Paint Shop Review- Euroair Aviation
 

Last month, I celebrated the 5 year anniversary of flying the Spruce Moose. Five years of flying it around in bare aluminum and primer, that is. I did make one previous attempt to get it painted, but that went, uh, not as I had planned.

Well, it's time to try again. I managed to scrape together enough scratch to take it to a paint shop. After looking around and talking to some builders about their paint shop experience, I chose Euroair Aviation in Reedsburg, WI. www.euroairaviation.com. You can follow along and watch the progress on their website here:

http://www.euroairaviation.com/jeff-rv-6.html

Right now it is in the prep phase, as you can see.

This thread will serve two purposes- 1) to show some pics of the painting in progress, and 2) a report on my experience with Euroair.

Stay tuned for further information.

Congrats Jeff on getting the RV to the paint shop!

what's a typical paint budget?
 

for NOT doing it yourself.

yeah, I know it's probably all over the place on price depending on what one wants, but I'm curious about high and low end. I'm flying naked now, waiting on the obama paint stimulus package.

Cool
 

I'm glad you're doing this Jeff!

I'll be looking for a paint shop for my -8 in about a year and Reedsburg is close enough to haul the thing in pieces so it's painted at first flight!

Just don't want to end up in stuck in that place having too much fun flying to lay her up for paint!

When it's done I'd like to see it in person. I'm around 57C often.

Euroairs's prices are on their website, and they are pretty reasonable compared to other shops in the area.

Jesse- I missed you at the meeting Tuesday, I have something for you. Gimme a call sometime.

Nice
 

Jeff,

This is great timing for us. We've been looking at his shop for a year now and just about ready to reserve a spot on the schedule. Look forward to checking in on your plane. Fly into Reedsburg with Chapter 1158 often.

Bunch of new pics just posted today.

http://www.euroairaviation.com/jeff-rv-6.html

Jesse- before you go truck it over there for painting, talk to me first. I highly recommend not painting before flying. It is likely that you will find lots of little things that rub, crack, and generally play havoc with your paint. Easier to fix this stuff when it's not painted. Why not fly off the test period, then get it painted?

There are some that go without paint for the test period, others who end up going year after year without getting the job done................and those who paint first.

I'm one who painted first, and many acquaintances have done the same. In a nutshell, we've had minor to no problems in which not painting would have been an advantage.

And I'm sure glad I painted first. I don't have to fly an ugly plane around. I don't have to take it apart once it's been flying. I don't have to worry about getting all the oil residue from between the overlaps and rivets for paint to adhere. I don't have to worry about a re-balance of the elevator from paint weight, or a new weight and balance proceedure.

RV's by design, and the fact that 6000+ are flying; just seem to fly as intended. It's not an experimental that requires a lot of re-work to fly properly.

I would definately take it in for painting before final assembly, without a second thought. As I said, this is based on my own experience and so my others that I know of.

L.Adamson --- RV6A

But I want to fly!!!
 

I am 70 years old. When I started this project in 2002 (bought my 7A kit at SNF) I intended to paint first. Now however, I am afraid another 3 to 4 months to paint will mean I MIGHT not ever fly. Who knows at my age!!!

I have every hope of flying this summer. Painting will have to wait!

More new pics:

http://www.euroairaviation.com/jeff-rv-6.html