danoman

I've heard comments both ways...

Some say that it dosen't hurt anything so long as the prop is balanced...

Some say that it changes the way the prop behaves at high speed, and can be dangerous because it may change the structure of the polymers in the compound itself... making it weak at high velocity. And may chip paint making the prop unbalanced...

Which would you say is correct...?

I'd like to paint an APC 8x8 to fit the paint pattern on my Ultrifly PC-9. I'd also like to see the prop tips so I'd know where they were when running the motor... just seems safer to be able to see the tips to help avoid accidental over-reach.

What do you guys think...?
Danoman...

Here's a guick opinion of this plane for those interested in getting one...

I'm very, very impressed with this kit. ALL of the parts have fit absolutely perfectly... When assembled and dry fit, NOTHING was out of line. The C/G on the plane was right on perfect with it assembled without electronics installed yet. The prop was even balanced... (I don't know if they balance it first when building the kit, but it was right on)
I wasn't all that impressed with the stickers, but I've seen ALOT worse. They have good vivid color, but they are a little heavy and kinda to stiff to work with, but still look great on the plane. Did I say everything fits perfectly...?

It's got a long moment, so it should track like it's on rails. The wings remind me of my old SIG HUMMER I used to fly all the time.

I'm planning on putting a hot LiPo three cell in it, and ring it out in a few weeks... I'm also designing a lighting system to install in the plane, I plan on using capacitors that come in the cheap Wal-Mart planes to power the system. THe system I'm designing will have a red LED flashing NAV beacon, 2 white LED landing lights, and wing color lights. Hmmm... should be fun... hehehe

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

Well, it depends. "Painting" a GWS orange prop with a Sharpie marker adds so little weight to the prop that you can't measure the difference without expensive laboratory weighing equipment., for example. From all accounts, the marker appears to do nothing bad to the molecular structure of the plastic.

I'm sure there are certain paints out there that would react negatively with the molecular structure of certain kinds of props. You've simply got to know the material you're painting and make sure the paint you choose is compatible.

As far as weight and balance issues go, if you use a minimal amount of paint, weight gain will be negligible. A couple of light coats with a rattle can, just enough to cover, won't hurt anything. When you're done painting, simply rebalance the prop. If the paint chips, unless you laid it on THICK, and the chip is like half the length of the blade, I would'nt worry about balance issues. The paint won't chip if you only put a minimal amount on anyway.

danoman

Ok then... that's what I was thinking... I'll go ahead with ideas...

I'll let 'yall know when I get it done and flying...

Danoman...