Is there a way to match white Profilm to an aging "off white" GRP fuz?

[Mike Freeman]

Hello all,

I have an old but still perfectly flyable Baudis 2.4m Salto.  Its a lovely model but I found the GRP V-tail way too heavy and the incidences were all wrong too so I made a new V-tail out of balsa and covered it with white Profilm. All was fine but 10 or so years later on and the GRP has gone yellow/cream coloured and the pure white tailplane sticks out like a sore thumb now.

Is there a way of treating the Profilm to match or does anyone know of a covering which would match the fuz?

I tried to polish the GRP but it looks like the off white colour isn't just skin deep!! ?

Many thanks.

Cheers

Mike

   

Edited April 30, 2022 by Mike Freeman
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[kc]

It does not look too bad at all and would be even less noticeable if some coloured trim went along from fuselage onto the tail.   Maybe a red or gold line made from film?    Lighter than repainting.

[Don Fry]

Mike, respect, you sorted a suboptimal design. It’s an old bitsa, a nice flyer. It’s entitled to show its evolution.

[Simon Chaddock]

The only option left it to paint, preferably spray, the GRP with both a suitable surface prparation & paint. It would only need to be a thin coat as it is white to start with.

It would only be cosmetic as it would nothing for it flying characteristics.

I agree with Don. Sometimes a plane is best left to show its history.

Edited April 30, 2022 by Simon Chaddock

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

Our local paint distributor zaps the finish with a laser gun and mixes the paint to your colour,,,

[Peter Miller]

I have a saying that should help with this

"You can't see it at 50 feet"

[Mike Freeman]

Thanks for the replies and the reality check.  I've decided to leave it as it is.  As Peter says it's hardly noticeable when nipping back and forth along the slope and if anyone asks; there is a story to tell, as Don suggests.

Cheers.

[Engine Doctor]

Have you tried using polishing compound on the fuz. It's only the top layer of gel coat that gets discoloured as do many paints. Try a medium grade Faracella finishing compound . Test  on a non conspicuous part before buying any compound with either some very fine wet and dry paper or a tiny drop of  Cif cleaning cream or similar. If its going to work the yellow discoloration will quickly rub off and original gel coat colour will show through. The Faracella will also restore the factory shine.

 

 

 

[Gary Binnie]

I have a problem of trying to match gel coat to a new but faded hollow moulded wing (Wik ASW 20), I think it will involve an airbrush!

 

Three recent restorations involved 2K painting of the fibreglass fuselages, recovering the wings (HobbyKing white film) on the Cortina and a strip and repaint of the whole Arriba (wings were glassed and painted with Dulux gloss).

 

The Akro is a new build but the fuselage came unpainted and had millions of pinholes!