PA-12 color scheme ideas

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Andy505

FRIEND

• Apr 8, 2020

• #1

Hello, everyone.

I'm 80% of the way through restoring a Canadian PA-12 float/wheel plane with drooped wingtips. It's picked up the nickname "the other woman" over the years, and I've come to accept it. I'm well into ironing on the fabric (using Stewarts' Systems), and I'm starting to wonder how I'll paint it.

I was hoping to get a 40s-like look, but minimize the use of dark colours on sun-facing surfaces. As I understand: Stewarts has had no problems with sun-baked shrinkage or fading colours, but I'd rather not be the first to have those issues.

I'm considering cream coloured fuse and wings, Tennesee red leading edges, rudder & wingtips, cowl sides & bottom (top of cowl painted black for glare reasons), and wing struts, with a 2" margin around the window frames painted red as well, plus maybe 3 short gold stripes on the side of the cowl. Maybe red (land) gear legs & float struts, cream float tops with red stripes?

It isn't very creative, I'm sure you can do better. Anyone want to suggest an alternative?

 

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bob turner

Registered User

• Apr 8, 2020

• #2

I always liked the factory scheme. Gives it that classic look.

 

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PIPER J5.5

FRIEND

corvallis,or

• Apr 8, 2020

• #3

Whatever you do don’t paint it like mine!

 

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Andy505

FRIEND

• Apr 9, 2020

• #4

bob turner said:

I always liked the factory scheme. Gives it that classic look.

Click to expand...

It is a good look, but I've been advised against using it. Fabric systems sometimes shrink further if they're painted in dark colours and left in the sun, and the whole top of the factory scheme 12's fuse was dark red. I'll try to keep outdoor overnights to a minimum, but with a seaplane it's impossible to avoid the occasional week outside.

 

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MT12

FRIEND

Montana

• Apr 9, 2020

• #5

Wow, what a tough process. I bet I looked at 1000 pictures before I decided on my designs. The first I copied one I liked not realizing it was a professional design and not the right thing to do. The second was a knock off of a 1978 pa18 design, because I liked it, but amazing also how difficult and time consuming it was to adapt it to a 12 with it's different lines. Here is a website with lots of 12 actual photos, notice how some work and some miss the mark. https://www.john2031.com/piper/pa-12_super_cruiser/photos_information.html

3 more thought, 1. Pick one you like, B. If you pick something a bit off it may affect how well it will sell in the future and III. it doesn't hurt to look like every other airplane in the sky when it comes to citizens reporting they think is not right. Oh yeah and iv, psy attention to all the little details- for instance that 1" white trim around the window is hard to do but really will make the design pop.

Doug

 

windy

SPONSOR

Utah

• Apr 9, 2020

• #6

On some of those PA-12s in the photo gallery, the owner should have let their wife pick the paint colors & pattern.
Very nice photo gallery!


Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org

 

T

Tennessee

SPONSOR

Knoxville, Tn.

• Apr 10, 2020

• #7

Cub yellow.

1)My favorite.
2)Highly visible in the pattern.
3)Lots of comments from other pilots.
4)Because it is a classic look it will not detract from sales price like some individualized schemes will.
5)Cheaper to do one color than two or three.

I took my spinner and hubcaps to an auto body shop to have a sparkle blue done because I wanted a gas powered piper cub model just like it when I was a kid. It came in the mail and I was disappointed like hell because it had a red spinner. If the next owner doesn't like it he can change it cheaply.

 

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T

Tennessee

SPONSOR

Knoxville, Tn.

• Apr 10, 2020

• #8

Cub yellow.
1)My favorite.
2)Highly visible in the pattern.
3)Lots of comments from other pilots.
4)Because it is a classic look it will not detract from sales price like some individualized schemes will.
5)Cheaper to do one color than two or three.

I took my spinner and hubcaps to an auto body shop to have a sparkle blue done because I wanted a gas powered piper cub model just like it when I was a kid. It came in the mail and I was disappointed like hell because it had a red spinner. If the next owner doesn't like it he can change it cheaply.

View attachment 48085

 

flybynite

FOUNDER

Eagan, Minnesota

• Apr 10, 2020

• #9

I have spent a lot of time with this and the grand kids crayolas trying different schemes. The best one I came up with softened the curves and had a few accent swooshes. A few years later, Cub Crafters started painting their aircraft like that.

 

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av8rtom

FRIEND

• Apr 11, 2020

• #10

Paint it like mine!!! I'll say you did it!

 

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bob turner

Registered User

• Apr 14, 2020

• #11

Here is an elegant scheme - I lifted the photo from this site; hope SJ and the photographer do not mind:

 

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bob turner

Registered User

• Apr 14, 2020

• #12

Here is another - same source. To me, these are the most elegant Cub schemes if you don't want to be "original."

 

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bob turner

Registered User

• Apr 14, 2020

• #13

Or this one. Again same source.

 

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C130jake

BENEFACTOR

Four Corners Wyoming

• Apr 14, 2020

• #14

Our 12

Sent from my SM-G970U using SuperCub.Org mobile app

 

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moneyburner

FRIEND

Western Washington

• Apr 15, 2020

• #15

Christian Husky Eagle Blue and Juneau White. I saw another PA-12 at Wasilla painted exactly like this except in red. Pretty easy layout.

 

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WhiskeyMike

MEMBER

West Boxford MA

• Apr 16, 2020

• #16

PA-12 Paint designs

My comment is that the PA-12 has a noticeably different shape than the PA-18 and this should be accounted for. The fuselage is fatter and and affects the look. There were many classic Piper designs that look nice on PA-12's. I suggest you have a look at the early to mid-50's Super Cub, Pacer and Tri-Pacer designs. They look good on PA-12's. IMHO of course.

 

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TurboBeaver

Registered User

Northern Maine

• Apr 18, 2020

• #17

Here is a PA 12 I restored in 1989 at Stan Reid's in Hamilton, Mt. I designed this custom paint scheme for it, and I probably redrew the trim 40/50 times before it suited me. It took two days to mask it all off, But the compliments we had on it every
where I ever flew it, was amazing! The satisfaction of a one of a kind paint scheme that really stands out was certainly well worth it to me. And certainly helped a bunch when I sold it !
This was Tennessee Red and Boston Maroon on Daytona White.

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A

Andy505

FRIEND

• Apr 18, 2020

• #18

flybynite said:

I have spent a lot of time with this and the grand kids crayolas trying different schemes. The best one I came up with softened the curves and had a few accent swooshes. A few years later, Cub Crafters started painting their aircraft like that.

View attachment 48094

Click to expand...

I would love to paint the plane in factory colours, but (as I said) I'm nervous about having dark colours exposed to sunlight while parked outside. I am considering a variation of the factory scheme - where the upper wing, tail surfaces, and upper fuse are all cream coloured - so the measurements in your illustration will help me.

 

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Andy505

FRIEND

• Apr 18, 2020

• #19

That's gorgeous!