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N282RV

Well Known Member
Was just wondering as I am getting to a point where I should paint my cockpit if anyone has done anything other than grey or some shade of it. I specificly want to know if anyone has done black? Is it unbearable hot? I assume yes but would like first hand info. I have considered a Yellow with black carpet/highlights ect. Any info is appreciated.
 
I don't know about RV's but...

I have a convertible with a black interior and black leather seats. Looks very cool but is VERY, VERY, VERY hot in the summer. I would think the greenhouse effect of the RV canopy would make this even worse.

One of the local -8 flying around the Carolinas just painted his interior white from a spray can and it looks good.
 
Interior Paint

First Project Was A Rv4 And My Current Project Is A 7. I Am Using Rattlecan Rustoleum A Hammered Gray. Advantage Is That It Will Be Very Easy To Fix Any Damage. Aim And Shoot, Dries Very Quickly And Hardens With Time. Wish I Had Done The 4 Same Way.
 
I have seen some black interiors. It'll be hot, but I'll bet you couldn't tell the difference between black and other colors if you take temperature measurements. With a bubble on top, it just gets hot! My -6 had grey seats and if you left the plane in the sun with out a cover, you couldn't sit on them. (As you probably know, cloth seats are better for not getting hot than leather or vinyl.)
Black has other drawbacks...it makes the interior look darker and smaller and if you drop something small, it's tougher to find, especially in flight.
For me, it's just personal preference. I have always liked to use black in conjunction with other colors. For example, paint all of the roll over structures, pedals and sticks black. Use black carpet and maybe stick boots and then use a contrasting color for the seats and panels.
Again, personal preference, but I do believe black is easier to touch up when you get nicks and scratches.
 
Using BLACK in Cockpit

One area where black is used extensively is in military cockpits with bubble canopies. Surfaces in close proximity to the canopy that are light in color will tend to reflect back on the interior canopy surface, affecting visibility to an often surprising degree. This effect can be plainly seen in some of the pictures posted in the "show us your inflight portrait" section. Some areas where black can be effective in reducing such glare would be top surface of the canopy rails (longerons), the rollover structure on -3, -4 and-8s, the windscreen support tube in slider -6, -7 & -9s, and the forward face of the canopy frame (above the seat backs) on the tip up versions of the above models. And of course, the top of instrument panel glareshields are almost always black.

Doug Seward
RV-4, wings
 
Interior paint

Steve Raddatz used Ranthane Daytona White for his RV-8. It's a little warmer color than the greys used by many guys. I thought it looked very nice and plan to use it or something similar. Bill
 
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