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Wing tips have cracks in the paint

MrNomad

MrNomad

Well Known Member
After 12 years and 800 hours, it's time to refresh the paint on my RV9A wingtips. Please look at the photos and offer suggestions. I am quite good at paint and glass so looking for ideas from those who tackled this before me.

https://thumbsnap.com/2UzedstX

Thx.
 
Just about looks like someone was hitting it with a hammer.
Is there a stiffener under there? If so, it may be stressing it somehow.
 
First step is to determine if you have the old, polyester resin based tips. No personal experience, but what I have read here indicates that once they start to breakdown, no repair will last very long.

Newer tips are epoxy resin based and don't suffer the same issue and are worth repairing.

Disregard. I now see that you have a 9 and they probably never shipped the old tips for that model. More of a 4/6 issue.

Larry
 
Last edited:
lr172 said:
First step is to determine if you have the old, polyester resin based tips. No personal experience, but what I have read here indicates that once they start to breakdown, no repair will last very long.

Newer tips are epoxy resin based and don't suffer the same issue and are worth repairing.

Disregard. I now see that you have a 9 and they probably never shipped the old tips for that model. More of a 4/6 issue.

Larry
Click to expand...

When and what models are epoxy?
 
Scrape off, or carefully remove the paint in that area and see if there are cracks in the gel coat or if it is an adhesion issue. That will guide you further in regard to a repair strategy.
If it is just an adhesion issue, it may start happening elsewhere, or maybe not. If there are cracks in the gel coat, you will need to investigate why the gel coat cracked.
 
Stiffener is the culprit

Ralph Inkster said:
Just about looks like someone was hitting it with a hammer.
Is there a stiffener under there? If so, it may be stressing it somehow.
Click to expand...

Yes, the cracks run right along the stiffener. My plan is to sand the paint off while the wingtip remains attached to the wing (taking appropriate precautions to protect the paint on the wing). I will fill the cracks with West resin mixed with flox. When it's hard, I will remove the wingtip and paint.

Comments appreciated.
 
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