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Steve Colwell's comments on sealing the prepreg against fluid leaks are excellent.  I had the unfortunate experience of watching a fellow Lancair builder try to wipe up a huge hydraulic leak from the belly of his airplane (on the inside of the airplane) and I just knew it had to be soaking down inside.

I look at my LNC2 airplane and say "What can leak, and where will it go?"  I have no fluids aft of the seat (my pump is up forward) so anything that leaks is going to stay between the firewall and the seat.  It's also going to be on the floor, rather than on the fuselage sidewalls.  Leakage sources are fuel lines, hydraulic lines and brake lines -- if not in service then during maintenance.

I'm going to paint the floor of my airplane with the Jeffco fuel tank sealer. But only from the firewall to the seat back, and only on the floor.  I don't need to paint this stuff between the consoles where there is already 2-BID over the floor.  I will also do the bottoms of the wheel wells, and possibly the cockpit closeout rib.

Nobody will see this since it will be covered by the seats, or by carpeting, or on the bottom on the wheel well (where even the most fanatical fellow builder won't see it unless he/she has an inspection mirror and a flashlight).  The cockpit closeout rib may be visible, so I'd have to paint over that with Zolatone.  Or maybe only use Zolatone there without the Jeffco underneath.

Protecting the skin is important, but shouldn't be overdone.  Ceilings and tailcones, for instance, don't need this extra weight.

- Rob Wolf

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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.