Need some ideas to add some pizzazz to an all white airplane

k9medic

k9medic

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ATP-H, CMEL, CSEL, CFI/CFII Airplanes and Helicopters
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A few months back, I bought a 172RG that had just been repainted all white. I don't mind the "non descript" paint but after having it for a couple of months, I think I might want to add something to fancy it up just a bit.

Here is the catch - I am not going to send it for more paint. Decals, stickers or whatever else might be legal to stick on is fine, but I don't want to spend $5K just for looks.

Open to ideas.

An example of what the plane looks like:
ID03474-10540-8-689-1982-Cessna-172RG-Cutlass-Aircraft.jpg
 
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Ventucky Red said:
87cb2518-4672-441e-b362-6cae7f7a5aed.png
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Perfect!
 
Got grandkids? Give ‘em a few different Sharpie colors and turn ‘em loose! You’ll have the coolest airplane ever!
 

AeroGraphics - The Original Aircraft Lettering Company

At AeroGraphics we provide high quality vinyl graphics for all types of Aircraft. Our products include n numbers, interior and extrior kits, striping kits, military markings, flags and custom designs.
aerographics.com

Our RV-9A had some vinyl. It looked good.
20151115_154822.jpg
 
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Put some large versions of this on it, also on the underside of the wings
IMG_1901.jpeg
 
172andyou said:
Since you can get vinyl printed in any pattern you want, this would be my vote:

View attachment 155125
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I see this isn't an N numbered aircraft and it doesn't appear to be real, but for purposes of this discussion isn't there a limit to what parts of a certified aircraft may be covered in vinyl?
 
Are you hangared or tied down?

Add some blue vinyl striping. I’m partial to red, but not sure how the red color will hold up if stored outside.

If you really want to pizazz it up and get everyone’s attention, look at the WWII nose art that they had to censor.
 
k9medic said:
A few months back, I bought a 172RG that had just been repainted all white. I don't mind the "non descript" paint but after having it for a couple of months, I think I might want to add something to fancy it up just a bit.

Here is the catch - I am not going to send it for more paint. Decals, stickers or whatever else might be legal to stick on is fine, but I don't want to spend $5K just for looks.

Open to ideas.

An example of what the plane looks like:
Click to expand...
Here's a flight school 172 that we put $1000 of stickers on. It's supposed to be feathers in an artistic way:
51MWallpaper01.jpg
 
k9medic said:
That's not bad at all! Where did you get them?
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We took photos of the aircraft drew the different ideas. Once we choose the design you see we measured and took the sketches to the local vinyl sign maker. Most every sign maker can print your ideas out.
 
Klaus M said:
We took photos of the aircraft drew the different ideas. Once we choose the design you see we measured and took the sketches to the local vinyl sign maker. Most every sign maker can print your ideas out.
Click to expand...
This. The vinyl folks can do a lot and have a great color selection.
 
This picture was taken from a distance so not to make the wing tips out of scale.
WhiteCessna172.jpg
 
It took just as long to stand back and 'Eye-Up' exactly where to place them and masking tape them all down. The owner of the plane had to do it because she wanted them just right.:cool:

Taking the backing off and sticking them to a soapy wet surface is not as hard as people think.
WhiteCessna172Vinyl01.jpgWhiteCessna172Vinyl02.jpg
 
GoFly said:
What did it cost to do the white?
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Not sure about today but, fifteen tears ago about $7000 for the paint shop.
I disassembled the plane and took it to the paint shop in pieces. They stripped it, Epoxy primed and painted it with a good Urethane.

I put it back together with new hardware, damaged sheet metal and fiberglass was repaired.

The only way I like to do paint jobs on 50 year old aircraft is in pieces. Wings off, Stabilizers off and all the controls balanced. I was on payroll at the flight school so my time was cheaper than shop time. Figure 200 hours to disassemble, repair damage, transport to/from paint shop and reassemble (with some student pilot's help). Hardware and materials including the Vinyls is about $3500.00.

The best guess if I did it the same way today about $30K.
 
IMG_8857.jpegIMG_8773.jpegIMG_8852.jpeg
I did white/white with vinyl. There are many different ways to go with this. You can have individual stickers made up like I did. There is also the option to lay out the lines with 3D glasses and lay out the 3m tape with a line in it When you have it laid out the way you want it, apply your vinyl to cover the area and pull the line through. Peel away the excess and what is left is your lines IMG_8331.jpegIMG_8332.jpeg
 
That's a beautiful airplane.

Suggest a little label, black on clear, maybe 1" letters near the front, reading "Not to be used for domestic surveillance", then in a light grey almost white color below that "Intermountain Aviation". And if anyone asks, just say "oh, they put that on all our planes, it really doesn't mean anything".
 
I'm going to "lace" the top of my shiny white cowl, like a 1950/1960s era hot rod, to cut down on the glare. Some paint that's not shiny.
 
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