mdnanwelch7(at)hotmail.co
Guest
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 Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 8:10 am Post subject: PolyFiber silver coats and their effect on radio signals |
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> Gents,
| Quote: | I had been wondering, for some time, what to do about the PolyFiber
PolySpray coats. PolySpray is a metal-loaded paint that is used to
protect PolyFiber fabric from UV damage.
FWIW!
James
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James,
In addition to the information you just shared regarding PolySpray, I thought I'd throw my two cents in......
Back when I had my Cessna, which spent all of it's life outside, I noticed that the top-side of the surfaces oxidized a fair amount. The wings' upper surfaces, fuselage, etc, really needed those polishes and wax jobs.
The bottom surfaces didn't!!!! They were as shiny as the day they got painted. A wash and a simple coat of wax to clean any smog residue and they were "good to go"!
The tops required plenty of polish and elbow grease!! I was able to eventually get a pretty decent shine on the top, but it was real evident that it oxidizes "significantly" more than the bottom surfaces (the paint job was about 7 years old, the underside has ZERO oxidation).
So!! With this personal experience on my own Cessna, I made the decision to only spray the Poly Spray silver paint on the upper surfaces of the airplane I'm building. The sun does NOT shine on the bottom, so I did't want to waste the paint.
I know what the Poly Fiber manual says. It wants you to spray the entire plane!! I talked to Dondi Miller ((at) Aircraft Tech Support...a leading seller of the P.F. products), and she said as far as she knew, you have to spray the entire plane. But, since I get to make the decision on my own plane....I chose not to. Others opinions may differ. I'm ok with that.
What this may have to do with your post is; if a guy were planning to install his antennas inside his Poly Fabric covered plane, he might seriously consider NOT spraying the Poly Spray silver coats on the bottom surfaces.
The Poly Fiber manual suggests that in order to get the best UV protection, you need to spray the silver coatings thick enough that virtually zero light shines through. Plus, according to the manual, a certified aircraft HAS to be fully covered!!
I can see where such a semi-solid layer of aluminum flakes could affect some radio waves. I chose to not do the bottom surfaces. (They got their share of sealer/paint, etc)
Just my thoughts on the matter....
Mike Welch
Kolb MkIII
The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. Get busy. [quote][b]
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