When the aircraft arrives for painting, all surfaces are inspected with the customer to determine the existing condition of skins, composites, windows, landing gear, control surfaces and and plastics.
Small dents and wrinkles in the skin that are hardly noticeable under old, chalky or weather-beaten paint will stand out noticeably under a new, shiny coat of high-gloss paint.
Any defects that could affect the quality of the exterior painting are noted and discussed with the customer prior to starting work.
Control surfaces cannot be
painted on the aircraft.
All primary flight controls
(Ailerons, elevators and rudder)
and any necessary fiberglass or
plastic components are removed from the aircraft in our maintenance facility.
Flight control rigging data is
recorded, then the aircraft and
removed parts are moved next
door to our stripping and
painting facility.
Preparation for Stripping
Preparation for stripping is a
very time-consuming, and
critical step.
All windows, fiberglass,
brite-work, engine inlets,
actuators and all other openings in the aircraft must
be wrapped with chemical-resistant foil and tape to prevent any chemical
damage.
Foil tape is extended onto the
aluminum at least 3” past the
point where any plastic begins,
and over door and baggage
compartment openings to ensure that no chemicals leach onto the plastic or door gaskets.
Stripper Application
Stripper is applied to all painted
surfaces and carefully monitored for optimal paint release. Usually several applications are required, with pressure washing and rinsing between each application.
Today's chemicals will actually
break the bond between the
primer and the underlying
aluminum causing the paint
to fall off in sheets.
When the original finish has
separated from the metal
stripper and residue are agitated with brushes and immediately scraped from the surface with a rubber squeege. A final coat of stripper is then applied to ensure that all of the old finish is removed.
Stripping Cautions
Never allow stripper to dry – it
will set up and be extremely
difficult to remove.
Do not expose the aircraft to
direct sunlight during stripping.
Never rinse surfaces with water
between chemical remover
applications as this stops the
removal action and causes the
residue to set up on the surface.
Schedule removal operations so
that, once started on an area,
they can proceed without
interruption through the entire
sequence to complete removal
to bare metal.
If the removal operation is
interrupted, extreme difficulty
will be encountered completing
the operation.
Hand - Sanding
The chemical-resistant foils and
tapes that were used to protect
the windows, fiberglass,
brite-work, engine inlets,
actuators, door seams and
all other openings in the aircraft are removed, exposing a considerable area of unstripped surface.
The areas that were protected by the foil now have to be sanded, by hand. This easily can take 4 people a week or more to complete on a small single-engine aircraft.
Post - Stripping Inspection
When all paint is completely removed from the aircraft, it is inspected for any hidden damage, corrosion and loose rivets.
It is possible for corrosion to
work unseen for years under an old paint-job. If found, now is the time to correct it before proceeding further in the process. Royal Aircraft Services handles minor repairs as a matter of course. If substantial surface restoration, filling, riveting or sheet-metal work is necessary the customer will be contacted for approval to perform this work.
Basic Body Work
Small dents in the skin that are
hardly noticeable under old,
chalky or weather-beaten paint
will stand out noticeably under
a new, shiny coat of high-gloss
paint.
Basic body-work involves filling
any major defects with a special 2-part epoxy filler, then
hand-sanding the repairs to a
smooth finish.
Surface preparation for painting is the most important requirement for insuring proper adherence and performance of a paint system.
Prior to applying the primer coat, the bare metal is given a final hand-sanding and a special wax and grease remover is used to remove any impurities.
The bare aluminum is acid-etched and chemically treated to assure long-term protection from corrosion. Chromate conversion coating material is brushed on and allowed to react with the aluminum surfaces until it turns a brassy iridescent yellowish tint; reaction time is between 3 and 5 minutes. Then the material is blotted off with rags and clean water.
No visible coating residue (yellowish color) will remain on the rag after the last blotting action.
Surface Preparation
The aircraft is moved from the stripping booth into the paint booth where filtered, forced hot air is used to dry the aircraft. The chromate conversion coating must be allowed to dry for at least 2 hours before taking further action.
When the aircraft is thoroughly dry, all windows and other surfaces that are not to be painted are masked-off using a variety of special papers and tapes. All engine openings and door jambs are also masked to prevent any overspray from reaching these areas.
Just prior to spraying the primer coat, a final hand wipe-down with a tack-cloth is done to remove any dust or lint that may flaw the final finish.
Primer Application
Two-part corrosion inhibiting
epoxy primer is applied by
sprayer. A final hand wipe-down
with tack cloth is done to remove
any particles from the surface
before priming.
The primer must be applied
within 48 hours after the
application of the chromate
conversion coating chemical.
The product should never be
applied unless the air, the
primer, and the aircraft surface
temperature is above 50° F
(10 ° C) and the surface
temperature is at least 5 ° F
(3 ° C) above the dew point.
Our paint booth is heated prior
to application using natural gas radiant heaters, supplemented by a natural-gas fired furnace coupled to our air intake-filtration system.
"The Royal Treatment"
The basic body-work performed prior to priming removed any major dents and dings from the surface.
For customers who desire a “glass-smooth” finish on their aircraft, we offer the option of applying additional layers of
high-build epoxy primer, which is laboriously hand-sanded to an exceptionally smooth finish.
Base Coat Painting
As with the primer, the base
coat can only be applied if the
air, the paint and catalyst, and
surface temperature of the
aircraft is above 50° F (10 ° C)
and the surface temperature is
at least 5 ° F (3 ° C) above the
dew point.
It is essential that no more than
72 hours elapse between the
application of the primer and
the base coat. The bond between the primer and the base coat depends upon a chemical reaction between the two products. After 72 hours the primer becomes chemically
inactive and this bond will
not occur.
Without the chemical adhesion
between the primer and base
coat, over time the paint will begin to flake off the leading edges and other surfaces that are exposed to abrasive action.
Paint Application
Royal Aircraft Services uses one
of two spray methods:
High Volume Low Pressure
(HVLP) application –
Paint is atomized by a high
volume of low pressure
(< 20 PSI) air through the spray gun nozzle. A high volume of air is used to push the paint and form a very soft, low-velocity pattern. This soft spray provides a consistent coverage and very good overall finish.
Electrostatic Spray -
The paint material is charged
inside the airless gun (60,000
volts at about 200 microamps),
and is attracted to the grounded aircraft. The combination of the low particle velocity of the airless spray and the electrostatic attraction to the aircraft produces an excellent transfer efficiency rate. Overspray is greatly reduced and hard-to-coat areas such as edges and irregular shapes are more effectively painted.
After painting, temperature is increased in the heated paint booth and the base color is allowed to thoroughly dry, then a two-color painted stripe design, or custom vinyl stripes and numbers are applied (depending upon customer preference) to match the customer's specs and drawings.
Registration numbers are then applied (again either painted or vinyl, depending upon the customer's preference).
Inspection
Once all colors and vinyl have
been applied, all paper and tape is removed and the surfaces are inspected for any imperfections and touched-up as necessary to assure an excellent exterior finish.
All necessary detailing is
completed at this point, including the application of anti-skid material to any wing-walk areas.
Re-Assembly
The aircraft and its newly painted primary flight controls are moved to our maintenance facility for:
Reinstallation of control surfaces, using the data recorded during the aircraft's disassembly Rigging check Operational inspections of the flight controls, flaps and lights Inspection of gear wells, flap wells, flight control wells, static port, pitot tubes, etc. Inspection of wheel bearings and repacking Gear-retraction test Check flight
Care of New Paint
Washing the aircraft
The finished application of paint contains a microscopic coating of resins that rise to the top of the color pigments. This clear coat provides the "shiny" appearance and prevents oxidation and acid rain damage. When washing the aircraft, do not use harsh detergents that may penetrate and wear away this surfacce coat.
Do not use "Joy" of "Dawn" or other dishwashing soaps that are designed to remove grease - they will remove resins from the paint prematurely and dull the finish.
Improper cleaning agents will also compromise the UV protection designed into the paint.
Waxing the aircraft.
Don't do it - for at least two or three months after painting. Just use water and a very mild automotive washing soap during the first three months (like "Meguiar's Gold Cleass Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner").
When washing or waxing, use the same care that you would when polishing your plexiglass windows. Always use soft rags - no hard brushes and NO PAPER TOWELS!
Do not apply degreasing materials to remove grease stains. A mild automotive soap with plenty of water is best.
Proper care will extend the appearance of your aircraft for 10 to 15 years.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.
Phone: 301-791-3642 • Toll Free: 866-791-3642 • FAX: 301-791-7368 • Email: quotes@royalaircraft.com
