|
|
I agree with Mr. Hogarty. Properly installed static wicks are what you need to save your primer and eventually your paint. We've seen finished painted leading edges blow off in small sections after flying through conditions that produce lots of static without wicks installed. The static build up in the airframe will discharge off the leading edge in flight and take the paint with it. WLS is an excellent product and isn't at fault here.
Leading edge tape is a smart thing too, but only a band-aid if you don't address the root cause of the problem.
Matthew Collier
Fibercraft Inc.
On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 5:18 AM, William A. Hogarty <billhogarty@gmail.com> wrote:
Static wicks, good bonding, and leading edge tape. Good luck, Bill Hogarty
On Mon, Mar 19, 2012 at 3:17 AM, Charles Brown <browncc1@verizon.net> wrote:
OK, the guys who already know this can sit back and chuckle, the rest of you, here's a bulletin on flying IFR in primer. I gather that WLS primer is not as hard as paint and about a half hour in moderate rain at 210ktas was enough to visibly erode small areas of all the leading edges. I think all that really happened was that defects in the underlying layers, which had been filled by WLS, were revealed. At any rate, there were numerous small areas (largest: 1/4" X 1/4"; most areas smaller) where pinholes, underlying BID mesh, and occasional air bubbles in micro were revealed. Recommendation: fly with a harder coating than WLS or avoid rain. The WLS held up just fine in ordinary flying for 100 hours.
I've scheduled paint as soon as I can get into the shop, in the meantime I'm repairing the leading edges and spraying the repairs with K36 primer which the paint shop recommended (and I can get a quart for $80 rather than paying $300 for a gallon of WLS). Then, until painting, I'll cover the leading edges with leading edge tape.
Question for you IFR guys with APA (Already-Painted Airplanes): What's your experience with rain and paint?
Charley Brown
Legacy #299 100 hours
--
For archives and unsub http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/lists/lml/List.html
|
|