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RV-9A Builder-Applied Vinyl Wrap

Bill_H

Well Known Member
This is a report on builder-applied vinyl wrapping on a just-completed RV9A.

The poster is Bill_H (for picture help) but the builder is S. Helton, VAF ID N115SB, email shelton267 AT msn DOT COM and all questions should be directed there. Pictures are after the text.

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Helton: After a lot of thought and study, we decided to wrap our RV9A with vinyl instead of painting it. Race cars, boats, buses, cars and tractor-trailers are routinely wrapped with vinyl, why not airplanes? Vinyl accent stripes and decals have long been common on planes. There are other threads on VAF about this.

Our difference is that we decided to do the wrapping ourselves.

We think the best wraps come from 3M and Avery. We chose Avery, the top quality “cast vinyl” like this.
http://averyvinyl.com/A9-900-SUPERCAST-OPAQUE-12-YEAR-CAST-FILMS_c2.htm

Many colors and even metallics are available. The white is supposed to last 12 years out in the sun, we are hangared. We contacted a local sign company guy who does vinyl signs. He had also done a couple of vinyl-wrapped vehicles, so was very familiar with the process. He came and looked at our project and said he would be willing to help us for $30/hr plus materials. This is in rural Arkansas and I suspect labor cost in other areas could be much higher.

We worked with the him for 5 days doing the wings and fuselage, learning the process, then we have done the rest ourselves. It's not difficult to do, but like painting, there are a lot of tricks and techniques to it. I would NOT attempt it without some knowledgeable instruction. We did not need all of that time to learn the process, but he was available and it was convenient.

With the wrap complete we are very happy with the process and the appearance. We've had some knowledgeable aircraft people come into the hanger and admire the "paint job" before we tell them its not paint.

The lower cowl is painted. All of the rest of the plane is wrapped. The wrap is so tight that on the upper cowl you can barely detect, at the right angle, the textural pattern of the fiberglass underneath.

Pros:
Cost: We have about $3500 invested, $2000 labor and $1500 in material. Labor is the big variable. An average paint job is $8-10,000.

Convenience: You can do it all in your own hanger. It can all be done before first flight. You don't have to take it somewhere a have someone else disassemble and paint it.

Cons:
We don't know of any yet. Durability and longevity are obvious concerns.

Some Details:
Tools: No special tools are required. A squeegee, x-acto knife, and hair dryer (NOT heat gun). Two sharp hole punches sized to fit a #6 and #8 countersunk screw head. (More to follow on that.)

You cut the pieces to approximate size and do layouts along natural skin seams. This means you can easily remove and replace a piece should there be a need. You lay it down with the backing still on, and use tape to hold the center of the piece in place. Then you bend back one side and peel off the backer, and cut the backer off with scissors. You lay it down. The exposed adhesive is pressure activated. You can move it around until you apply pressure. You can squeegie down the center horizontally and then squeegie towards and away from you. By lifting on the edge and slightly pulling as you squeegie you can eliminate wrinkles. Also, because the adhesive is micro-grooved, you can eliminate bubbles by simply pressing down without the typical “working them to the edge or cutting them.” Even on the initial squeegee-ing,it can be relifted up and set down again.

It conforms to some fairly significant curves. A hair dryer on full (not a heat gun) helps for that. There is a limit though – such as a prop spinner and wheel pants. The prop spinner was done in two pieces with a longitudinal split covered by matching edge sealing tape. The longer it sits, the more the adhesive holds.

The RV9A had no rounded head or pull rivets to be covered so we have no example of that to show. We did all of the countersunk screws like this: Cover the screw holes. Nick the center and put in the screw (#6 or 8) almost all the way screwed in. Take a sharp hole punch just barely larger than the screwhead, and press down/rotate to cut the vinyl. An x-acto knife can help. The object is to remove just enough so that the screw contacts metal, not vinyl. See the last picture. We had no issues with this technique. We use countersunk washers on all screws holding thin fiberglass pieces, like fairings. I turn them on a lathe to make their OD smaller.

We applied vinyl to the aft edge of the wing forward of the flaps and ailerons, and similarly on the horizontal stabilizer, but not on the aft edge of the vertical stabilizer forward of the rudder. That was better to be painted. Small pieces to cover small areas are easy to do.

We think that the weight of the applied vinyl is about 15 pounds but did not measure it. A paint job would be twice as much or more. We hope to get some per-square-foot values of the vinyl weight with and without the backing peeled off and can post them later.

Some pictures:

RV9A89.JPG


RV9A93.JPG


RV9A101.JPG


RV9A94.JPG


IMG_0013.JPG


IMG_0014.JPG


IMG_0016.JPG


IMG_0017.JPG


IMG_0018.JPG


OH! The panel!
IMG_0011.JPG
 
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Impressive! I think this is the way of the future. Most likely some paint shops are going to have to add vinyl as a finish option.

Also, it is just a matter of time until vinyl installation techniques become well known enough for the typical builder to not hesitate wrapping his own plane. High quality paint jobs are now within the skill set of the home builder, at some point high quality wraps will also be common.
 
awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you guys are amazing!
I've been sticking vinyl on stuff for 30+ years, and can't imagine how you did it! Your helper must have been a pretty experienced ol' decal dawg!

For anyone else who wants to tackle this, check the manufacturer's sites, like Avery's, and note that they also have a 'superwrap' film available in quite a few colours, that is likely much easier to apply...it's specially made to conform to compound curves like fairings, cowlings etc. ( in the right hands!)

http://graphics.averydennison.com/e...id-color-wrap-film/supreme-wrapping-film.html

seems to have a similar warranty etc. 7-10 years.
 
Impressive! I think this is the way of the future.

The wrap jobs and decals that are currently done on cars, commercial vehicles and commercial aircraft are installed over painted surfaces....not over bare metal. I think it's highly likely that full wraps done over bare, untreated, aluminium will ultimately result in undercreep corrosion.

Of course one could prepare and prime the plane before wrapping, but masking, preparing and priming is 80% of the paint job so one might as well just paint the top coats and be done with it.

There's also a lot of other downsides to wraps including the fact that they can't readily be applied to numerous areas on an aircraft that ideally need to be colour matched such as the rear spar of the wings, aileron brackets, etc, etc, etc.

And wraps do not look anywhere near as good as a decent paint job. Anyone who has seen a wrap before and knows what they are can easily spot the difference in quality.

Discrete decals on painted planes have some very real advantages, particularly because it allows for digitally printed art to be easily applied. But full wraps on unpainted planes have some serious limitations.

The problem with the current spate of VansAirforce discussions on wraps is that many of the people who are getting excited about full wraps have never actually seen one on a light aircraft. They're commenting purely based on seeing photos.

I think that people should reserve their opinion on full wraps on RVs until they've seen the actual process for themselves.
 
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I agree, Bob. You should see this one before making a conclusion because I don't think your statements are necessarily accurate regarding it. The imperfections S.H. pointed out to me today were very minor and easily dealt with.

He pointed out his intent was a good looking plane for flying, and not a show plane. He exceeded that, in my opinion.

They had no problem with the aft spar pieces, as written. Things like hinges can be primed and painted with matching rattle-can or other methods. The question for the builder will have to do whether things like that are worth several thousand dollars more.

My plane is a 12 and I have no idea how it would look over pulled rivets! Nor do I know about the bare metal vs. primed issue. I'm happy with my 8K$ paint job but this process looks veeeeeeery interesting...
 
So you tell people to reserve their opinion until they actually see a wrap... Then give your opinion and input after never seeing an actual aircraftwraps project?:rolleyes:

The statement that we can't wrap ANY Part of the aircraft or "not readily applied" is also incorrect.

"People getting excited haven't seen an actual wrap"... I've personally shown our product to THOUSANDS of pilots. Our past projects have covered the USA coast-to-coast. Maybe, just maybe they have seen our work and might be giving information based on first hand experience!?

In short, you make completely incorrect statements then instruct others to "wait" to see for themselves.

Here's HiDef walk around and uncut. This plane has zero paint on it. You tell me... How's it look? Maybe ask the pilots at Reno PRS that booked wraps only "after" viewing the aircraft "in person" and "up close"?

https://vimeo.com/97088128

Regards,

Scott Farnsworth

The wrap jobs and decals that are currently done on cars, commercial vehicles and commercial aircraft are installed over painted surfaces....not over bare metal. I think it's highly likely that full wraps done over bare, untreated, aluminium will ultimately result in undercreep corrosion.

Of course one could prepare and prime the plane before wrapping, but masking, preparing and priming is 80% of the paint job so one might as well just paint the top coats and be done with it.

There's also a lot of other downsides to wraps including the fact that they can't readily be applied to numerous areas on an aircraft that ideally need to be colour matched such as the rear spar of the wings, aileron brackets, etc, etc, etc.

And wraps do not look anywhere near as good as a decent paint job. Anyone who has seen a wrap before and knows what they are can easily spot the difference in quality.

Discrete decals on painted planes have some very real advantages, particularly because it allows for digitally printed art to be easily applied. But full wraps on unpainted planes have some serious limitations.

The problem with the current spate of VansAirforce discussions on wraps is that many of the people who are getting excited about full wraps have never actually seen one on a light aircraft. They're commenting purely based on seeing photos.

I think that people should reserve their opinion on full wraps on RVs until they've seen the actual process for themselves.
 
There is no doubt that the wrap looks spectacular, my only concern would be corrosion, which some builders, in certain circumstances, would be familiar with by leaving the "blue" plastic on the parts as supplied too long.:confused:
 
There is no doubt that the wrap looks spectacular, my only concern would be corrosion, which some builders, in certain circumstances, would be familiar with by leaving the "blue" plastic on the parts as supplied too long.:confused:

Different vinyl and cut at the edge of the piece. We wrap our edges. However, vinyl lays great over primer too. :D
 
Paint or wrap

Could this debate eventually surpass the primer war debate. Time will tell. Looking forward to both sides.
 
So far, I have not heard anyone say: "I had my plane wrapped, and am trying to find someone to unwrap it so I can paint it"
 
This is my airplane we are looking at in this thread, so I'm compelled to ad my two cents. First I want thank Bill for the photos and posting.
First: I am not new to aircraft building. This is the 8th airplane I've built, the 5th RV. 2 7As, an 8A, a 10 and now this 9A. All previous to this one have been painted.
Second: To me, this is an experiment. My objective is to save money (in this case, $3,500 vs an estimated $8k-$10k), save weight (estimated 15 lbs vs 35-40 lbs) and ultimately end up with a nice flying airplane that looks "pretty nice". I think I have achieved these objectives.
Third: I agree 100%, a really nice paint job is superior to vinyl wrap. "You get what you pay for". I have a friend who has $40k in his absolutely beautiful airbrushed, work of art paint job.
Forth: The proof is in the pudding. My main concerns are durability and longevity. I've learned early on that vinyl scratches pretty easy, you have to be more careful with it, but it's fairly easy to repair. As for some peoples concerns about corrosion under the vinyl, I have no clue. Time will tell, I'm 70 years old and I'm quite sure I won't have to worry about it. :) Painted airplanes corrode too.
 
As for corrosion, while working in Michigan I have seen one or two painted cars that have had a bit of rust and corrosion on them. Some look like they need a vinyl wrap to keep them from falling apart.

Thanks for posting about how you did your wrap. I have seen the posts showing the professional wraps and how great they looked. Yours looks very nice too. I would love to see it up close. From the pictures and story, it looks doable for those that may want to give it a try.

I am interested if you would give it a try by yourself or if the help of a person who has done it before is needed. I have had several vehicles wrapped including box trucks and I watched the wrapping of a Cayenne I had wrapped last year. It looked to me like wrapping a car is more difficult that a RV because the car has more compound curves. I wouldn't try a car, but may be willing to give my RV a go.
 
Wrap has disadvantages as well as advantages. Scratching easily makes me wonder what it will look like in 10 years vs paint which can be buffed and polished after that time. I really wonder what the leading edges are going to look like after a decade of bug splats.

I think the real advantage to wrap is the printed on vinyl applications. You can do some really cool looking stuff like that (see the Titan planes) but aircraft wraps quoted over $7k for plain colors and an easy scheme on my -8 which put them within a few hundred of GLO's paint quote. I shudder to think what Titan's scheme would cost.

Half the cost of paint (installed) would get interesting as in my mind it's also half the lifespan and half the durability but at today's quoted installed prices, I can't see the value unless like race cars etc you want to change the look or parts often. Now, a do it yourself option where the builder can wrap the parts as he goes...and get a printed on ultra cool scheme for under half the cost of a paint job (less than 4k all in)..that might get interesting. I think this poster sharing his process combined with other pioneers is the future of RV wraps. The materials are cheap, so once this community gathers the knowledge...we will see where this tech goes. It's just a technique, not brain surgery. This community can and will figure it out. 6k for a weekend's labor is certainly motivation enough to get us there.
 
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As of now, I plan to paint my plane all white with no trim colors. Then experiment with vinyl trim and maybe some graphics. This way, after several years if I get tired of the design, I will just peel the vinyl off and start over. But, I would like to see a 100% wrapped plane. I wonder if there will be any in Oshkosh to look at?
 
I spent a half hour or so actually looking at a wrapped Cessna 182. I was amazed at the quality of the wrap and the precision of the appearance. The wrap went right up to the edge of the metal badge on the airplane - it looked just like paint. It was in its 4th year, and looked new.

I'm very interested in wrapping my -9A when the time comes.
 
Great job Helton!

This is my airplane we are looking at in this thread, so I'm compelled to ad my two cents. First I want thank Bill for the photos and posting.
First: I am not new to aircraft building. This is the 8th airplane I've built, the 5th RV. 2 7As, an 8A, a 10 and now this 9A. All previous to this one have been painted.
Second: To me, this is an experiment. My objective is to save money (in this case, $3,500 vs an estimated $8k-$10k), save weight (estimated 15 lbs vs 35-40 lbs) and ultimately end up with a nice flying airplane that looks "pretty nice". I think I have achieved these objectives.
Third: I agree 100%, a really nice paint job is superior to vinyl wrap. "You get what you pay for". I have a friend who has $40k in his absolutely beautiful airbrushed, work of art paint job.
Forth: The proof is in the pudding. My main concerns are durability and longevity. I've learned early on that vinyl scratches pretty easy, you have to be more careful with it, but it's fairly easy to repair. As for some peoples concerns about corrosion under the vinyl, I have no clue. Time will tell, I'm 70 years old and I'm quite sure I won't have to worry about it. :) Painted airplanes corrode too.

I agree Helton! Pros and cons...but the vinyl is a lot of bang for the buck. I believe it is a much more doable process for the DIY'r than painting. IMHO
Hiring the expert was a great idea, cheap training.
I just bought the tools and wrap and went to work...
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=98932
Cheers!
 
My question is about the ease of screw removal? Wing tips, fuel tanks and inspection covers etc.
I am looking forward to seeing a well done wrap. It appears that they are becoming quite popular.
If one was to come to the Phoenix area maybe Copperstate, would appreciate a heads up.
Larry
 
A bit of balance

I'm just trying to bring a bit of balance to this discussion. Wraps and decals are not new technology. I ran a company that was applying digitally printed wraps to commercial vehicles in the 1990s. So here are a few points that others might like to consider.

1. Professionally installed wraps on aircraft with painted colour matched areas are not likely to save builders huge amounts of money compared to a conventional paint job.

2. Doing it yourself would obviously save a considerable amount of money but my opinion is that an inexperienced applicator without professional guidance could never achieve a truly professional finish. There's just too many tricks to it.

3. A professional wrap will never look as good as a professional paint job. It may look "good" but not "as good".

4. There are serious questions in my mind about the long term corrosion ramifications of applying wraps over unprimed/unpassivated aluminium.

5. Builders considering the process need to exercise due diligence. And they particularly need to be cautious about relying solely on information from people who have a financial interest in the process.

6. My opinion is that a good solution, and one that can truly produce some amazing results, is to economically paint the aircraft in one base colour and then apply decals for a splash of secondary colour or digitally printed decals for real wow factor.
 
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