Painting Without Etching/ Alodining

When I id my 6A a few years ago, the paint shop etched and alodined the entire outside prior to spraying the Endura top coat. Turned out well but very time consuming and expensive. The collection and disposal of these chemicals is a big concern here.

Has anyone simply cleaned the exterior with DX330 or Prepsol, used a self etching primer and them sprayed the top coat? Dis it turn out and last. What primers and top coat was used?

I'm working on an RV10 now and want to know if there are any other alternative to the "old ways" with new products.

I've done a lot of planes with self etching primer. Either because thats what the contract required or just looking for a way to skip a couple of steps in the process. Everytime I come back to the old ways. I found it's about a 50/50 shot as to if your paint sticks 100%. Nothing worse than peelling tape off the plane and paint coming with it. I don't like having to do rework.

If this the way you want to go make sure that you sand everything really well with a DA sander loaded with 180 grit paper. After sanding, wash everything with a strong soap and water. I use Eldorado ED-500. Let dry, mask, and then spray.

I hope this helps

Thanks for this insight. I might try some small panels of 2024 with various techniques to see how things stick first.