t know what paint was used on the plane but can take a wheel pant off for color matching.

Are there any paints available that can go direct to aluminum or will they all need a primer?

Thx

Are you sure the spinner is aluminum? Van's spinners are fiberglass unless it's something aftermarket.

At any rate, primer under paint is best for adhesion. Do you have to? No, but for your time and effort it would be best if the paint adhered well and didn't chip off, so think about how long you want it to last.

Consider auto paints. Two part single stage may be the best for this. If you don't have a spray gun maybe take it to a auto body/paint shop and have it professionally done. Spray cans would be my last choice. They finish they provide just doesn't hold up well on a part like a spinner that gets touched a lot.

I have seen a few aluminum spinners out there. If you have one then yes you would want primer. Fiberglass spinners also have primer but usually a different kind.

I'm not a paint expert, but I've always thought that paint sticks better to paint than anything else.


So you might be better off just painting over the existing paint.....

How well is the existing paint stuck to the metal? If you’re not certain it’s best to start from the beginning. That way you control every aspect of the process and are certain of its quality.

Thx folks. This is for another plane but now I’m curious what material my RV4 spinner is made of.

I ended up getting lucky and found a local body shop that has painted some planes over the years and who didn’t mind doing such a small job. I don’t know what it will cost yet but I bet it isn’t any more than having to buy all the minimum paint and primer supplies for a DIY job.