monocock is the photo of the internals of the wing "looking like an industrial building" taken with the final finish in place or before the final finish?

I ask because that is nowhere near the level of uv opaquing required for polyfiber.
you should not see any light at all coming through the fabric.
ymmv.

It is after the final finish, but bear in mind that this paint system is 100% UV proof, even more so than a silver UV painted standard system. It uses titanium dioxide and has retained UV protection far longer than standard systems in numerous tests.

sorry mate I disagree. if the light can get through the uv can as well.
I'll go for opaque silver as per the polyfiber system any day.
the LAA are right to want a test panel out in the sun.

I've been out this morning and continued work on the blue part of the fuselage painting. Getting the masking right took rather a long time, but I got there in the end.

Tail post:
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f7...7765800BDE.jpg


Fuselage on its side:
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f7...AA2FE28E02.jpg


Hoping to finish this side of the fuse today, and then the other side should be done by Weds/Thurs.

After a long discussion about what we should have in terms of text/moniker etc on the tail (if anything at all), we have decided to simply have the serial number. It'll be a simple case of three letters and three numbers, and won't look too busy, or detract from the looks.

You can get selective filters which only block certain wave lengths.

I have a lovely Hoya UV HD filter on the front of my camera lens blocks 100% UV-B and 100% UV A and everything above 400nm.

And its opaque to everything below that allowing photo's to be taken.

dubble yew,

No worries, I can understand your concerns about going away from the norm. I was equally as sceptical until I investigated it in detail and got to understand how Titanium Dioxide is used in so many industrial applications.

The system has been used in America for years with great success and also on the Minimax here for many years too, with no problems.

UV doesn't actually need 'darkness' to be filtered out. Yes, darkness is a pretty robust method of eliminating it, but this system utilises a more modern approach, and one that is included in many commercial anti-UV applications.

As you say, I agree it is a good idea for a test panel too. It will give us peace of mind that we can monitor something that has had far greater exposure to UV and the elements than a Turb that'll spend 98% of its time in a hangar!

I used to be and I am again now! A lovely green Turbulent at my home strip.

Whether airliner windows or photographic optics, UV killing properties haven't ever just needed opacity as the key. Thus my interest in the system Monocock has used. As a Jodel owner it's something I'm keen to follow as titanium dioxide changed some specialist paints a good while back. From artists' paint to the exterior shots we've all seen of the gleaming white Saturn V rocket it is long established as a pigment with some very special properties.

Rob

A great account of your hard work Mono....enough to drag me back into here after a very long absence :ok:

Looking forward to seeing the finished product (if I can ever get out of the strip!).

You're welcome to drop in to the strip and see her, Andy. :ok: I'm looking forward to getting a pic of our two Cubs parked next to each other.

We hope, subject to admin delays, to be flying her by the end of April...

Mono, was approval from the LAA needed, prior to using this paint system on an open fabric covered structure?

Yes.

Saying that, it is more of a formality on the basis that it isn't actually a revolutionary paint system - it has been used on the Minimax for years. The Turb has a very similar wing structure too, with little unsupported fabric.

Okay, thanks, tis very interesting. The Turb looks great by the way :ok:

Mono,

Great to see the work you have done on RIM. I know it is while off yet but do hope you will bring her to the PFA (err whoops, LAA) annual rally at Sywell in September.

Planemike

She'll be there. :ok:

Mono

Like Andy I have come over to keep an eye on progress.

Glad to see the painting and reg has gone well.:ok:

Steve (Tarnish).

Hi Tarnish/Sappho

It's going nicely thanks. I've just come back from the workshop and have been painting the other side of the fuse.

I didn't think any pictures of the second side would be of much interest so I didn't bother taking/posting any.

The next few weeks should be pretty cool as we start assembling her, after months of sorting out various individual parts etc.

Also popped over to keep track.
It's looking great - I wish had the skills, space, patience and of course finances! :ok:

Hi Jonathan! :)

Skills - I'm lucky that Sam is my co-owner as he has most of the skills we need. I'm just the general skivvy (turned painting man!) :O

Space - I'm lucky that I have enough space, and if I had to pay for it the costs would have gone up considerably.

Patience - not being particularly patient by nature, this project has been excellent in teaching me to have some! Without it, a quality finish just can't be achieved and I've wanted it to be a beauty right from the start.

Finances - you'd be surprised at how little a re-build like this costs if there are no labour costs. We could easily have done it even cheaper than we have if we hadn't (at my insistence) replaced everything with new (mostly anyway).

So, a project like this can be turned around very very cheaply indeed if you want to. Added to which, the understanding one gets of the aircraft is superb once you have done this kind of thing.

Looking lovely Marj! :ok:

Bhb

Hi BHb,

Thanks - she's getting there...!!

I know you all think I'm probably taking far too long over the painting (and I think Sam does too!!), but I know that when I say "the painting's finished", that's how she's gonna look for the next 20 years that I fly her. So, on that basis, I am making sure it is right. I also know what a critical eye some LAA rally goers will have in September....:O

Saying that, after a final coat tonight/tomorrow morning, I'm pretty much there.

She is back on her belly now, and below is pic' of each side. As with the wing, the curvy line was done pretty much by eye, with the help of a cardboard template.

I have decided that the less sticky Frog tape (the yellow one) is much better for this kind of work.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f7...0F2CACAD70.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f7...630639B3E4.jpg