What is the Best Aircraft Paint
 

I'm so bored, I've started watching Russian mechanics videos on Youtube (but these guys are quite funny). But it got me thinking.....about paint.

Most of us would have been to hotrod/custom car shows, where these masterpieces have paint that looks like you could just dive right into.
If one was to take a blank cheque and tell an aircraft paint shop to paint your GA type aircraft, what is the best. Is there a type/brand of paint that is the best. I have searched on the internet and the only thing that I could find is a video on a Falcon jet that got a mega $ paint job with I think gold infused in the paint.

So what would you do for the ultimate GA paint job?

Do aircraft get clearcoat, metalic paint? It's a bit depressing to see the quality of the paint on a brand new $800,000 C182 or $1.5M Barron. It feels like 2 coats of cheapo paint hurridly sprayed on.

Who is the best paint shop in Australia?

Two pot polyurethane is generally the gold standard, however there are some acrylics and even water based systems.

What is just as important is the surface preparation and primer.

I did alumiprep plus alodine. I followed that with two part sherwin williams Strontium Chromate aircraft primer. This is the gold standard and the primer is about the same as Boeing (BMS 10 -11?). The primer is about $100 per liter.

Disimilar metals should have faying surfaces sealed with AC240 B something polysulphide rubber sealer. This used to be called PRC 1422 G8 and is commonly called fuel tank sealer. The usual name is “brown #$@%” once you’ve used it you know why.

In the old days not many light aircraft used these systems - hence SIDS.

Weight is a consideration.

Top coat is Valspar two pack automotive.

Correct Sunny!
An aeroplane is a collection of parts made by the cheapest possible tenderer. End of story!
Paint is a costly business for the aircraft manufacturer and paint is applied as quickly as possible as as thin as possible. It does not matter if it's a new Cessna C182 or a new Bombardier Challenger 605. I have seen crap paint on new Challengers at the factory.
Customs paint jobs with a surface prep etc take considerable time, look better, last longer, but OMG you pay for it when you re-weigh the aircraft. Heavy to paint properly.
Years ago, a Qantas Boeing 707/747 was natural surface metal, polished below the window level, paint above. The time and labor to polish was not a big deal in those day's; people paid money to travel aboard an aircraft, no real discounting. Also paint on a B747 I have no idea of weight but I would assume a 1000lbs plus, and that's a lot of payload.
Today we have chemical wash and blow dry.
The magic of two pack paints which look new many years after application; providing the surface was prepped properly.

According to Dr Google: "A 747 uses around 90 gallons of paint weighing in the vicinity of 550 pounds."

Interestingly, Dr Google also tells me: "A team of 34 employees on a nearly 15-day effort to repaint one of the 80 A380s in its fleet. The colossal nose-to-tail paint job took nearly 6,000 man hours and seven coats of paint weighing more than 2,400 pounds."

Boeing wing upper skin was normally painted with an extra heavy coating that I think I remember was called corogard.

I was taught that in the beginning of jet transport, the early B707 era, corrosion protection was the same as for piston aircraft of that era- chromate and not much else. This was OK for the piston engine era because aircraft were retired quite early because they vibrated themselves to bits.

....So after 10+ years the early B707 were still flying and then corrosion started to be a big problem. Under galley and toilet areas - the infamous blue ice incidents and in the bilges. That lead to a major upgrade in corrosion protection.

Sunfish:

The Boeing upper skin paint is definitely called Corogard.

BMS primer is bloody good stuff - when my ex-RAF Chipmunk was being re-painted the paint shop COULD NOT strip it off.

All a matter of personal preference...

https://www.airliners.net/photo/Lion...C-12-45/579605

While on the subject of paints...what is the best type of paint stripper these days..
Aircraft was done with Alumigrip, a 2 pack.

Apparently there is laser removal now, no gooey mess, just the dry paint mess.

We used Turco 5351 for many years. Just don't get it on your skin.:\

Thanks,
looked at some laser stripping videos. Pretty fantasic but,,,, will have to wait until a hand held unit is affordable

Most aircraft paints are solid colour 2k polyurethane, not always or even often buffed and even less common to clearcoat, I've only seen clear on some homebuilts to be honest.
The paint is mainly there for corrosion protection, if it looks nice too I guess that's a bonus.
I think Sherwin Williams Jetglo has a good reputation as does Imron AF 400 and PPG stuff, they're not cheap around $100/litre for colour alone, the leftover fully cured stuff I've seen has consistency like a rubber ball.

When I looked for paint PPG weren’t interested in supplying an experimental builder. That was pretty much a universal atttitude amongst Australian suppliers. There were one or two glorious exceptions like two YMMB businesses that were just plain wonderful. Virtually everything I needed came from Spruce, Mc Farlane or suchlike. I’ve paid a fortune in shipping charges.