Aluminium Aircraft Painting and Insurance costs

[DrZoos]

Hi just wondering if you dont mind saying what insurance costs people are paying for low wing trikes , low hour pilots and who is that with.

 

The SAAA claims far cheaper insurance ?? any idea how much cheaper. Can someone confirm this

 

Painting of Aluminium Aircraft

 

Anyone know how much an external strip of all paint, new primer and paint costs on an aluminium LSA aircraft roughly from experience. Please no guesses.

 

New paint is 95% white with some blue and grey highlights.

 

 

[gareth lacey]

ours cost $2000 primer.paint,clear,all the tape,cleaning and sandpaper , we were quoted $6000 to do it by a spraypainter

 

cheers gareth

 

 

[metalman]

I've done a few RV7s and my rag n tube jigger, usually around the $4k for labour on a three colour scheme, and materials would run around $2-3k depending on the brand, stripping old paint is hard to quote as it has a lot of variables,

 

Cheers Matty

 

 

[DrZoos]

Thanks guys. The one in question has no primer so it should be a bit easier "I think".

 

Now heres a real prickley question....

 

Is stripping and repainting the exact same colour maintenance or modification. Because the way i read it (which isnt the opinion that counts) is its maintenance if the paint type and colour are identical.

 

 

[M61A1]

Thanks guys. The one in question has no primer so it should be a bit easier "I think".Now heres a real prickley question....

 

Is stripping and repainting the exact same colour maintenance or modification. Because the way i read it (which isnt the opinion that counts) is its maintenance if the paint type and colour are identical.

It's maintenance, even if you change the colour. The only time it could be considered a mod is if you change to a surface finish that for some reason is not approved.

 

 

[rgmwa]

I've just been quoted $12,000 plus GST for a basic white plus 2 colour trim scheme on an RV. Anybody know anyone in WA who knows how to paint aircraft and might be less expensive?

 

rgmwa

 

 

[pudestcon]

I've just been quoted $12,000 plus GST for a basic white plus 2 colour trim scheme on an RV. Anybody know anyone in WA who knows how to paint aircraft and might be less expensive?rgmwa

I know there is a business situated at the Northam Airfield who paint aircraft.

Pud

 

 

[rgmwa]

I know there is a business situated at the Northam Airfield who paint aircraft.Pud

Thanks Pud. I know who you mean and contacted them last week for a quote. The other quote came from a business at Jandakot. I thought that $13.2k for a simple paint scheme was a bit over the top, but the Northam guys may not be much cheaper.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[pudestcon]

Thanks Pud. I know who you mean and contacted them last week for a quote. The other quote came from a business at Jandakot. I thought that $13.2k for a simple paint scheme was a bit over the top, but the Northam guys may not be much cheaper.rgmwa

Some time back the guy doing the painting was painting an aircraft in his spare time on the weekend. I got the impression it was not as part of the business there, but using the facility. The guy did work for the company, but I'm not sure what the deal was.

Ask some questions on the airfield might deliver a good result for you.

 

Pud

 

 

[fly_tornado]

you can buy a car for that sort of money!

 

 

[rgmwa]

I spoke to the guy who owns the Northam business last week. He said his painter will be back at the end of the month and he was looking for another paint job to give him. He said they've had a patchy year so far. I guess I'll see how the quote looks first. Hopefully it will be more reasonable than the first one.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[facthunter]

Quite a good car actually. Cars are cash converters. Convert cash into thin air.

 

I would imagine some of the 2 packs are hard to remove and the strippers are savage as I've used some on other jobs. (The proper aviation type ones) I wouldn't like any traces to be left between the laps of the sheet metal, and if it is done wrong (by sanding) you would wish you hadn't started. Nev

 

 

[rgmwa]

I'm starting with bare metal Nev. No paint to remove.

 

rgmwa

 

(Apologies for the thread drift, Dr Zoos)

 

 

[facthunter]

I would have thought the removal would be the hard part. You don't need thick paint on an aircraft. Just adds weight. They used to use acrylic lacquer which I prefer as you can touch it up. Nev

 

 

[metalman]

I would have thought the removal would be the hard part. You don't need thick paint on an aircraft. Just adds weight. They used to use acrylic lacquer which I prefer as you can touch it up. Nev

Most of the modern 2paks can be touched up fine, and unlike acrylic they hold a gloss a lot better in harsh conditions, the same can't be said for 2pak over fabric, it holds up fine but you can't remove it to do repairs to the fabric, shiny ,yes, practical,,,,not really.

Acrylics are easier to use without a booth and are hugely forgiving to spray on, but gloss retention is poor, they're also more susceptible to humidity blisters if there's any moisture in the air when spraying . On a metal aircraft I'd go ( and have done ) for a good quality 2pac, and the automotive stuff is quite alright and much easier to use than some of the aerospace urethanes , added to that you have a massive choice of colours .

 

Good quality is any of the top line products, glasurit( don't get talked into water borne) sickens, Ppg , they'll all have a complete system for aluminium from wash primers or acid etchs up to topcoats.

 

I've done some aircraft in 3layer pearls and although it looks nice it's a lot of paint and a real pain in the arze to match for touch ups , some of the nicest paint jobs I've seen are the simplest , the RV websites/forums are great for ideas.

 

Cheers Matty

 

 

[Downunder]

I've just been quoted $12,000 plus GST for a basic white plus 2 colour trim scheme on an RV. Anybody know anyone in WA who knows how to paint aircraft and might be less expensive?rgmwa

Got a mate at Serpentine having his Glassair painted. Will see who is doing it...........

 

 

[rgmwa]

Got a mate at Serpentine having his Glassair painted. Will see who is doing it...........

Thanks, that would be much appreciated.

rgmwa

 

 

[kgwilson]

Most of the cost seems to be labour so I am considering painting mine myself. One of the guys here painted his own with an etch primer base & Dulux Metalshield topcoat. It is a single pack paint, has a good high gloss finish with no orange peel effect and this was his first attempt at spraypainting. You can also get a number of colours in touchup spraypack aerosol cans. 2 pack is too hard to deal with for an amateur especially a first timer & also a lot more expensive.

 

I will be preparing the aluminium with prekote put on with scotchbrite pads. Prekote is non toxic unlike other aluminium chromate treatments such as Alodine, then a good super etch primer & Metalshield top coats. Material costs estimated at under $500.00

 

 

[Dafydd Llewellyn]

Thanks guys. The one in question has no primer so it should be a bit easier "I think".Now heres a real prickley question....

 

Is stripping and repainting the exact same colour maintenance or modification. Because the way i read it (which isnt the opinion that counts) is its maintenance if the paint type and colour are identical.

Stripping and/or painting - but especially stripping - is maintenance, regardless of the colour. In GA it requires either an Engineering Order or an approved procedures manual. Professional aircraft paint shops must have one or the other. I don't know how it's handled (or, indeed, whether anybody is conscious of the issue) at RAA level. However a metal aircraft does indeed require approved procedures; it is possible to damage an aircraft to the point of write-off if incorrect procedures are used.

 

 

[pylon500]

I've just been quoted $12,000 plus GST for a basic white plus 2 colour trim scheme on an RV.

If the aircraft is registered, and can be flown distance, it may be worth looking at quotes over East, and flying there for the job?

Happens a lot in the States..

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I'm starting with bare metal Nev. No paint to remove.

So polish it then...?

 

 

[rgmwa]

quote="pylon500, post: 316341, member: 31"]If the aircraft is registered, and can be flown distance, it may be worth looking at quotes over East, and flying there for the job?

 

Happens a lot in the States..

 

That could be an option although I was thinking to have it painted before the first flight. There are pros and cons to doing that, but I'd prefer to get everything finished. Also thought about painting it myself and kgwilson's method sounds good. The RV12 would be fairly easy as the wings come off so they can be turned over for painting. The underside of the fuselage is really the only tricky bit for a novice painter. I'm still making some enquiries and am not committed to anything yet. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[rgmwa]

So polish it then...?

No thanks Gnarly. From what I've read about polishing aircraft, it's not for me. If you go down that track, you will be polishing forever, and the RV12 with it's `pop' rivets is not a good candidate for polishing anyway, as the polish gets trapped in the rivet heads.

 

rgmwa.