One experiance
Bill's right: there are already a lot of great conversations residing here in the VAF, and the search function makes this place a fantastic asset.
However, I'd like to modify Ofitz's question a little, and direct it toward those of you have have logged A LOT of hours on your wrapped airplanes.
- How is the wrap holding up? Any degradation in the color, finish, adhesion, or seams?
- What about water creep into the seams...are you seeing it happen?
- After your many hours of flight, are you finding signs of sub-surface corrosion?
These are among the nagging questions.
I am at two years and 250 hours, a DIY amateur and unbiased...
Color and finish like new. No adhesion problems.
Seams; improper installation can cause a small amount of edge lifting. Placement of seams makes a big difference. Seam sealer applied after helps a lot, but if seams are placed correctly not needed.
My HulaGirl as you can see is half bare. (Pun intended). The edge right at the wing leading edge takes a beating. There are both an overlapped seam of film and a film to bare aluminum. Poor place for both types of seams. But they are holding up very good. Not 100% like new but I personally am not concerned.
When I first flew the finished plane a very small amount of the film at the vinyl/bare seam chipped off. About five 1/8" chips, no pealing or lifting, this stuff does not peal off. But the 200 mile an hour headwind in light rain did chip away these little flakes in the first 50 hours. Seam sealer applied has stopped this now for 200 hours.
If you look at the scheme of my plane you will see I have a lot of color to color transitions and bare to color...none are lifting or alowing water to creep in.
You ask "after many hours...corrosion ..." My 250 does not qualify really. Someday for one reason or another I will be pealing off a film section. Then I can compare against polished bare aluminum. Not the comparison you are probably looking for.
Is vinyl the "new paint"? No. It is not for everyone, either is polished aluminum. But either (or both) give great curb appeal and add ten knots.
Sorry best answer I can give so far, but I hope that helps.
My install
thread report.
Cheers!