What's the before and after weight?
Just wondering what the installers say about the product shrinking over time?
I have some experience with having large trailers and trucks done up with vinyl logos and lettering. I always use the very best 3m film but I do notice that over the years the material shrinks a little bit and you can see the lines where the it started. Minimal shrinkage but it is noticeable and would think a plane baking in the sun would be a potential issue for this?
Just wondered. Job looks great, amazing what can be done nowadays.
3M™ Wrap Film 1080-G25 Gloss Sunflower, 60 in x 25 yd
3M ID 75347218176 UPC# 00051128915516
Dual cast 3.5 mil Gloss Sunflower wrap film features removable, pressure-activated adhesive with non-visible air release channels. The 60 inch width allows you to wrap almost any section of a vehicle without seams.
Use it right out of the box, no need to print or apply an overlaminate.
Manufactured with two color layers for dimensional stability and durability.
3.5 mil cast film for easier handling and good conformability and lifting resistance.
Is the wing-walk sticker placed on top of the vinyl, or is it stuck to the aluminum and the vinyl trimmed around it?
Was this done in socal?
I wonder, can you go over existing paint or would that add too much weight?
Wraps are interesting, but what is the lifespan compared to paint and if the plane is bare aluminum under it, I fear corrosion. Aircraft Wraps quote was within 10% of my paint quote from GLO on the same scheme so without the same lifespan I couldn't go that route. Real interested to hear what the original poster paid his local installers. I would also like to hear what the vinyl weighs. We are always given percentages versus paint but that is highly questionable practice as it assumes what the paint weight is. What is the actual weight of the vinyl process installed?
I agree. What is the actual weight. Painting can be from below 15 lbs. to well over 30 lbs.
The results look great. The cost was much less then paint, and the process was completed much faster.
Was a little concerned seeing the propane flame used around the aircraft if there was any fuel or fumes in the tanks.
Bevan
Fly boys did the military markings and name on the nose. Local sign shop (that also do complete wraps) did the girl...
My wrap is a DIY, but so was the plane...LOL
I just can't get over imagining a small piece of those huge sheets of plastic starting to separate at 200mph and the potential catastrophic effects.
Your plane's a work of art. By the time I saw it at Nehalem Bay the other day and realized it was yours, you were gone headed into town. I'd be curious what the do-it-yourself process was like, and since I am considering a RV-8 build, I'd sure like to discuss in general. I'm over at Twin Oaks.
greg
price???? ??
That looks great. Thank you for sharing your project. Does anyone know if there are any companies that provide this service in Australia, preferably Victoria?
There is in fact an advantage to wraps, they can come to you! I would much prefer the applicators coming to my air conditioned clean airplane factory to install it! I can just see them arriving by commercial air or their own plane, crawling out with an arm full of rolls of vinyl, and a couple of days later leaving me with a completed plane wrap!
At least I THINK it can work that way.
Don,
Air condition!!!
We'll be right over!
Yes, it works exactly as you said.
It's been a few weeks since I finished my Vinyl Wrap, so I thought it was time to post a quick video of the process.
The results look great. The cost was much less then paint, and the process was completed much faster.
You can stand 3 feet away and think it's paint. 1 foot out you know it's vinyl. Yes, if you look really close, there are a few spots that have pulled or stretched to tight and you know for sure it vinyl. In the end....
One massive plus to this process... If you're *not* happy several years down the road, you're only a hair dryer away from being back to bare aluminum.The big question is, will I still be happy several years down the road?
There are lots of places on an RV that would normally be painted but which might not be suitable for vinyl wrapping. I refer specifically to areas adjacent to control surfaces.
You can stand 3 feet away and think it's paint. 1 foot out you know it's vinyl. Yes, if you look really close, there are a few spots that have pulled or stretched to tight and you know for sure it vinyl. In the end....
I'm also interested in knowing how you resolve this issue. Y'all discussed the spars. Now, how do you wrap the end ribs on the flight controls, flaps, horizontal stabilizers, vert stabilizer, aileron recesses, etc? Photos would be great (I just couldn't pick out these details in the videos....which are AWESOME, I might add).