Wing walk material

I like the idea of this clear material from ACS. I'm curious if anyone has any experience with it- does it hold up well and maintain apperance, or does it become yellow or grimy from use and lose its attraction?

Are there any other suggestions than the standard black stuff from Van's that you have a good experience with?

Finishing up!!!

From ACS (both of the below):

NON-SKID WING WALK TAPE


Our non-skid adhesive tape is excellent for wing walk applications. The white and clear is perfect for pilots wishing their step areas to blend in, not stand out. This tape meets all applicable Mil Specs and has superior adhesion qualities. Sold by lineal foot.



Description Part No. Price Buy
6" CLR NON-SKID ADHESIVE TAPE 09-31645 $3.40
12" 220 SAFETYWALK CLEAR TAPE 09-31650 $4.85




OR

This patented slip-resistant material is an excellent alternative to black Wing Walk which has been used on aircraft for many years. This material is nearly clear (slightly opague) and has an adhesive backing that requires heat or 1500 lbs. of pull to remove it from the surface on which it is applied. Imagine how much better a newly painted aircraft can look with a clear material which does not alter the paint design. The material is impervious to chemicals, compounds, and water and will expand and contract with the metal or fabric. Surface roughness of the material is about the same as standard black Wing Walk. Furnished in 16" x 30" sheets.


Description Part No. Price Buy
NON-SLIP CLEAR WNG WLK 16"X30" 09-31810 $32.85

Very tough, picks up dirt

trib said:

I like the idea of this clear material from ACS. I'm curious if anyone has any experience with it- does it hold up well and maintain apperance, or does it become yellow or grimy from use and lose its attraction?

Click to expand...

I put the clear on my 7. It's very tough. You get exactly ONE chance to put it down.
Requires a LOT of rubbing to get all the "bubbles" down. I used a block of wood and a sharp scribe to puncture bubbles to get them to lay down.

Pros: Looks great when new.
Cons: You can see every speck of dirt you track onto it.

It does clean easily with soap and water.

It still looks pretty good after almost 5 months.

JP

One advantage to the black is that it clearly defines where your passengers can and cannot step....."make sure you ONLY step on the black areas!" is pretty easy. I am not sure how you keep them on an area you can't see.

BTW, the black vinyl wing-walk that comes from Van's with the aircraft model cut-outs is nothing like the old sand-in-paint stuff that you could skin yourself on. the vinyl stuff can be pretty slick under the right conditions of moisture and shoes. non-slip? More like Frictionless at times...

Paul

Used it on two planes..

and gonna use it in the -4, too! I like it cause the bright yellow shows thru!
Since I didn't have carpet in the -8, I also used it in the interior to reduce wear in areas where your feet scuff all the time, like in front of the rudder pedals and beside the front seat.
Does get pretty dirty, but, as previously stated, cleans up pretty easy. Still looked good when I sold the plane after three years.
YMMV!!

As Paul said, the black wing walk defines the area.
I use Randolph wing walk paint. It goes on easy & is very durable.

Skateboard tread

Go to the local skateboard shop and buy some replacement tread. Comes in a variety of colors and is cheap - about $5 for enough for both sides of my 9.

greg

clear

I put the clear on my -6 about 6 years ago and it is still down.
I like it. It lets the white color show through.
It is quite a bit rougher than any black material I have ever seen.
I have never slipped on it, it works.
You can cut it to the size you want.
It is readily seen by others boarding the plane, it is far from invisible.
I would do it again.

Which one Bob?

Bob,

Do you know which material you used? One is referred to as a "tape" which I would think is probably thinner than the material to as simply wing walk "material". Or did you use something different than the ones listed?

sheet

Tim,
I know it was a big sheet.
I'm pretty sure it came from ACS.....
as 6 years ago, there weren't many options.
But they may sell something different now.
If you can wait.....I'll take some pictures of it this weekend
and email them to you with the actual size I used too.
You know I have lots of pictures of my airplane, like everybody does,
but just not of the wing-walk...