6-22 Aircraft Painting and Finishing
which can be set at any angle to give a spray in the
proper direction for cutting in edges. [Figure 6-22]
Figure 6-22. When starting to paint a surface, spray the cor
ners and edges first, then the flat surfaces.
When all of the edges and corners are finished,
spray the flat portion of the surface with straight
passes across the surface. Hold the gun level and at
a constant distance from the surface. If the gun is
properly adjusted, the passes should be about 10 or
12 inches wide, and each succeeding pass should
overlap the previous one by about two-thirds of
their width. Proper lapping will give the finish a
uniform film thickness. Arcing the gun rather than
moving it parallel to the surface can cause non-uni-
form film thickness. [Figure 6-23]
SEQUENCE FOR PAINTING AN AIRPLANE
Careful planning of the sequence to use in painting
an entire airplane will make the work proceed much
more easily and will minimize problems from over-
spray. Position the aircraft in the paint room so that
moving air will pass over the aircraft from the tail to
the nose. Any overspray should fall on the
unpainted portion. Paint the ends and leading edges
of the ailerons and flaps first, followed by the flap
and aileron wells, the wing tips, and the leading and
trailing edges. Spray all of the landing gear, wheel
wells, control horns and hinges. Before starting on
any flat surfaces, paint all of the difficult areas then
proceed in a systematic way. In some areas, it may
be difficult to keep a uniform distance from the
Figure 6-23. Overlap each succeeding pass by about two-thirds of its width to get a film of uniform thickness.
Aircraft Painting and Finishing 6-23
Figure 6-24. Improper spray gun technique may cause surface defects.
work surface, but arcing or tilting the gun may cause
defects in the paint. [Figure 6-24]
Paint the bottom of the airplane first, using a creeper
for the belly and the bottom of low-wing airplanes.
Prime the bottom of the horizontal tail surfaces first,
starting at the root and working outward, spraying
chordwise. Work up the fuselage, allowing the spray
to go up the sides, all the way up to the engine.
Spray the bottom of the wing, starting at the root
and working toward the tip, spraying chordwise.
Jack up the nose of the airplane to lower the tail far
enough to allow painting of the top of the fin. When
spraying the top of the fuselage, tilt the gun so that
overspray will fall out ahead of the area being
painted with new material wiping it out. On the
upper surfaces, apply the primer across the fuselage
and spanwise on the vertical and horizontal sur-
faces of the tail and wing. Allow the primer to cure
and use the same sequence to spray on the finish.
6-24 Aircraft Painting and Finishing
Spray the tack coat and final coat using the same
sequence and direction as the prime coat.
It is usually impossible to completely reach across
the top of the wing, so spray as far as can while
working from the root to the tip, along the trailing
edge, then from the tip back toward the fuselage. Tilt
the gun back so the overspray does not fall on the
rear half of the wing where the paint has hardened.

Use a very thin coat of acrylic lacquer to wash out

acrylic overspray. It softens the film enough for the
overspray to sink into the finish. Dried overspray from
any material other than polyurethane can be worked
into the finish by spraying a mixture of one part
retarder and two parts thinner upon the surface while
the overspray and topcoat are still fresh. The surface
softens enough for the overspray to sink in resulting in
a glossy surface. Enamel overspray isn't as bad as lac-
quer or dope because it dries much slower.

Once an aircraft has been painted, control surfaces

must be checked for proper balance. The exact
requirements and procedures for balancing can be
found in the manufacturer's service manual or by
contacting the manufacturer.

CLEANING THE SPRAY PAINT EQUIPMENT

As with any precision tool, a spray gun will provide
satisfactory results for a long time if it is properly
maintained. The spray gun is especially vulnerable
and must be kept clean. If using a suction cup or
gravity cup, immediately after spraying, dump the
material from the cup and clean it. Pour thinner into
the cup and spray it through the gun. Pull the trig-
ger repeatedly to flush the passageways and clean
the tip of the needle. Spray thinner through the gun
until it comes out with no trace of the material.
Figure 6-25. Properly cleaning the spray gun will keep it
operating correctly and extend the life of the equipment.
When cleaning pressure-fed guns, first empty the
gun and related hose by loosening the air cap on the
gun and the lid of the pressure pot. Pull the trigger
after covering the air cap with a rag. Atomizing air Material should never be left in the gun because it
backing up through the gun and the fluid line will will set-up and plug the passages. If the passages
force all of the material back into the pot Then become plugged with dope or acrylic lacquer, disas-
place thinner in the pot and replace the lid. semble the gun and soak the parts in acetone. If not
Spraying thinner through the hose and gun will flushed out immediately after use, catalyzed materi-
clean the entire system. als such as epoxies and polyurethanes will set-up in
the gun and hoses. If this happens, discard the hoses
After cleaning the inside passages of the gun, soak the and clean the passages in the gun by digging out the
nozzle in a container of thinner. Do not soak the entire material. This is not only time consuming but there
gun in the thinner since the packings may be ruined. is a good chance the gun will be damaged inside.
Lubricate the air valve stem and all of the packings
around the fluid needle with light oil. They will con- COMMON FINISHING PROBLEMS
tinue to operate smoothly and remain soft and pliable. Because of the number of variables that need to be
Tighten the packing nuts finger-tight only. (Figure 6-25) controlled in order to attain a good finish, closely
Aircraft Painting and Finishing 6-25
follow the procedures suggested by the spray gun • Overspray—Wrong spray technique. Too
manufacturer and the paint producer. Before pro- fast
ceeding, it is always helpful to practice painting on drying thinner.
a surface with the same qualities as the aircraft. • Fisheyes—Silicone, wax, or polish
Once ready to begin painting, realize that recogniz- contamina
ing errors and problems quickly is a good way to tion on surface. Oil from air compressor.
avert a potential repainting job. Some of the most
common problems and their characteristics include:
• Rough Finish—Dope or paint is too cold
or
viscous. The aircraft, dope, and thinner
should all be at the same temperature, about
70° F, before spraying.
• Fabric Will Not Tauten—Fabric put on too
loosely. Fabric remains undoped for too long.
Too much retarder used for thinning dope.
• Blushing—Humidity too high. Moisture in
spray
system. Dope applied over a moist surface.
• Pinholing or Blisters—Water or oil in
spray
system or on surface. Undercoat not thor
oughly dry. Too fast surface drying. Film coat
too heavy.
• Bubbles and Bridging—Dope too cool, or
not
brushed out properly. Temperature of dope
room too high.
• Runs and Sags—Use of improper equipment.
Incorrect adjustment of equipment. Improper
thinning or faulty spray technique.
• Dope Will Not Dry—Oil, grease, or wax on
sur
face.
• Dull Spots—Porous spot putty or
undercoat-
ing, allowing dope or lacquer to sink in.
• Bleeding—Organic pigments or dyes used
in
the undercoats which are soluble in the top
coat solvents.
• White Spots—Water in spray system or on
sur
face.
• Paint or Primer Peeling—Wax from stripper
or
detergent from cleaning process may still be
on surface.If dope is applied over old paint or
enamel, the old paint will softened and even
tually peel from the surface.
• Brown Spots—Oil in spray system.
• Orange Peel—Spraying with too high pres
sure. Use of too fast drying thinner. Gold,
damp draft over surface.
• Wrinkling—Reaction between solvents
and
primer or undercoats.
MASKING AND APPLYING THE TRIM
After the base coats are complete, install the trim
details. Applying the details of the aircraft finish
can be the most time consuming portion of the
process. When changing colors for trim details,
allow the base paint to dry sufficiently before mask-
ing off the areas for this work. Fortunately there are
time- and cost-saving materials and methods to
help, but working with basic materials will usually
cost less.

MASKING FOR THE TRIM

Masking an aircraft and getting it ready for the
trim may seem to be a minor operation, but there
is a lot more to it than meets the eye. Consider
that modern finishes will penetrate some of the
more porous masking products, so use only the
best quality masking paper and tape. Newspapers
and masking tape bought at the supermarket will
not stop the finishes from seeping through or
bleeding under, and the few cents saved using
anything less than the best can cost an entire top-
coat job. [Figure 6-26]
Figure 6-26. Before spraying any finish, mask off all of the
parts not to be painted with a material that will not allow
any finish to bleed through.
6-26 Aircraft Painting and Finishing
The most important thing about the trim is to attain
good, smooth edges and usually the quality of the
masking tape determines this. When spraying over
the edge of the masking tape, the film will build up
to the thickness of the tape edge, and when the tape
is removed, a thick edge is left. If the finish dries
before the tape is removed, the edge will not only be
thick, but rough as well.
To get the sharpest line, use an extremely thin
polypropylene tape A tight edge is formed and the
finish cannot bleed under. Do not use this tape for
blocking off the entire surface, just for the edge of the
trim. Back it up with regular crepe masking tape and
cover the large areas with high quality masking paper.
After masking off the surface, spray the finish, and
as soon as it is no longer tacky to the touch, remove
the tape. Pull it back at an angle of about 170
degrees, just far enough away from the fresh finish
that the tape will not get on it. By pulling the tape
back over itself, it can be removed without pulling
up any of the still partially soft trim, and the finish
will flow down smoothly and not leave a thick edge.
[Figure 6-27]
Figure 6-27. Remove the masking tape by pulling it back
over itself as soon as the finish becomes tacky to the touch.
When masking an aircraft, allow the finish to dry
for the length of time specified by the manufacturer.
Allow the primer to cure and use the same sequence
to spray on the finish. Spray the tack coat and final
coat using the same sequence and direction as the
prime coat, and do not allow the tape to remain on
the surface any longer than is absolutely necessary.
If the tape is put on several days before the trim is
sprayed, and especially if the aircraft has been in
the sun or has gotten hot, it is probable that the tape
will cure to the finish and be very difficult to
remove. If this happens, use aliphatic naphtha to try
and soak the tape free.
LAYING OUT REGISTRATION NUMBERS
The placement of registration numbers on an air-
craft is specified in 14 CFR Part 45 of the Federal
Aviation Regulations. All aircraft use a Roman font,
but the placement and size of registration numbers
varies for each aircraft. For rotorcraft, lay out a set
of numbers horizontally on both sides of the fuse-
lage, cabin, boom, or tail. The numbers should have
a height of 12 inches. If the surfaces do not allow
for the full sized letters, make them as high as prac-
ticable, but at least two inches high. Generally, heli-
copter numbers should be on the side of the fuse-
lage below the window line and as near to the cock-
pit as possible.
For fixed-wing aircraft, place the numbers between
the trailing edge of the wing and the leading edge of
the horizontal stabilizer, or on the engine pods if
they are located in this area. If this is not a good
location, place them on both sides of the vertical
tail. Marks on a fixed-wing aircraft must be at least
12 inches high unless the aircraft has a maximum
cruising speed of less than 180 knots and is an
experimental, exhibition, or amateur-built aircraft.
For these aircraft, the numbers may be only three
inches high. In addition, if the aircraft was built at
least 30 years ago and is thus classified as an
antique, it can have two-inch-high registration num-
bers on its vertical tail or the sides of its fuselage.
DESCRIPTION
Certificated aircraft that are registered in the United
States must display the capital Roman letter N fol-
lowed by the registration number of the aircraft. If
the aircraft is registered in a foreign country, it will
have its own distinct number, letter, or combination
of the two. The number must be two-thirds as wide
as it is high, except for the number 1 which is one-
sixth as wide as it is high, and the letters M and W
which may be equally wide as they are high. The
letters must be formed with a solid line that is one-
sixth as thick as the character is high, and the spac-
Aircraft Painting and Finishing 6-27
 AIRCRAFT NATIONALITY MARKS

AN Nicaragua PK Indonesia
AP Pakistan PP,PT Brazil
B China SE Sweden
CCCP Russia SN Sudan
CF Canada SP Poland
CU Cuba SU Egypt
D Germany SX Greece
EC Spain TC Turkey
ET Ethiopia TF Iceland
F France TG Guatemala
G Great Britain TI Costa Rica ;
HB Switzerland VH Australia
HC Ecuador VP,VQ,VR Great Britain - Colonies & Protectorates
HK Colombia VT India
| Italy XA, XB, XC Mexico
JA Japan XH Honduras
LN Norway XV Vietnam
LV,LQ Argentina YA Afghanistan
LZ Bulgaria YS El Salvador
N United States YU Yugoslavia
OB Peru YV Venezuela
OD Lebanon ZK, ZL, ZM New Zealand
OE Austria ZP Paraguay
OH Finland S5 ZT, ZU Union of South Africa
00 Belgium 4X Israel
PH Netherlands BA Libya

Figure 6-28. International aircraft marks identify the country in which it is registered.
ing between the letters or numbers may not be less ters, make the tool about 14 inches long and two
than one-fourth of the character width. [Figure 6-28] inches wide. Scribe a line down its center and mark
lines across it that are two, four, six, nine, and
APPLICATION twelve inches apart. [Figure 6-29]
Newer developments make the task of laying out
registration numbers much easier. Today there are
pressure-sensitive vinyl numbers available that
may be stuck on the aircraft and provide a profes-
sional looking job with a minimum amount of skill
and time. These stickers have also been used on
larger commercial aircraft in place of expensive and
detailed paint schemes. There are also commer-
cially available stencils, which are simply stuck on
and spray painted over. When the finish is no longer
tacky, remove the stencil and the registration num-
bers will be perfectly spaced.

There is always the possibility of having to lay out

the numbers without any of these aids, and for this
eventuality there are two tools that can easily be
made. The template similar to the one in figure 6-29
has been the standard of the industry for years. It is
cut from thin sheet aluminum and has the numbers
eight and one together. Any letter or number can be
laid out with this template.
A tool that is easier to make and one that works so
well that it is used by many painters is simply a
piece of flexible metal or transparent plastic with
some marks scribed on it. For the 12-inch charac-
Figure 6-29. A lettering tool may be made of light metal or
transparent plastic. These two examples can be easily
made and used to lay out any letter.
As soon as the finish is sufficiently dry to allow tap-
ing, locate the proper spot on the aircraft and block
out the space for the numbers. Lay out the numbers
so they will be directly in the line of flight. Start by
laying down two strips of thin polypropylene mask-
ing tape that ar6 perfectly parallel and are as far
6-28 Aircraft Painting and Finishing
apart as the height of the numbers. These strips
serve as the top and the bottom of the numbers. If
the numbers N46382 are to be laid out, the block
will have to be 58 inches long and 12 inches tall.
Using the layout tool, mark out the blocks for each
of the characters, which will be eight inches wide
and separated by two inches. Since all of the
dimensions for the characters will be the same as
those marked on the layout tool, it is a simple mat-
ter to mark out all of the lines. Lay out all of the
blocks with a soft lead pencil. Do not use a ball
point pen as the ink will migrate up through almost
any finish applied over it. Use narrow polypropy-
lene tape for all of the edges of the characters and
the holes. Mask large areas further with a good
grade of crepe masking tape and sheets of masking
paper. [Figure 6-30]
When masking is complete, check the layout care-
fully to be certain no letters or numbers have been
forgotten or that some area that needs to be painted
has not been masked. When the layout is correct,
mix the finishing material and spray. When it dries
enough so that it is no longer tacky, remove the
masking.
DECALS, MARKINGS AND PLACARDS
The final part of any finishing operation is complet-
ing the mandatory markings and placards. This
includes all of the service markings, safety warn-
ings, capacity and grade markings, and a myriad
Figure 6-30. Block numbers and letters in a Roman font can be produced in the proportions shown here.
Aircraft Painting and Finishing 6-29
other items. Decals, or decalcomanias, are the most
frequently used. They consist of printing or silk
screening upon a clear film with a paper backing.
Remove the backing by soaking the decal in clean,
warm water until it separates, then transfer it to its
final position.
Some placards are printed on vinyl and transferred
the same way as the vinyl registration numbers.
Some registration numbers, placards, and special-
ized markings are fabricated from High
Performance 3M or Calon Vinyl. After application,
a 7-year-plus life can be expected. A wide variety of
colors and shadowing can be done with these
decals. Others are applied to a surface that is
flooded with a detergent mixture, which allows for
their placement before a squeegee is used and they
become permanently applied. Still others are small
metal signs that are applied with a MIL-SPEC
cement. There are so many different types of decals
in use today that a general set of directions is
impossible. In all cases, the placards should be
applied as specified in their instructions. One word
of caution: the airplane is not airworthy until ALL
of the required placards, warnings, safety and ser-
vice instructions have been applied.
SAFETY IN THE PAINT SHOP
The very nature of aircraft finishing has an element
of danger. Working with volatile and sometimes
toxic chemicals produces a need for extra caution,
so it is important to emphasize a few safety pre-
cautions. First, never use a dry broom to sweep
overspray from the paint room or hangar floor. This
material is usually highly flammable and the static
electricity from sweeping can ignite it. Always
hose it down with plenty of water and sweep it
while wet.
When a fabric-covered aircraft is being dry-sanded,
ground the aircraft structure, especially if the first
coats of finish were nitrate dope. Static electricity
from the sanding could cause a spark to jump inside
the structure and ignite the fumes.
Do not stir finishing materials with a beater attached
to an electric drill motor. The sparking brushes
could ignite the fumes that are stirred up. If the
material should ever catch fire, simply cover the
flame and smother it. Even a piece of cardboard will
cut off the oxygen.
Human eyes are very sensitive to airborne chemi-
cals and paints. If any finishing material gets in the
eyes, flush them immediately with plenty of water.
In addition to the sensitivity of the eye, lungs, nasal
passages, open cuts, and even exposed skin can
show signs of irritation. When painting around the
top of a vertical fin or in any high place, use a good
scaffold, rather than trying to reach too far from a
shaky step ladder.