Paint fairings or not?

Big Ed

Big Ed

N50247 - '79 Super D
Joined
Jul 20, 2020
Messages
1,938
Location
Tampa, FL
My plane came with a box of parts, including wheel pants and fairings for both ends of the struts. The fairings are clear plastic. Should I leave them clear to facilitate inspection, or paint white? If painting, will enamel do? Do I need special aviation enamel?

Also, the strut has to be detached at each end to install the fittings. How much of a bear is that? Do I need an A&P?
 
do you have streamlined tail brace wires? the streamlined wires were part of a package that included extra fairings. it's rare, i'm going to be jealous if you have them
 
Big Ed said:
My plane came with a box of parts, including wheel pants and fairings for both ends of the struts. The fairings are clear plastic. Should I leave them clear to facilitate inspection, or paint white? If painting, will enamel do? Do I need special aviation enamel?

Also, the strut has to be detached at each end to install the fittings. How much of a bear is that? Do I need an A&P?
Click to expand...
it can be a pain in the ass but the bolts are all exposed so shouldn't take too long, wing will have to be supported when the bolts are pulled from either end
 
Dunno. Does streamlined mean the cross sectional profile of the wire is blade-shaped instead of round? If so, then yes, that's what I've got.

So, prop the wing up, unfasten the bolt, pull it out, put the fairings on, refasten and torque? Can the bolt be reused? Is the nut nylock?
 
Strongly recommend you get a good fabric A&P involved in this project. He/she can get you to relax in the "don't care" areas like what kind of paint on the fairings, and can help with the very serious task of disconnecting major structural parts. Minor fabric work is not a big deal; unbolting a wing is indeed a big deal.
 
I have an A&P to help, and potentially an IA. However, his availability is limited, so I was trying to get a sense for how involved the project is before trying to book him. I've got a couple other owner assist projects that I want him to teach me, such as oil change and tire rotation. I don't want to wear out my welcome at his hangar.

So back to the main question: should I paint the fairings or leave them clear to facilitate preflight inspection?
 
I'd paint them. They probably won't stay clear forever, and they'll get dust and dirt under them, which then can't be wiped off.

Enamel won't due as it's usually not fuel proof. I think it's easier, when possible, to stay with the topcoat you are using on the fabric for color matching purposes (with appropriate cleaning and priming) and with a companion paint intended for metal and trim when you can't use the same topcoat you used on the fabric.

One thing to consider is how glossy is your exterior finish? If it's a shiny polyurethane finish that is as shiny as the plastic, consider painting the inside of the fairing. That'll keep you from seeing any dust that gets inside it, it'll also prevent the paint from chipping, and if you paint both sides, any chips that occur in the exterior paint won't be obvious.
 
Plastic? You do know why we put silver on fabric before we shoot color? If you are sure they will never see sunlight you can skip that step. Same would be true of fabric.
 
Big Ed said:
I have an A&P to help, and potentially an IA. However, his availability is limited, so I was trying to get a sense for how involved the project is before trying to book him. I've got a couple other owner assist projects that I want him to teach me, such as oil change and tire rotation. I don't want to wear out my welcome at his hangar.

So back to the main question: should I paint the fairings or leave them clear to facilitate preflight inspection?
Click to expand...
Paint them on the outside else they'll fall to pieces in short order. UV rays and all that...
As for preflight inspection; the bolts and nuts are (or should be) castelatted (sp) and pinned with a cotter pin. Same nut and bolt,new cotter pin. Also, minor work preformed, no IA, just an A&P required.

Chris
 
Lots of paranoia about plastic and Uv radiation. The deflector in front of my fuel vent is clear plastic. It's been on the plane since at least 2007, and possibly since 2002 when the metal wings were installed. It still looks new, except for the dust inside it.

If you paint the outside, I'd still paint the inside to make any chips in the exterior paint a lot less visible.
 
BB57 said:
Lots of paranoia about plastic and Uv radiation. The deflector in front of my fuel vent is clear plastic. It's been on the plane since at least 2007, and possibly since 2002 when the metal wings were installed. It still looks new, except for the dust inside it.

If you paint the outside, I'd still paint the inside to make any chips in the exterior paint a lot less visible.
Click to expand...
And the edges.
Don't forget the edges...🙂🙃🙂.
Chris. (The one who is in every crowd...)
 
Maybe the only time that deflector sees UV is when you are inverted. Take a chunk of plastic, screw it down on your hangar roof, and check it every six months. Do that with a frame of Dacron cloth, too. The Dacron will be dust in six months flat. The thick plastic will just gradually craze.
 
Bob Turner said:
Maybe the only time that deflector sees UV is when you are inverted. Take a chunk of plastic, screw it down on your hangar roof, and check it every six months. Do that with a frame of Dacron cloth, too. The Dacron will be dust in six months flat. The thick plastic will just gradually craze.
Click to expand...

Ok, I give up. I guess we should all paint the plexiglass windows as well. They eventually craze.
 
Big Ed said:
Some plastics are UV stable. Others are not. I have no idea what type of plastic my fairings are made of.

protoplastics.com

Which UV Resistant Plastics Won't Degrade in the Sunlight? - Proto Plastics

UV radiation is one cause of plastic degradation in outdoor equipment. Luckily, there are a number of UV resistant plastics available on the market.
protoplastics.com protoplastics.com
Click to expand...
That's my point.

If it's an opaque plastic and it's on an aircraft then it's usually either ABS or fiberglass. ABS plastic has poor UV resistance so it needs to be properly painted with a UV resistant top coat to protect the plastic if it's going to be used on the exterior of the aircraft - and then it's still only going to last 15-20 years.

However, if it's 1) a clear plastic, and 2) on an aircraft, it's almost certainly an acrylic or a polycarbonate and they are both very UV resistant.
 
We had to put aluminum tape on the composite cowls of the early 737-300 to block sunlight, I think, where they joined the hot ring at the intake.
But I kind of agree with BB - even if these fairings crack and craze, who cares? Not like they are going to bring you out of the sky. Paint them inside only, if it makes you happy.
 
Bob Turner said:
We had to put aluminum tape on the composite cowls of the early 737-300 to block sunlight, I think, where they joined the hot ring at the intake.
But I kind of agree with BB - even if these fairings crack and craze, who cares? Not like they are going to bring you out of the sky. Paint them inside only, if it makes you happy.
Click to expand...
I've seen mechanics do that. I always wondered why.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top