How to Buy a Used Airplane

There are a number of questions that should be asked before buying an airplane:

1. Buy versus Rent/Borrow - Through clubs or private organizations you can rent a plane on almost any given day. However, owning provides the pride of ownership, increased flexibility in flight times, and increased control over upkeep. Which choice makes the most sense for you?
2. Is It Affordable – The costs of buying an airplane include a down payment, principal and interest on a loan, insurance, storage, the annual inspection, regular maintenance, taxes, and fuel. How much can you afford?
3. Your Objective - Are you interested in acrobatics, sightseeing, fun flying, short trips, or cross-country trips? The best type and model depends on how you plan to use the plane.
4. Which Plane – Once you’ve decided on a model and a price range, how do you find, inspect and buy a used airplane?

1. Buy versus Rent/Borrow

To help clarify the trade-offs, add up how much you currently spend on rentals, and compare this number to the annual cost for owning an airplane. If you fly 50 to 75 hours a year and spend $50/hour on rentals, you are already spending $2,500 to $3,750/ year. An inexpensive plane with a grass tie down might even cost you less.

Besides the financial aspect, there are other trade-offs to consider. With rentals, you can fly different planes and don’t have to worry about maintenance. With ownership, you almost always have access to your plane on your schedule and you can control maintenance and upkeep.

2. Is It Affordable

• Financing - If you are borrowing the money from a bank, calculate your down payment amount and the monthly payment based on current interest rates. If you are buying the plane 100% with your own money, don’t forget to include the opportunity cost. That is, how would you have invested the money if you hadn't bought the plane, and how much interest are you forgoing through this purchase.
• Insurance – There are two types, liability and hull. The liability protects your assets against claims arising from an accident involving the use of your plane. It may be required in your state. The hull insurance covers physical damage to your aircraft and is often required by lending institutions. Insurance may range from $700 to $2,000 / year for a small, inexpensive plane depending on the options chosen.
• Storage – Options range from grass tie downs to heater hangars. Tie downs are cheaper, but hangars provide protection from sun, precipitation, wind and vandalism. Tie downs range from grass spots where you’ll have to install your own anchors to marked stalls on concrete pavement. There are several choices in hangars – the most common is the T-hangar. Planes are arranged in rows facing in alternating directions. Some hangars are two walls with a roof, providing limited protection from wind and vandalism. Some are heated but cost more. Some are chaotic cramming in as many aircraft as possible. An additional cost may be "hangar rash" when the tips of the wings of one aircraft brush against another. Prices vary based on the type of amenities and the location. Grass tie downs might range from $50/ month in a rural setting to $150/month in a more metropolitan area. Closed hangars range from $100/month to $500/month and up for a small plane. Check with your local air strip for more specific rates.
• Operations – Airport fees and fuel. The actual amount depends on usage.
• Maintenance – Includes the annual inspection and other yearly maintenance. The annual inspection may cost from $500 to $1,000 for a small plane. Other maintenance may cost from $800 and up.
• Other – Includes taxes and fees. Estimate $200/year.

3. Your Objective

Before you start shopping, defining exactly what you need can help narrow down the field. How many passengers will you typically carry? How far will you fly? How fast do you need to get there? What type of airstrips will you land on? Will you be flying in congested airspace? Are there certain styles such as antiques and classics that you find more appealing? How will your needs change over the next 3-5 years?

Types:

Jets versus Propellers – Jets are obviously much faster, but are more expensive to buy and operate

New versus Used – Used planes cost less than new planes, but may have more mechanical problems. This does not mean that used planes are unsafe. The average general aviation airplane is over 20 years old

Homebuilt versus Popular – Homebuilts often are faster, lighter and may cost less to operate (if you built it yourself, you may be able to do your own maintenance). However if you build it yourself, there is work in assembling, you need a place to put it together, and if you sell it, you may be liable for any problems the future owner has. If you buy it used and fully assembled, you somewhat at the mercy of the mechanical skills of the previous owner.

Classics and Antiques – Older planes have stylistic appeal and are popular at air shows. Classic usually refers to planes build between 1945 and 1955. Antique usually refers to plans build before 1945

4. Which Plane

Attributes

Performance – What is the range? Manufacturers calculate the maximum distance the plane can fly at 75% power without refueling. Will the plane be able to land at your local airport? Standard airports have 3,000 to 4,000 feet runways, local strips may be smaller.

Cruise – How fast do you need to travel? Cruise speed is measured as the speed at 75% power, and is usually expressed in statute miles per hour

Number of Seats – How many seats will you need? Most planes can effectively carry fewer passengers and luggage than the number of seats they have.

Seating Configuration – What is your seating preference, Tandem v. Side-by-side? Tandem may be faster due to narrower configuration and may give the pilot more visibility and more legroom. However, side-by-side seating makes communication between occupants easier.

Avionics Level – What are the level and condition of the instruments and other electronics? Multiple communication radios are helpful for longer flights or flying in congested airspace.

Construction - Low wing generally have better flight visibility for flying in crowded airspace; High-wing airplanes may be better for sightseeing. Which is more appropriate for your personal objective?

Landing gear – Which type of gear do you prefer, Conventional or Tricycle Gear Landing gear – Conventional is more rugged and may have lower wind resistance, however a tricycle gear is less complex and may have lower maintenance costs.

Other Attributes

Age – How old is the plane? Will you easily be able to find replacement parts?

Physical condition – Look for rust, cracked paint, and worn parts.

Engine – Note the manufacturer and size. Continental and Lycoming are the most common, and therefore the least expensive to find replacement parts. Also consider fuel consumption. Will you easily and cheaply be able to fill up with the right kind of fuel?

Gross – What is the capacity of the plane? It’s measured as the allowable total weight of the plane, passengers and cargo

Useful Load – Similar to gross, the useful load measures carrying capacity. It’s the gross weight minus the weight of the empty plane.

Stall – What is the stall speed (usually expressed in statute miles per hour)?

Cost – How much will it cost you every year? Include purchase costs, storage costs, maintenance costs, and flight costs.

Where to Find a Plane

There are basically three sources of information on where to find used planes for sale:

1. Word of Mouth – Join clubs at your local airstrip, look at the bulletin boards, and ask around.
2. Print Classifieds – Look in the classifieds sections of local papers, or look in your local bookstore for classified magazines specializing in small aircraft.
3. Online – Check out the online classified on the "Where" page.

The Purchase Process

1. Phone Screen – Ask about the aircraft before you decide to see it.
2. Buyer Inspection – Inspect the plane yourself
3. Test Flight – Fly the plane yourself
4. Prepurchase Inspection – Have an experienced mechanic look the plane over
5. Title Search - Verify that the seller has legal rights to sell the plane. Names of title search companies can usually be found in classified sections next to the listings of aircraft for sale.
6. Close – Transfer ownership

Phone Screen

Before you make a trip to see a plane, make sure you ask the following questions:

• Flight time for the airframe and engine
• Date of the last major overhaul, last annual inspection and last avionics check
• List of all applicable airworthiness directives and whether or not the plane is in compliance
• Compression readings for each cylinder at the last time measurements were taken
• Damage history, major and minor (if any)
• Description of the avionics
• Overall condition of the interior and exterior
• Price

Buyer Inspection

Walk around the plane, look to see if the plane sit level. Look at paint for consistency, it may be a indicator of replacement parts. Make sure the paint’s not cracking or flaking. The wear on the paint is a good indicator of how the plane has been treated. Has it been left outside baking in the sun and buried under snow, or has it been stored in a covered hangar? Also look for dents, rust and missing pieces to get a general sense for how well the plane has been maintained.

Go inside the cabin. How well do the doors close? What is the general feel of the interior? Is it well worn? Does it have an odor? Look at the avionics. Does the plane have a Mode C transponder? Does the plane have an emergency locator transmitter? If it is missing either, find out why.

As a final step of the buyer’s inspection, examine the log books. Look for the frequency of flights, repairs and inspections.

Test Flight

Open the windows during the start to listen to the engine. Does it sound normal. If it sounds rough, don’t even take the plane up, walk away. Watch all the gauges during takeoff. Do the engines operate smoothly? Do a few turns. How does the aircraft feel? Check all the avionics.

How Much to Pay

Look on the "How" page for online providers of used aircraft prices.

Perpurchase Inspection

It is strongly recommended that you have a mechanic inspect the plane before you buy it. In this inspection, make sure you confirm that the ADs (airworthiness directives) are up to date, all maintenance was performed and recorded correctly, and all inspections are current. Make sure you find a mechanic who is familiar with the make and model so that he/she knows which areas to focus in on. Also ask for estimated repair cost for anything found wrong. A thorough inspection may cost $400-$800.

Books to read for additional research:

- The Illustrated Buyer’s Guide to Used Airplanes, Bill Clarke, $40, 9/99

- Aviation Consumers Used Aircraft Guide, Andrew Douglas, $70, 12/98

Additional information:

See the "How" tab for more information on how to buy used airplanes.

See the "Where" tab for sources of where to buy used airplanes.

Disclaimer: The above is intended for education purposes at the starting point of the aircraft buying process. It is not intended to be an all-inclusive description of how to buy an aircraft. eBuyingGuides does not assume responsibility for readers' purchase decisions.

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Newcomer flies up airline rankings

By Grant Bradley

One of the world's fastest-growing airlines, Etihad Airways, has leaped into the top 10 carriers in the latest Skytrax global survey.

The airline, based in the United Arab Emirates' capital, Abu Dhabi, started flying just five years ago and has been aggressively expanding since, aiming to fly to 50 destinations by the end of the year.

It already flies to Sydney and will fly to Melbourne from March.

Etihad leaped from 23rd place last year and is one of three Middle East airlines in the top 10.

Singapore Airlines takes the top spot for the third time in 10 years. Skytrax chief executive Edward Plaisted said the survey period coincided with the airline taking delivery of the Airbus A380.

Singapore also had the best business class, while Cathay Pacific took second place and the award for best first class.

Qantas jumped up the rankings released on the same day it was forced to ground six aircraft Boeing 737s in Australia after confusion about maintenance records.

The latest incident is further embarrassment for Qantas, which is already under scrutiny from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority over safety issues following last month's explosion that blew a hole in the fuselage of a Boeing 747-400 near Manila.

Over 15 million travellers of 97 nationalities voted in the Skytrax survey carried out between August 2007 and June this year.

Air New Zealand was the best transpacific airline.

THE TOP 10

1. Singapore Airlines.
2. Cathay Pacific.
3. Qantas.
4. Thai Airways.
5. Asiana Airlines.
6. Malaysia Airlines.
7. Qatar Airways.
8. Air New Zealand.
9. Emirates.
10. Etihad Airways.

CLASS WINNERS

First: Cathay Pacific.
Business: Singapore Airlines.
Premium economy: Eva Air.
Economy: Asiana Airlines.
Cabin staff: Asiana Airlines.
Inflight entertainment: Emirates.
Economy catering: Qantas.
Transpacific: Air New Zealand.

www.worldairlineawards.com

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Jet engine

A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet of fluid to generate thrust in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets and pump-jets. In general, most jet engines are internal combustion engines^[1] but non-combusting forms also exist.

In common usage, the term 'jet engine' generally refers to a gas turbine driven internal combustion engine, an engine with a rotary compressor powered by a turbine ("Brayton cycle"), with the leftover power providing thrust via a propelling nozzle. These types of jet engines are primarily used by jet aircraft for long distance travel. The early jet aircraft used turbojet engines which were relatively inefficient for subsonic flight. Modern subsonic jet aircraft usually use high-bypass turbofan engines which help give high speeds as well as, over long distances, giving better fuel efficiency than many other forms of transport.

About 7.2% of the oil used in 2004 was ultimately consumed by jet engines.^[2] In 2007, the cost of jet fuel, while highly variable from one airline to another, averaged 26.5% of total operating costs, making it the single largest operating expense for most airlines.^[3]

read more here! Readmore »»

Airplane Parts Definitions

This page shows the parts of an airplane and their functions. Airplanes are transportation devices which are designed to move people and cargo from one place to another. Airplanes come in many different shapes and sizes depending on the mission of the aircraft. The airplane shown on this slide is a turbine-powered airliner which has been chosen as a representative aircraft.

For any airplane to fly, you must lift the weight of the airplane itself, the fuel, the passengers, and the cargo. The wings generate most of the lift to hold the plane in the air. To generate lift, the airplane must be pushed through the air. The jet engines, which are located beneath the wings, provide the thrust to push the airplane forward through the air. The air resists the motion in the form of aerodynamic drag. Some airplanes use propellers for the propulsion system instead of jets.

To control and maneuver the aircraft, smaller wings are located at the tail of the plane. The tail usually has a fixed horizontal piece (called the horizontal stabilizer) and a fixed vertical piece (called the vertical stabilizer). The stabilizers' job is to provide stability for the aircraft, to keep it flying straight. The vertical stabilizer keeps the nose of the plane from swinging from side to side, while the horizontal stabilizer prevents an up-and-down motion of the nose. (On the Wright brother's first aircraft, the horizontal stabilizer was placed in front of the wings. Such a configuration is called a canard after the French word for "duck").

At the rear of the wings and stabilizers are small moving sections that are attached to the fixed sections by hinges. In the figure, these moving sections are colored brown. Changing the rear portion of a wing will change the amount of force that the wing produces. The ability to change forces gives us a means of controlling and maneuvering the airplane. The hinged part of the vertical stabilizer is called the rudder; it is used to deflect the tail to the left and right as viewed from the front of the fuselage. The hinged part of the horizontal stabilizer is called the elevator; it is used to deflect the tail up and down. The outboard hinged part of the wing is called the aileron; it is used to roll the wings from side to side. Most airliners can also be rolled from side to side by using the spoilers. Spoilers are small plates that are used to disrupt the flow over the wing and to change the amount of force by decreasing the lift when the spoiler is deployed.

The wings have additional hinged, rear sections near the body that are called flaps. Flaps are deployed downward on takeoff and landing to increase the amount of force produced by the wing. On some aircraft, the front part of the wing will also deflect. Slats are used at takeoff and landing to produce additional force. The spoilers are also used during landing to slow the plane down and to counteract the flaps when the aircraft is on the ground. The next time you fly on an airplane, notice how the wing shape changes during takeoff and landing.

The fuselage or body of the airplane, holds all the pieces together. The pilots sit in the cockpit at the front of the fuselage. Passengers and cargo are carried in the rear of the fuselage. Some aircraft carry fuel in the fuselage; others carry the fuel in the wings.

As mentioned above, the aircraft configuration in the figure was chosen only as an example. Individual aircraft may be configured quite differently from this airliner. The Wright Brothers 1903 Flyer had pusher propellers and the elevators at the front of the aircraft. Fighter aircraft often have the jet engines buried inside the fuselage instead of in pods hung beneath the wings. Many fighter aircraft also combine the horizontal stabilizer and elevator into a single stabilator surface. There are many possible aircraft configurations, but any configuration must provide for the four forces needed for flight.

taken from: http://www.grc.nasa.gov Readmore »»

How Airplanes Work

The first airplane was flown by the Wright brothers 100 years ago. Learn all about lift, drag, props and see how planes take off.
See more pictures of flight.

I happen to fly a lot o­n business. For me, personally, airplanes are one of the most amazing things that I see on a daily basis. When I get on a 747, I am boarding a gigantic vehicle capable of carrying 500 or 600 people. A 747 weighs up to 870,000 pounds at takeoff. Yet it rolls down the runway and, as though by magic, lifts itself into the air and can fly up to 7,000 nautical miles without stopping. It is truly incredible when you think about it!

In this article, we will walk through the theory of flight and talk about the different parts of a standard airplane, and then you can explore tons of links to learn even more.

If you have ever wondered what allows a 747 -- or any airplane for that matter -- to fly, then read on.

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Airshow China A Huge Success

Sales at China’s biennial air show skyrocketed this year with the show closing with total sales valued at around US$4 billion. There were concerns that the global financial crisis would affect the show negatively. Now, it seems, those concerns were completely unfounded since there was around a US$1 billion increase in total sales compared to the last show.

The seventh edition of Airshow China closed on Sunday with a record increase in deals and sales. The event was held in the city of Zhuhai on the southern coast of China and saw deal makers and aircraft manufacturers from across the globe in attendance. The previous Airshow China held in 2006 saw fifteen deals signed involved a total of 98 aircraft, the sum value of which was US$3 billion. The 2008 Airshow China took a giant leap forward from this previous mark, with sixteen deals signed for a total of 102 aircraft, the value of which amounts to US$4 billion. The six-day show also proved to be a great launching pad for the country’s fledgling aerospace industry into more main-stream airplane companies. It was the first time ever that a Chinese commercial aircraft was sold to a U.S. Company.

It seems that the record-breaking U.S. deal came about as a possible answer to the financial crunch that has been affecting the global market. Both Boeing and Airbus were among the 600 civil and military manufacturers and parts suppliers that attended the air show. Many of those in attendance had hopes that China’s bustling aviation market would be able to help cushion the already devastating impact that the world financial crisis has had on the industry. By the end of the show, it seemed Airbus had found a potential answer to its problems; it secured an order for 20 A320 aircraft from the aviation leasing arm of the Bank of China. The deal amounts to roughly US$1.1 billion. General Electric also crunched a major deal, making an agreement under their aircraft leasing arm to take five of the domestically produced jets made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. The deal amounted to US$732.4 million and General Electric still has the option to buy 20 more of these aircraft. This is China’s largest export aircraft deal ever.

So it seems that while other parts of the globe are fretting, China’s aerospace industry has gotten off to a great start. The next Airshow China will be held in 2010 in the same city and no doubt will also be a massive success.

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2008 AIA Worker Safety Awards

Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and ITT were all recognized with industry Safety Awards this week. Northrop Grumman took home two of the awards, making them the biggest winners of the evening. The third annual AIA Worker Safety Awards were presented in Phoenix on Tuesday, November 18, 2008.

Aircraft manufacturer Northrop Grumman managed to win two different categories at the awards ceremony. The Los Angeles-based company was honored for having the lowest injury and illness rate when it came to Aircraft Manufacturing and Aerospace Components. Waltham Massachusetts-based company Raytheon, received the award for lowest injury in the Missile and Space Vehicles category. Unlike a lot of other awards in the world which are determined by a panel of judges or popularity votes, the recipients of these awards are based purely on statistics. Thus they accurately reflect the state of affairs found at the various departments which fall in line to receive these awards. The three category awards were based, not only on illness rates and low workplace injuries, but they also looked at whether or not a positive safety program had been implemented for each of the company’s U.S. operations and if this was done successfully. White Plains, New York-based company ITT was given the award for most progress in worker safety for the time period starting 2006 and ending in 2007. This was in recognition of the fact that the company had the greatest reduction in the number of incidents and subsequent lost workdays.

According to AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey, all three companies are shining examples of the important role that safety plays in the aerospace industry. During her speech at the event, Blakey also said: “All of you should be very proud of your accomplishments and our entire industry should be proud of a truly enviable track record on worker safety.” The Aerospace Industries Association was founded as long ago as 1919 and so has been representing the leading manufacturers and suppliers of military, business and civil aircraft, helicopters, space systems, aircraft engines, unmanned aerial systems and other related components, equipment services and IT in the country for almost 90 years.

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taken from: http://www.airplanes.com Readmore »»

Built The Best paper air plane in the world

By: Michael O'Reilly



During the summer of 1950, on the outskirts of Harrisburg Pennsylvania U.S.A., my sister's boyfriend "Skip" was sitting on the glider on the front porch of our house. He said to me - "Hey Mike... bring me a sheet of paper." I answered why? and he responded with his make believe impatience "Just bring it!" I obeyed and he said that he was going to build the best paper airplane in the world. I was eight years old at the time and my meager knowledge of paper airplanes was the traditional flying wedge that spiraled into tight loops and fell head first to the ground.

When he started folding the paper, I knew this was something different, something special. He never explained how he did it but every move, every fold, every detail was burned into my memory. After he finished, we walked the porch handrail and he gently tossed it horizontally towards the street. It glided like no paper airplane I have ever seen before, it was acting like a REAL airplane. It gently curved into the slight breeze and began to rise vertically without moving forward. The craft then began to lower as if it were a helicopter and gently came to rest on the asphalt below.

Over the years, I have shown many eight year old children this paper plane. I don't know if they will remember but I hope they pass the knowledge on.

What makes this paper airplane so special? Readmore »»

From Civilian to Warbird

How to change your model’s appearance with stenciling

By John Philbrick



My two favorite RC events are Warbirds over Delaware and the Rhinebeck Jamboree. Many interesting models are brought by very skilled builders and pilots, and open flying is offered. So, as long as you are willing to embarrass yourself in front of some of the nation’s top fliers, these are wonderful events to attend.

As my flying skills are at the lower end of the range, I wanted an easy plane to use at both events. My Great Planes Cub ARF has already flown at Rhinebeck, but as a civilian plane, and obviously wouldn’t do at a warbirds event. A phone call to Bob Banka and a little time with his catalog showed a Cub that had been taken over by the Navy for a trainer. It was Cub yellow, but had the insignia and markings that showed it as a military craft.



Meeting the challenges

There were several challenges in making the conversion: removal of the civilian Cub numbers and lightning bolt, selection of paint and acquisition, and application of stencils. Each step sent me up a learning curve, and I hope this article will help some others climb it more easily. The process was assisted greatly by helpful articles and emails from Roy Vaillancourt and by instructions and comments from Gary Siebert, who produced the stencils.

It was tedious but not particularly challenging to remove the Great Planes stickers that constituted the numbers and the lightning bolt. Careful use of a heat gun softened the adhesive so the individual items could be peeled off. Mineral spirits and steel wool removed the remaining glue. There was some residual color change due to the protection the numbers had given the original Coverite. Probably a quick spray of Cub yellow might have improved things, but I felt that time and more sun would take care of that difference.

Color choice was the next challenge. Based on Roy Vaillancourt’s experience, I used latex paint. Getting black for the alpha numerics and white for the stars was easy. The blue should be insignia blue, to be matched to Frank Tiano’s color book. The red was a challenge. I blew up a closeup of the rear of the fuselage, and asked my local hardware store to match that color, and, while they were at it, to match the insignia blue. They came through with perfect matches.

Gary Siebert worked from a copy of the picture plus the measurements I took from my model, and provided me with the required stencils in short order. He also provided a good set of instructions on how to handle the stencils themselves, but I discovered that positioning them was an interesting challenge.



Measuring and placing

Let’s consider the simpler set of stencils first‑a set of numbers. My first step was to draw lines that extend to the top and bottom and the left and right edges of the letters themselves and to the top, bottom and both sides of the stencil. Then, I used a centering ruler to find the centers of each edge and the center of the whole set of numbers. Careful measurements on the original plane’s photos told me that the letters on the tail were centered two letter heights down from the top of the fin, and were centered from left to right on the fin. The centering ruler came in very handy to position the stencil.

The stars were a little more challenging. Gary has done an excellent job of setting them up so that the star will be centered on the circle. He does this by having the modeler tape a thumbtack in the desired center of the insignia. The circle is then impaled on this thumbtack via a tiny hole that Gary has placed on the backing for precisely this purpose. The tack remains in place while the first color is painted, then the second (star) stencil is impaled on the same tack, and the second color is painted. This does a beautiful job of registering the two elements. There are a couple of challenges, though, including where the insignia is to be placed and how the star should be oriented.

Again, examination of the original plane’s photos showed that the insignia was just in front of the aileron hinge. The outside edge of the circle was tangent to the extension of the aileron edge. The centering ruler came in handy again.

Stencil application

Gary supplies his stencils in three layers: a backing, which protects the adhesive on the stencil itself, the stencil and a top layer that holds the parts of the stencil together until it is adhered to the plane. He recommends that the whole stencil be carefully held in position with a piece of tape after it has been impaled on the pin, and the backing be cut away carefully to allow the stencil itself to stick down to the plane. I found that it worked best to cut the backing over center and leave a small piece of the backing that can be easily removed once the top layer of the stencil is lifted off.

But the interesting part is the orientation of the star. Clearly the stars need to be lined up so that they appear to be square with the airplane. I drew lines, extending the top of the arms of the stars to the edge of the stencil, and then carefully measured to ensure that each arm was the same distance from the aileron hinge.

Spraying was done using the techniques Roy Valliancourt has documented in the past. In an email, he suggested that the stencils should get a couple of light coats at the edges, dried with a heat gun, before gently building up the color in several additional lightly sprayed coats. I found removing the stencils a challenge, particularly with the small size of the alpha numerics. Gary helped by suggesting that I use the heat gun to soften the stencil’s adhesive. In some cases, I found it useful to carefully cut along the edges of the letters and numbers, and then, while removing the stencil, to help it separate from the paint with the sharp edge of an X-Acto knife. In a couple of spots, I needed to touch up the numbers and letters with a brush, or scrape away small pieces of unwanted black. The stars and circles, being of larger scale, caused much less of a problem. The only trick that I wish I’d used was to not paint the thumbtack and its supporting tape when doing the initial blue. Gary suggested that I should have feathered the blue as it approached the thumbtack, so that there wouldn’t be sharp lines to clean up when the white went on. But a little brush work and a little steel wool minimized the problem in my case.

All of this wound up with results that pleased me, particularly for a first-time user of these techniques. You can see that the insignia looks quite good on the wing, and the plane came out quite well, too. Now, if I can just keep it going straight on the takeoff, and get it to land somewhere near the runway…

Many thanks to Roy Vaillancourt for his helpful articles and email, to Gary Siebert for his skillful stencils and helpful comments and to my son, Whitney, for convincing me to stretch my skills this way. Readmore »»