REFLECTOR: AWLgrip Painting Result

[Bob Jackson]

Hello Pat,

I just looked at your photos in the reflector archives -- your finished door
really looks nice!  Our biggest painting concern I think will end up being
dust, which it looks like you've largely avoided with your indoor paint
booth set-up.  Next year when we have a real hangar...  We may ultimately
have to break down and get some help from a pro, but our thinking is still
that it's an experimental plane, so it may as well have an experimental
paint job, even if there are a couple of minor problems.  Another approach
might be to add a final AWLgrip (or Imron) clear top coat and hope to
eliminate most of the dust and bug problems that way.

The reverse NACA barely visible on the bottom of our plane is for fresh
cabin air exhaust -- we're figuring that if you don't make it easy for the
fresh air to get out, it will be harder to let it in!

We built an artificial tapered lip on the strakes so the main gear door
would fair in.  We didn't like the idea of the gear doors fitting inside the
gear leg wells (and possibly binding and preventing them from coming down).
Another example probably of unnecessary over-building, but we also thought
they looked kind of cool -- but of course, who ever sees you plane with the
gear up?  We have tried to set up the main gear stops so there will be
something of a preload on the doors.

The doghouse canard cover is probably also over-secured with all the bolts
across the top, but my partner considers the cover to be structural, at
least to some degree.  We hadn't heard the story of the top bowing up in
flight, but maybe now we'll be glad we did use so many bolts!

Bob


-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On
Behalf Of Pat Shea
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 3:32 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: AWLgrip Painting Result

Hi Bob,

Wow, those pics sure bring back memories - I painted
my XLRG in my hangar over a year ago with the help of
an experienced painter using a base/clear system (see
pics in the TVBF under Finishing & Painting). As your
posts/pictures attest, the painting process is a huge
project with a high frustration factor.

I noticed a reverse naca on the belly of your plane -
is that for duct ventilation or something else?

Also, I see you have recessed the bottom of the
strakes for the main gear doors. I assume you're going
to pre-load the doors a little. Let us know how that
works out for you once you get some flight hours on
it.

Finally, It looks like you have fasteners running
across the top (front & back) of your doghouse cover.
I only have screws on the sides of mine and at cruise
it pops up (bulges) over 1/8" in the center.

Pat


--- Bob Jackson <bobj at computer.org> wrote:

> Ronnie & Scott,
>
> Here are a couple of shots of the final result of
> putting Oyster White
> AWLgrip onto the top half of our XLRG fuselage.
>
> Bob Jackson
> N2XF