Aircraft Painting

Adjusting the Spray Pattern To obtain the correct spray pattern, set the recommended air pressure on the gun, usually 40 to 50 psi for a conventional gun. Test the pattern of the gun by spraying a piece of masking paper taped to the wall. Hold the gun square to the wall approximately 8 to 10 … Read more

Surfaces The most important part of any painting project is the preparation of the substrate surface. It takes the most work and time, but with the surface properly prepared, the results are a long-lasting, corrosion-free finish. Repainting an older aircraft requires more preparation time than a new paint job because of the additional steps required … Read more

Paint Booth A paint booth may be a small room in which components of an aircraft are painted, or it can be an aircraft hangar big enough to house the largest aircraft. Whichever it is, the location must be able to protect the components or aircraft from the elements. Ideally, it would have temperature and … Read more

Safety in the Paint Booth/Shop All paint booths and shops must have adequate ventilation systems installed that not only remove the toxic air but, when properly operating, reduce and/or eliminate overspray and dust from collecting on the finish. All electric motors used in the fans and exhaust system should be grounded and enclosed to eliminate … Read more

Dope When fabric-covered aircraft ruled the sky, dope was the standard finish used to protect and color the fabric. The dope imparted additional qualities of increased tensile strength, airtightness, weather-proofing, ultraviolet (UV) protection, and tautness to the fabric cover. Aircraft dope is essentially a colloidal solution of cellulose acetate or nitrate combined with plasticizers to … Read more

Markings are placed on aircraft surfaces to provide servicing instructions, fuel and oil specifications, tank capacities, and to identify lifting and leveling points, walkways, battery locations, or any areas that should be identified. These markings can be applied by stenciling or by using decals. Decals are used instead of painted instructions because they are usually … Read more

Common problems that may occur during the painting of almost any project but are particularly noticeable and troublesome on the surfaces of an aircraft include poor adhesion, blushing, pinholes, sags and/or runs, “orange peel,” fisheyes, sanding scratches, wrinkling, and spray dust. Poor Adhesion Improper cleaning and preparation of the surface to be finished. Application of … Read more

The use of several different types of paint, coupled with several proprietary coatings, makes repair of damaged and deteriorated areas particularly difficult. Paint finishes are not necessarily compatible with each other. The following general rules for coating compatibility are included for information and are not necessarily listed in order of importance: Paint Touchup Paint touchup … Read more