Do you remember what the outside temp was? I went and shot my IR gun at some black cubs here in wasilla on a sunny 65 degree day and the wings were 135 degrees, ailerons 150, horizontal 115, elevators 130, rudder 130 also, fuselage 115. I measured a red cub, temps were only 5 degrees cooler, same with blue, yellow was the same as white and light grey which was way cooler. I dont think the white even broke 85 degrees. No darker grey ones to measure though. Have any of you had goodluck spraying a different shade of of the same color over the 1st coat of polytone? This ag cat grey has a noticeable purple/red hue to it and looks a little ugly after the 1st coat, thinking of going to federal or polar grey, plus they would be a more reflective color anyways.
Black airplane?
- Thread starter dwm
- Start date
Farmer Hank
SPONSOR
Kalispell, Montana
Temp was probably 75-80. Don’t recall it being particularly hot that year.
I haven’t ever sprayed a different hue of the same color. But it is routine to spray two coats of white under red, orange, and yellow.
I haven’t ever sprayed a different hue of the same color. But it is routine to spray two coats of white under red, orange, and yellow.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
Temperature is one consideration, weight is another. Darker colors weigh more. The added weight of different colors is listed on some of the cabin Waco model's TC with as much as about 50 pounds added for dark green or black colors. Of course this was when dope was used. Does this also apply with the modern finishing materials? Something to think about.
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
This raises the question of what type of adhesive was used to stick the tapes down? That type of adhesive is apparently sensitive to heat. What process was used on your airplane? What about the seam at the leading edge of the wing? What would happen there if the adhesive came loose?
I watched a biplane performing aerobatics at an airshow when the fabric came loose at the leading edge of the top wing. The entire upper surface of fabric peeled off standing up above the wing causing the airplane to stall at low altitude. Fortunately the pilot was wearing a parachute. Whether this was caused by heat on dark fabric or not, I can't say.
Mr. Ed
MEMBER
PNW
Original Maule fabric…I don’t know what system they used in ‘96. Only the tapes over the ribs on the upper surface popped.
bob turner
Registered User
Popped? Or shrunk? We have a lot of problems with tapes pulling in the slipstream. The higher power ACA aircraft seem particularly susceptible - in one case the vibration literally tore a rib off its spar attach point.
I am still struggling with fabric on Cub gear legs - I recently tried cotton tapes. We’ll see . . .
A160 Super Cub can tear my work up in two years (daily flights, thank you). I am wide open to suggestions.
None of this is due to tapes shrinking. I have parked outside with big black N-numbers on top of the right wing - original Stitts tapes (practically the very first pinked edge tapes - picked them up from Ray himself). No tape shrink. Summer temps at Ramona often reach 110.
I think we have a pair using Stewart’s glue, topped with Evolution. I’ll try to take a look. Another pair was done using Stewart’s throughout, but they have less than 50 hours on them.
I am still struggling with fabric on Cub gear legs - I recently tried cotton tapes. We’ll see . . .
A160 Super Cub can tear my work up in two years (daily flights, thank you). I am wide open to suggestions.
None of this is due to tapes shrinking. I have parked outside with big black N-numbers on top of the right wing - original Stitts tapes (practically the very first pinked edge tapes - picked them up from Ray himself). No tape shrink. Summer temps at Ramona often reach 110.
I think we have a pair using Stewart’s glue, topped with Evolution. I’ll try to take a look. Another pair was done using Stewart’s throughout, but they have less than 50 hours on them.
Talked to the polyfiber guys at the factory, they said the darker blues and greens are worse than grey for heat, if the tapes are applied with multiple precoats of polybrush and properly glued down it negates a need for preshrunk tapes except for a black airplane on a hot day. They said plenty of testing was done on tapes popping and the result was not being glued down well enough. I asked about weight of the colors, they said it was a very small difference with polyfiber system. Dope or others I did not ask. They mentioned if a lot of your pinked edges popped after spraying the brush on they are not glued down good enough. The manual only mentions precoating once I believe, they said to do 3 or 4 passes on taped areas before applying tapes. The most surprising thing I noticed measuring the temps on various cubs was the ailerons and flaps get the hottest. The factory mentioned grey should top out at 190 degrees or so worst case arizona heat, and black can soar above 250 degrees.
