[TerryWighs]

Just wondering if considering a "checked" paint scheme on the rudder or anywhere else for that matter is best put on with paint, or is it better to utilize some decal type application. Can't seem to imagine what a nightmare masking off for that pattern??? If decal best approach, who would be a good supplier??? "Checkedered???, my spelling today , yikes

 

[lostpilot28]

I'm getting my -7A ready for paint right now and I'm going to checker the rudder and underside of the flaps. I plan on using vinyl decals if I can find it. I will paint them white first, then add black checkers. No way I'm going to mask that off...it'd probably turn out like crud.

 

[rbibb]

I had a checkerboard painted on my rudder and the painter I used had a special 3M masking film laser cut in the pattern. Peeling up every other square generated the correct masking with little to no bother....

Vinyl lettering would surely work but don't dismiss painting out of hand....

At least the colors would match the rest of the trim exactly.

 

[Vern]

Checkers

Not too hard either way!

A vinyl sign shop can make you checkers for rudders for under $50. 3" is my favorite size.

To mask for painting is not too hard either. The trick is to use very fine line tape for a car paint shop to layout squares. Then use regular tape to fill in every other one. There will be a tiny unseen base color separation between each square.

 

[flyboy1963]

checker pattern

...don't forget, if you wash & wax a lot, you may not like all the corners and ridges of the vinyl adhesive material, even if it's only 2 mil.
If you do use vinyl, you can have a good sign shop taper the grid to fit the rudder shape for a more custom look, and less squares that "just don't fit"

 

[Rick6a]

Checkerboards and More

I see more and more commercial road vehicles driving around with colorful full wrap vinyl treatments. I suppose it was only a matter of time. Attending AirVenture 2009 was a Pulsar that as far as anyone knows is the first airplane to ever sport a full vinyl wrap.

http://www.airventure.org/news/2009/090729_million.html

I wonder if the process will eventually become a cost effective alternative to painting and all the time and work that entails? Also, can skillfully applied vinyl successfully deal with the distinctive curves found on your typical RV such as the cowl, wingtips, empennage fairing, and wheelpants, etc?

 

[Steve A]

Checkered Tail and Flaps

I painted my RV 7A with a checkered tail and flaps. The flaps were easy to tape off, the tail more complicated. I angled the checkers parallel with the top of the tail and wanted three checkers all the way down. The problem with this is the size of the checkers change, smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. I accomplished this by striking a chalk line so the up down lines bisected the rudder. For the rows, they are proportionally larger as you go down. One thing I probably would do now is cover the whole thing with clear coat to protect it. Below is an image of the plane.

I love the checkered look of planes. THere are a million ways to do it and they all look good to me.

http://yfrog.com/4qhangartaxifirstmay30200j

S S Anderson
RV 7A Flying
Lafayette, La.

 

[plehrke]

If you do not want to keep the vinyl on do what I did and use the vinyl as the mask. I went to the vinyl company and had them make a paint mask (I actually needed several for the multiply colors I used). Remember to tell them it is a mask so they give you the negative image. Now you can paint with your colors and match exactly with no worry of corners peeling up. I also did the N-number that way.

I wonder if the process will eventually become a cost effective alternative to painting and all the time and work that entails?

Already being done on military. Not called vinyl but called "applicas". Helps with getting the coatings (not called paint any more) put down correctly and also with simplifing repairs.

 

[Ironflight]

I see more and more commercial road vehicles driving around with colorful full wrap vinyl treatments. I suppose it was only a matter of time. Attending AirVenture 2009 was a Pulsar that as far as anyone knows is the first airplane to ever sport a full vinyl wrap.

Louise and I took a close look at this beautiful Pulsar one day at Oshkosh, and while it is beautiful from a distance, when you get up close there are seems and overlaps in the vinyl everywhere. Promising idea, but a long way to go....

Paul

 

[tcone1]

I looked at doing the wrap thing almost two years ago. I gave up on the idea due to the weight of the wrap. The scheme I had in mind for my -8 was going to add almost 50 pounds to the empty weight of the aircraft. There are a lot of creative things being done, but as Paul said...a long way to go...

 

[islandmonkey]

Steve Sampson's G-IKON has one of the best paint jobs I have seen. Take a look at the checker pattern on the tail:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n0oPgd-_rrk/SDLJf6JDpbI/AAAAAAAAAvs/_eHY6XyM4oQ/s1600-h/HPIM1682.jpg

 

[vfrazier]

Installing vinyl checkerboards is reasonably easy. You do need to be careful to get the trailing edges matched up and trimmed appropriately. With vinyl you only get one chance to install it correctly. Once it's stuck, it's stuck!

Spray masks have the advantage over regular vinyl in that any errors can be trimmed and replaced easily with masking tape. This allows edges and obstructions to be handled on the spot without fear of ruining a big piece of vinyl.

Of course, after you install the spray mask, then you have to paint the part, but that's usually not much of an issue if you've already built the whole airplane.

We make spray masks quite frequently. Checkerboards are a snap. Give us a call if we can help.

 

[flyeyes]

Not too hard either way!


To mask for painting is not too hard either. The trick is to use very fine line tape for a car paint shop to layout squares. Then use regular tape to fill in every other one. There will be a tiny unseen base color separation between each square.

Actually there is another trick which works well and is easier IMHO.

Pain the base color first, then mask every other row of blocks and spray the contrasting color. Once the checks flash off, pull the tape and mask the in-between rows. That way you can get perfect checkers, and all the corners touch.

 

[Turbowind]

Aero Graphics in Loveland Co. did my graphics....they specialize in aircraft and I am very pleased with their work.

Les

 

[L.Adamson]

Actually there is another trick which works well and is easier IMHO.

Pain the base color first, then mask every other row of blocks and spray the contrasting color. Once the checks flash off, pull the tape and mask the in-between rows. That way you can get perfect checkers, and all the corners touch.

That's how I painted mine. The rudder was painted all white. I then masked off the white, used two pieces of heavy paper in each square, and shot the entire rudder black. And it is important to remove the mask, before the paint is totally dry; in order to pull the tape off towards the wet paint. This eliminates most paint ridges.

 

[flyeyes]

Here are a few in process pictures of my top cowl. Not great (iphone pictures) but I think you can get the idea.

 

[wingtime]

Vinyl mask film

You can get a local sign shop to cut you a mask using vinyl mask film. It's very similar to vinyl graphics film except it uses a paint resistant film and a removable adhesive. Using a regular cheap vinyl film as a mask is a bad idea since your paint my melt it and it could pull up your base color. Make sure you ask for a mask film made for paint since they also make a mask film for sandblasting.