Dropped Charlene off at the paint shop this morning!

N747JB

Final Approach
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John
Dropped my 421B, Charlene, off at the paint shop this morning. She will no longer sport the large "C" on her tail, we are getting a decal with a small "C" to put on her somewhere, probably under the tail. :D
Here's a current picture and one of the design we've picked.

IMG_20130107_112525_zps8416091a.jpg


421d_001.jpg
 
:cheerswine: that sure is gonna be one purty bird when it's done...dayuuuum.
 
Dropped my 421B, Charlene, off at the paint shop this morning. She will no longer sport the large "C" on her tail, we are getting a decal with a small "C" to put on her somewhere, probably under the tail. :D
Here's a current picture and one of the design we've picked.

IMG_20130107_112525_zps8416091a.jpg


421d_001.jpg

How do you afford this plane?
 
Very nice!

Are you going to add strakes? Perfect time while you're doing paint.
 
BTW...where in Atlanta do you keep her? I fly out of PDK and would love to get an in-person look when she's done :)
 
Very nice!

Are you going to add strakes? Perfect time while you're doing paint.

I'm adding VG's probably Micro, I looked at the strakes, I just can't justify another $10K+ right now. :dunno: I am kicking myself for spending $25K on the paint.:yikes:
 
Is Cleakley Ford no longer in business?
 
I'm adding VG's probably Micro, I looked at the strakes, I just can't justify another $10K+ right now. :dunno: I am kicking myself for spending $25K on the paint.:yikes:

Yeah, the strakes are pricey, although they do seem to make a significant performance improvement. Lots of money!
 
I saw the thread title and was going to rush to ask if you had a common purpose for taking Charlene to the paint shop...then I read it and my hopes of being a smart a$$ were dashed.
 
Dropped my 421B, Charlene, off at the paint shop this morning. She will no longer sport the large "C" on her tail, we are getting a decal with a small "C" to put on her somewhere, probably under the tail. :D
Here's a current picture and one of the design we've picked.

IMG_20130107_112525_zps8416091a.jpg


421d_001.jpg

Beautiful paint scheme! Besides dropping off Charlene, were you required to leave your first born, wallet or both? :)
 
I didn't pay any attention to your other post since I was having so much fun with my own. Lookin' good, Bubba.

I'm just being a smart a$$, I figured you'd like the new paint job. :D
 
Beautiful paint scheme! Besides dropping off Charlene, were you required to leave your first born, wallet or both? :)

I had my first born son drive down and pick me up, they decided they couldn't feed him, so I had to give them a check! :lol:
It's going to end up costing $25K+, plus the VG's when all is said and done, I am figuring $28-29K, I hope my estimate is too high, but I seriously doubt it. :mad2:
 
I didn't pay any attention to your other post since I was having so much fun with my own. Lookin' good, Bubba.

Thanks! I promised Tony, the shop owner that I wouldn't start calling him everyday to see if he was done yet, for at least a week! :D
 
A local 421A owner swears 10kts cruise improvement. The shop has already installed a half-dozen kits, owners all happy so far.



Yeah, the strakes are pricey, although they do seem to make a significant performance improvement. Lots of money!
 
I had my first born son drive down and pick me up, they decided they couldn't feed him, so I had to give them a check! :lol:
It's going to end up costing $25K+, plus the VG's when all is said and done, I am figuring $28-29K, I hope my estimate is too high, but I seriously doubt it. :mad2:

Did you get quotes? That seems a little pricey. :dunno:
 
A local 421A owner swears 10kts cruise improvement. The shop has already installed a half-dozen kits, owners all happy so far.

Seems the folks on the Twin Cessna forum are seeing 5-10 kts improvement. It'd be high on my list if I had a 421 because a good bit of the improvement is in climb as well as because of the long trips we fly. But it's not chump change by any means.
 
Did you get quotes? That seems a little pricey. :dunno:

Yeah, they were all within $1-2K, base strip and paint, white with 2 stripes is $21-22K, tu-tone is extra, $25-3500, depending on the shop, stainless screw kits are $1K, stainless cam locks are extra as well. It adds up pretty quick.:hairraise: I looked at using an out of town shop that was slightly cheaper, but when I added the cost of flying there and back along with the cost of an airline ticket or chase plane, it made more sense to stay local. Warranty was my other consideration, having a warranty 600 miles away means it would cost big $$ for touch ups.:mad2:
 
A local 421A owner swears 10kts cruise improvement. The shop has already installed a half-dozen kits, owners all happy so far.

I'm usually skeptical on speed mods, this company's initial literature claimed 7-10% increase, IIRC.:yikes: They didn't publish any hard numbers or test data at the time, I'd love an extra 10 knots, and at $1000-1200.00 per knot, I guess it's priced right.:rolleyes:
 
Seems the folks on the Twin Cessna forum are seeing 5-10 kts improvement. It'd be high on my list if I had a 421 because a good bit of the improvement is in climb as well as because of the long trips we fly. But it's not chump change by any means.

Our sheet-metal guys are top-notch, but even they had some head-scratch moments on the first set on each model. Given my choice I'd rather not be the first customer of any installer shop.
 
Did you get quotes? That seems a little pricey. :dunno:

Here is why, this is $450.00 worth of paint.
1 gal silver meticalic
1 qt gold metallic
1 qt hardener
1 pt hardener
1 gal reducer.

that will cover about 1 wing.

PPG "concept" system was $475.00 for the gal, $146.00 for the qt. plus the hardener was twice the cost of these .
 

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I'm usually skeptical on speed mods, this company's initial literature claimed 7-10% increase, IIRC.:yikes: They didn't publish any hard numbers or test data at the time, I'd love an extra 10 knots, and at $1000-1200.00 per knot, I guess it's priced right.:rolleyes:

The strakes and 421C hubcaps seem to have delivered on promises, at least pretty closely. The climb and descent improvements seem the best to me, with associated cooling improvements all around. As Wayne has said, though, you either need to be going a great deal faster or a great deal further to see a significant decrease in trip time.
 
Our sheet-metal guys are top-notch, but even they had some head-scratch moments on the first set on each model. Given my choice I'd rather not be the first customer of any installer shop.

That doesn't surprise me at all. It seems to be a fairly complex install, and thus one that would cause issues along the way.
 
Our sheet-metal guys are top-notch, but even they had some head-scratch moments on the first set on each model. Given my choice I'd rather not be the first customer of any installer shop.

I've found out be hard way that being first ain't always a good thing!:mad2: Cessna had SB for the thrust reversers on the Citation that was basically to replace a bunch of little grommets or plastic washers. Seemed simple enough, but the shop hasn't done it before and I don't recall the exact amount, but I think it was in the $5,000+ range. They figured out how on mine and charged me for the learning process, when it was time to do their Citation, it was much quicker!:mad2::mad2:
 
Yeah, they were all within $1-2K, base strip and paint, white with 2 stripes is $21-22K, tu-tone is extra, $25-3500, depending on the shop, stainless screw kits are $1K, stainless cam locks are extra as well. It adds up pretty quick.:hairraise: I looked at using an out of town shop that was slightly cheaper, but when I added the cost of flying there and back along with the cost of an airline ticket or chase plane, it made more sense to stay local. Warranty was my other consideration, having a warranty 600 miles away means it would cost big $$ for touch ups.:mad2:


It does get expensive.

I really like the new paint scheme! WOW! :yes:
 
The problems are most obvious where the rivet lines for the strakes intersect those for the fuselage stringers. Correlating the plans, prints and parts required a bit of hoop jumping that is now old hat.

That doesn't surprise me at all. It seems to be a fairly complex install, and thus one that would cause issues along the way.
 
The problems are most obvious where the rivet lines for the strakes intersect those for the fuselage stringers. Correlating the plans, prints and parts required a bit of hoop jumping that is now old hat.

Sounds like the first time you change a radiator on a V12 Jaguar.
 
The problems are most obvious where the rivet lines for the strakes intersect those for the fuselage stringers. Correlating the plans, prints and parts required a bit of hoop jumping that is now old hat.

Would you guys quit talking about these strakes, it's making think about ordering them! :mad2::D
 
Got a quote on strakes from my AI, $16,500.00 installed, the kit is $12,500.00 :yikes: He is saying 8-10 knots, so that's $1650-2050 per knot, they are going to have to wait a year or so. :dunno:
 
Here is why, this is $450.00 worth of paint.
1 gal silver meticalic
1 qt gold metallic
1 qt hardener
1 pt hardener
1 gal reducer.

that will cover about 1 wing.

PPG "concept" system was $475.00 for the gal, $146.00 for the qt. plus the hardener was twice the cost of these .

Is paint TSO'd per the FAA? Sure hope not.

David
 

IF I could figure out a way to move it to my body shop, I would have my guys do it, probably for less than twice the amount I am paying. :rolleyes:
I have an old Bronco that we are re-doing, holy crap is that expensive! Even paying cost for labor and parts, it's going to be about double what I originally thought. :mad2:
 
Here is why, this is $450.00 worth of paint.
1 gal silver meticalic
1 qt gold metallic
1 qt hardener
1 pt hardener
1 gal reducer.

that will cover about 1 wing.

PPG "concept" system was $475.00 for the gal, $146.00 for the qt. plus the hardener was twice the cost of these .

The real cost of airplane painting is prep, lots and lots of hours spent stripping, etching, priming and sanding. The paint ain't cheap, but it's probably 20% of the cost of the entire job. :eek:
 
I know a guy in the business if you need him.

IF I could figure out a way to move it to my body shop, I would have my guys do it, probably for less than twice the amount I am paying. :rolleyes:
I have an old Bronco that we are re-doing, holy crap is that expensive! Even paying cost for labor and parts, it's going to be about double what I originally thought. :mad2:
 
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