Van's Air Force
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canopy rail painting?
- Thread starter RV8R999
- Start date
Sparky
Well Known Member
Powdercoat
Ken, I have an RV-7 Slider, but it shouldn't make a difference. I did clear (so I don't burn my underarms on hot sunny days
) powdercoat on the side rails and polished and waxed (no protective tape) the center rail. The clear powdercoat really looks great - not really a polished look, but very nice and extremely durable. I am still building so I can't really weigh in on over all durability, however, it still looks like new after months of building, opening and closing the canopy, climbing in and out, etc. I am convinced this is a good way to go.
Ken, I have an RV-7 Slider, but it shouldn't make a difference. I did clear (so I don't burn my underarms on hot sunny days
) powdercoat on the side rails and polished and waxed (no protective tape) the center rail. The clear powdercoat really looks great - not really a polished look, but very nice and extremely durable. I am still building so I can't really weigh in on over all durability, however, it still looks like new after months of building, opening and closing the canopy, climbing in and out, etc. I am convinced this is a good way to go.
Last edited:
Canopy rails
Ken,
I would leave them unpainted, mine are polished and after 5 years and 660 hours they still look great.
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I noticed you also built a BD4, my neighbor has built 2 of them, we fly together often, the speeds are very close to my RV7A.
Take care,
Gary
Ken,
I would leave them unpainted, mine are polished and after 5 years and 660 hours they still look great.
I noticed you also built a BD4, my neighbor has built 2 of them, we fly together often, the speeds are very close to my RV7A.
Take care,
Gary
I always intended to do somehtign to mine, but never got around to it - still bare after 1000 hours, and look the same as the day they were installed. Not flashy, but low maintenance! (polished sure does look cool though...)
Paul
Paul
Thanks everyone!
Since most of my -8 will in fact be polished I guess this is the way to go for the rails as well.
Gary - I loved my BD-4, although building from scratch is something I probably wont do on an all metal plane ever again! I'd build a wood plane from scratch tho It was a functional xcntry plane but alas I got tired of flying it and needed something a little more sporty...hence the -8!!!!
Nice looking plane
Since most of my -8 will in fact be polished I guess this is the way to go for the rails as well.
Gary - I loved my BD-4, although building from scratch is something I probably wont do on an all metal plane ever again! I'd build a wood plane from scratch tho
It was a functional xcntry plane but alas I got tired of flying it and needed something a little more sporty...hence the -8!!!!Nice looking plane
Bill Wightman
Well Known Member
Nickle Plated
Expensive, but verrrry nice to nickle plate them. A nickle finish isn't as bright and smooth as chrome, but is just as hard and totally impervious to corrosion. And, for a softer look you can have the nickle brushed like you see on many kitchen/bath hardware pieces.
Expensive, but verrrry nice to nickle plate them. A nickle finish isn't as bright and smooth as chrome, but is just as hard and totally impervious to corrosion. And, for a softer look you can have the nickle brushed like you see on many kitchen/bath hardware pieces.
