Velocity N44VF Paint

[bferrell]

For those that don't follow my site, our paint is coming along nicely, we're just moving the fuselage out of the hangar so we can put the blue on the winglets.

 

Here is the scheme an a couple of shots.

 

 

Brett

n44vf.com

[Phil Kriley]

Very nice!

[BLUE MAX]

Very nice paint job. Wish I had that kind of artistic ability.

[bferrell]

Getting close to reassembling Victor Fox...

[Marc Zeitlin]

Getting close to reassembling Victor Fox...

While your plane looks beautiful, you do realize that you've put dark blue paint on a very high stress area where the wing and winglet join. This is a very bad idea with room temperature cure epoxies.

 

I strongly recommend rethinking this paint scheme prior to flight.

[bferrell]

Great point Marc, thanks for bringing that to my attention.

 

B

[steve]

Great point Marc, thanks for bringing that to my attention.

 

B

in the high end paint they have a chrome, it looks just like a mirror.

paint over the offending ?

[Marc Zeitlin]

Great point Marc, thanks for bringing that to my attention.

Rather than sarcasm with respect to a safety issue, maybe you could point out to the rest of us that are not quite as smart about avoiding structural problems due to high temperatures in the cured epoxy how you will be ensuring safety with this paint scheme?

 

Did you use a high temperature epoxy? Will you never fly the airplane in a hot environment? Do you know something that no one else knows?

 

Having just finished a forensic analysis of a Long-EZ winglet that almost departed the airplane due to a structural failure, this issue is fresh in the canard community's mind. Personally, I'd like to avoid having a winglet depart if it's at all avoidable.

[Lynn Erickson]

Rather than sarcasm with respect to a safety issue, maybe you could point out to the rest of us that are not quite as smart about avoiding structural problems due to high temperatures in the cured epoxy how you will be ensuring safety with this paint scheme?

 

Did you use a high temperature epoxy? Will you never fly the airplane in a hot environment? Do you know something that no one else knows?

 

Having just finished a forensic analysis of a Long-EZ winglet that almost departed the airplane due to a structural failure, this issue is fresh in the canard community's mind. Personally, I'd like to avoid having a winglet depart if it's at all avoidable.

Did they change the definition of sarcasm? even I can't see any sarcasm in his statement. what word tipped you off to the sarcasm? was it the words "Good point" or was it the word " thanks"

[jprock]

I agree... I think a mea culpa is in order. Is there a bit of stress in your life today Marc?

[longezdave]

Yeah, I don't think Brett meant any sarcasm. I think he was being sincere.

[bferrell]

Marc,

 

I think we're all aware of your expertise, and your winglet study, and surely none of us wants to have a winglet depart in flight. Having had an emergency already, I take safety fairly personally.

 

In fact, I don't plan to have my aircraft on the ramp much, and I don't think temperature in flight is an issue as the airflow will cool the surfaces. I also think that the issue is mitigated somewhat by the surfaces being vertical, so portions will often be shaded, and the yellow checkerboarding. However, I think I'll have winglet "socks" made by Bruce or one of the custom cover folks so that my winglets are protected when she is on the ramp, and so the only exposed surfaces are white (I find that these types of covers are pretty effective in reflecting solar heating).

 

So, net, I think that these are reasonable precautions for me. And, although I don't encourage anyone to use dark colors, I will offer that there are a number of flying examples (a few pictures attached, there are many more) with colored winglets, and I'm not aware of any issues due to this. In fact, if I recall correctly, the incident long-ez had colored winglets, and I don't recall your pointing out this being contributory to the failure.

 

B

[Marc Zeitlin]

So, net, I think that these are reasonable precautions for me.

I can buy that. It's not what I'd recommend, and it's more work for you to cover the dark areas when parked, but that's your choice.

 

And, although I don't encourage anyone to use dark colors, I will offer that there are a number of flying examples (a few pictures attached, there are many more) with colored winglets, and I'm not aware of any issues due to this.

Just because other people do things that aren't recommended by the aircraft's designer is not necessarily an indication that it's OK for someone else to do it to. For one thing, none of the aircraft in the pictures you've put up have quite the dark color that yours is. And you don't know what they do (or don't do) to keep the temperatures down.

 

One thing that we know is that long term affects by definition take a long time to show up - do we know that these dark colored aircraft aren't giving up lifetime? Now, they may seem fine, but 5 - 10 - 20 years from now - who knows?

 

At any rate, with the precautions and effort that you're positing, you should be fine.

 

In fact, if I recall correctly, the incident long-ez had colored winglets, and I don't recall your pointing out this being contributory to the failure.

It did, yes - a very full yellow. Nowhere near the blue that you've got, which is very dark. And you're correct - as far as any of the examiners could tell, the yellow paint did not have any contributory effect on the failure. Would a blue have had an effect? I have no idea. But the color chart clearly shows that a blue will substantially increase the surface temperature over a yellow.

 

I just figure, why take the chance? There are a lot of nice light colors available, and a lot of color schemes that don't put dark colors on structurally important areas.

 

YMMV.