RV7Guy said:
Build, fly, fix, paint. In the long run you'll be money and time ahead. Make sure you are discipled to set a date for paint and live with it. The time goes by faster than you think (unless you are painting yourself
)
Something to keep in mind, about flying first and then painting....................is where.
Many airports will not allow you to paint in their hangars.
It's either going to come down to disassembly and taking the aircraft piece by piece to somewhere else. Or perhaps flying it somewhere else for a professional or do it yourself paint job.
I finished my RV in a three car garage & converted the single door bay to a paint booth. My airport does not allow paint jobs in the hangar. In my case, painting beforehand was the way to go.
However, the plane had been completely assembled once, and all bolts torqued, and everything fitted. It was only when I discovered that I had to remove the wings to install the nutplates for fusalage/wing intersection, that I gave in a tore the whole thing apart including all the tail surfaces.
I would definately make sure everything fits before painting, as you're bound to scuff it up if not.
Just today, I closed the canopy after installation and scratched the paint on the top of the fuse longeron skin. I got distracted and failed to install the canopy rail bolt on the starboard side, which let the canopy skirt down 1/16". I am now "irked"!
L.Adamson --- one step ahead, and then two back..