Aircraft Painting

AIRCRAFT PAINTING – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

 Inspection and Planning
When the aircraft arrives for painting, all surfaces are
inspected with the customer to determine the existing
condition of skins, composites, windows, landing gear,
control surfaces and and plastics.
Small dents and wrinkles in the skin that are hardly
noticeable under old, chalky or weather-beaten paint will
stand out noticeably under a new, shiny coat of high-
gloss paint.
Any defects that could affect the quality of the exterior
painting are noted and discussed with the customer prior
to starting work.
 Control Surfaces
Control surfaces cannot be painted on the aircraft.
All primary flight controls (ailerons, elevators and rudder)
and any necessary fiberglass or plastic components are
removed from the aircraft in our maintenance facility.
Flight control rigging data is recorded, then the aircraft
and removed parts are moved next door to our stripping
and painting facility.
 Preparation for Stripping
Preparation for stripping is a very time-consuming, and
critical step.
All windows, fiberglass, brite-work, engine inlets,
actuators and all other openings in the aircraft must be
wrapped with chemical-resistant foil and tape to prevent
any chemical damage.
Foil tape is extended onto the aluminum at least 3” past
the point where any plastic begins, and over door and
baggage compartment openings to ensure that no
chemicals leach onto the plastic or door gaskets.
Stripper Application

Stripper is applied, and allowed

time to work. Usually several
applications are required, with
pressure-washing and rinsing
between each application.
Control surfaces are stripped
separately from the aircraft.
If applied correctly, the stripper will begin to
penetrate the base coat and primer and break
the bond between the primer and the
underlying aluminum within 15 minutes.
The paint and primer will actually begin to fall
off in sheets. This is very different than the
old types of stripper that just ate into the paint
and left a gummy residue.
When the finish has loosened to bare metal, the
stripper and residue are agitated with brushes.
Immediately after agitation, all loosened residue is
scraped from the surface with a rubber bladed
squeege, and fresh stripper is applied as required.
 Stripping Cautions
Never allow stripper to dry – it will set up and be
extremely difficult to remove.
Do not expose the aircraft to direct sunlight during
stripping.
Never rinse surfaces with water between chemical
remover applications as this stops the removal action and
causes the residue to set up on the surface.
Schedule removal operations so that, once started on an
area, they can proceed without interruption through the
entire sequence to complete removal to bare metal.
If the removal operation is interrupted, extreme difficulty
will be encountered completing the operation.
A final pressure-wash
removes all traces of the
old paint and primer.
 Hand-Sanding
The chemical-resistant foils and tapes that were used to
protect the windows, fiberglass, brite-work, engine inlets,
actuators, door seams and all other openings in the
aircraft are removed, exposing a considerable area of
unstripped surface.
The areas that were protected by the foil now have to be
sanded, by hand. This easily can take 4 people a week
or more to complete on a small single-engine aircraft.
 Post-Stripping Inspection
When all paint is completely removed from the aircraft, it
is inspected for any hidden damage, corrosion and loose
rivets.
It is possible for corrosion to work unseen for years under
an old paint-job. If found, now is the time to correct it
before proceeding further in the process.
Royal Aircraft Services handles minor repairs as a matter
of course. If substantial surface restoration, filling,
riveting or sheet-metal work is necessary the customer
will be contacted for approval to perform this work.
 Basic Body-work
Small dents in the skin that are hardly noticeable under
old, chalky or weather-beaten paint will stand out
noticeably under a new, shiny coat of high-gloss paint.
Basic body-work involves filling any major defects with a
special 2-part epoxy filler, then hand-sanding the repairs
to a smooth finish.
 Etch and Alodine
Surface preparation for painting is the most important
requirement for insuring proper adherence and
performance of a paint system.
Prior to applying the primer coat, the bare metal is given a
final hand-sanding and a special wax and grease remover
is used to remove any impurities.
The bare aluminum is acid-etched and chemically treated
to assure long-term protection from corrosion. Chromate
conversion coating material is brushed on and allowed to
react with the aluminum surfaces until it turns a brassy
iridescent yellowish tint; reaction time is between 3 and 5
minutes. Then the material is blotted off with rags and
clean water. No visible coating residue (yellowish color)
will remain on the rag after the last blotting action.
 Surface Preparation
The aircraft is moved from the stripping booth into the
paint booth where filtered, forced hot air is used to dry the
aircraft. The chromate conversion coating must be
allowed to dry for at least 2 hours before taking further
action.
When the aircraft is thoroughly dry, all windows and other
surfaces that are not to be painted are masked-off using a
variety of special papers and tapes. All engine openings
and door jambs are also masked to prevent any
overspray from reaching these areas.
Just prior to spraying the primer coat, a final hand wipe-
down with a tack-cloth is done to remove any dust or lint
that may flaw the final finish.
 Primer Application
Two-part corrosion inhibiting epoxy primer is applied by
sprayer. A final hand wipe-down with tack cloth is done
to remove any particles from the surface before priming.
The primer must be applied within 48 hours after the
application of the chromate conversion coating chemical.
The product should never be applied unless the air, the
primer, and the aircraft surface temperature is above
50° F (10 ° C) and the surface temperature is at least
5 ° F (3 ° C) above the dew point.
Our paint booth is heated prior to application using
natural gas radiant heaters, supplemented by a natural-
gas fired furnace coupled to our air intake-filtration
system.
 “Royal Treatment”
The basic body-work performed prior to priming removed
any major dents and dings from the surface.
For customers who desire a “glass-smooth” finish on their
aircraft, we offer the option of applying additional layers
of high-build epoxy primer, which is laboriously hand-
sanded to an exceptionally smooth finish.
 The “Royal Treatment” is
usually applied to the entire
aircraft, but it can also be
applied just to specific
“problem areas”, at the
customer’s request.

The “Royal Treatment” is usually applied to

the entire aircraft, but it can also be applied
just to specific “problem areas”, at the
customer’s request.
 Base Coat Painting
As with the primer, the base coat can only be applied if
the air, the paint and catalyst, and surface temperature of
the aircraft is above 50° F (10 ° C) and the surface
temperature is at least 5 ° F (3 ° C) above the dew point.
It is essential that no more than 48 hours elapse between
the application of the primer and the base coat.
The bond between the primer and the base coat depends
upon a chemical reaction between the two products.
After 48 hours the primer becomes chemically inactive
and this bond will not occur.
Without the chemical adhesion between the primer and base
coat, over time the paint will begin to flake off the leading edges
and other surfaces that are exposed to abrasive action.
 Paint Application
Royal Aircraft Services uses one of two spray methods:
High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) application –
Paint is atomized by a high volume of low pressure
( < 20 PSI) air through the spray gun nozzle. A high
volume of air is used to push the paint and form a very
soft, low-velocity pattern. This soft spray provides a
consistent coverage and very good overall finish.
Electrostatic Spray -
The paint material is charged inside the gun (60,000
volts at about 200 microamps), and is attracted to the
grounded aircraft. The combination of the low particle
velocity of the airless spray and the electrostatic
attraction to the aircraft produces an excellent transfer
efficiency rate. Overspray is greatly reduced and
hard-to-coat areas such as edges and irregular
shapes are more effectively painted.
After painting, temperature is increased in the heated paint
booth and the base color is allowed to thoroughly dry, then a
two-color painted stripe design, or custom vinyl stripes and
numbers are applied (depending upon customer preference)
to match the customer's specs and drawings. Registration
numbers are then applied (again either painted or vinyl,
depending upon the customer's preference).
 Inspection
Once all colors and vinyl have been applied, all paper and
tape is removed and the surfaces are inspected for any
imperfections and touched-up as necessary to assure an
excellent exterior finish.
All necessary detailing is completed at this point,
including the application of anti-skid material to any wing-
walk areas.
 Re-Assembly
The aircraft and its newly painted primary flight controls are
moved to our maintenance facility for:
Balance-check and reinstallation of control
surfaces, using the data recorded during the
aircraft's disassembly
Rigging check
Operational inspections of the flight controls, flaps
and lights
Inspection of gear wells, flap wells, flight control
wells, static port, pitot tubes, etc.
Inspection of wheel bearings and repacking
Gear-retraction test
 Painting Problems
Rivet head “pops” –
Corrosion-X and other corrosion inhibiting materials are
great to use inside your aircraft, but not before or after
painting. Do not use Corrosion-X for several months
before, or after your new paint job.
Even though the paint is “dry” and the aircraft is flying,
solvents will continue to migrate out of the paint for a
month or more after painting; the chemical reaction
between the paint and the primer is not complete.
Solvents like Corrosion-X are designed to weep into
microscopic openings, and can find their way around rivet
heads and into the still active paint and primer. This
causes the paint to “pop” off the rivet heads.
 Painting Problems
Orange Peel –
Occurs when:
Paint is not thinned enough
Paint is too cold
Insufficient air pressure
Gun stroked too far from
surface
Wrong air cap or fluid nozzle
used
From overspray striking a
previously sprayed surface
 Painting Problems
Sandpaper Finish –
Occurs when:
Incorrectly primed
Dirty painting area
Primer not adequately sanded
Improperly cleaned paint
equipment
Dried overspray: gun too far
from surface
 Painting Problems
Wrinkling –
Occurs when:
Too thick a coating is applied,
preventing uniform drying of
the coat.
Results in the formation of
ridges and furrows.
 Painting Problems
Lifting –
Occurs from:
Absorption of solvents by
previous partially dried film
(coats not allowed to dry/cure
for the proper time before
recoating)
Use of incompatible paint and
thinners.
 Painting Problems
Fish Eyes –
Occurs from:
Use of waxes or sealants and
adhesives containing silicones
(improper cleaning and prep)
Presence of other types of oils,
greases, or hydraulic fluids on
the surface.
Minute quantities of silicones
can cause this film.
 Painting Problems
Blistering –
Occurs from:
Oil or grease left on surface
Moisture in paint lines
Trapped solvents (use of
improper thinner)
 Painting Problems
Pitting or Cupping –
Occurs from:
Rust under the surface
Oil or grease on surface
Moisture in the paint lines
Trapped solvents (improper
thinner proportions)
 Painting Problems
Crazing – Cracking –

Occurs when:
Painting over a hard, glossy coat. A base coat of this
condition offers a poor surface adhesion of subsequent
coats. In drying, the topcoat slides over the base coat,
breaking out in cracks. Also can be caused by excessive
amount of catalyst in the paint, causing brittleness.
 Care of New Paint
Washing the aircraft –
The finished application of paint contains a
microscopic coating of resins that rise to the top of
the color pigments. This clear coat provides the
"shiny" appearance and prevents oxidation and acid
rain damage. When washing the aircraft, do not use
harsh detergents that may penetrate and wear away
this surface coat.
Do not use “Joy” or “Dawn” or other dishwashing
soaps that are designed to remove grease – they will
remove the resins from the paint prematurely and dull
the finish.
Improper cleaning agents will also compromise the
UV protection designed into the paint.
 Care of New Paint
Waxing the aircraft –
Don’t do it – for at least two to three months after
painting.
Just use water and a very mild automotive
washing soap for three months (like Meguiar’s
Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner)
When washing or waxing, use the same care that
you would when polishing your plexiglass
windows. Always use soft rags - no hard brushes,
and NO PAPER TOWELS!
Do not apply degreasing materials to remove
grease stains. A mild automotive soap with plenty
of water is best.
Proper care will extend the appearance of your aircraft for 10 to 15 years.
Toll Free: 866-791-3642
FAX: 301-791-7368
Email: quotes@royalaircraft.com