Paint scheme prototype

[Dr.O]

My first idea for a paint scheme.

Since I don't actually have an airplane to build yet.;)

Colors don't "mean" anything, I just really like the way that they contrast with each other.

1490

[DesertFox4]

Doc, it's a fun practice. I did about 80 of these too before settling on a final scheme.

[Av8r3400]

What software did you use, Doc?

I've done several of these with MS "Paint" and it is a huge PITA!

[HighWing]

I like the look. It is in some ways similar to what I had on my first Model IV and similar to the original Speedster that originally caught my eye and prompted my first Kitfox build. Check http://kitfoxaircraft.com/Model%20IV.htm Mid page is the speedster and mine is just to the right.

One thought on colors. There was a guy in Newport News VA that worked in the naval yard as a quality control - safety engineer in the submarine building projects. He had lots of experience technically and built and flew a Model IV with 582. He was a prolific poster on one of the early forums and almost everything he posted was a keeper. During one annual, he used a flashlight to inspect the inside of his wing and noticed light shining through the fabric in a zig zag pattern adjacent to the pinked edges of his upper finishing tapes. Being a technical kind of guy he wanted to find out what caused the finishing tapes to shrink a little bit taking the Polyspray with it. He put temperature probes throughout his wings and monitored the temps while his airplane was outside on a hot day. He found internal temps within the shrink range of the fabric.

I don't recall what color his wings were, but I decided that after his experience, the Eagle Blue I had on the leading edges of my original would be a no no on my new project. I see lots of airplanes with black and other very dark colors on the tops of the wings, and it makes me wonder how the fabric is holding up around those two solar ovens up there.

Lowell

[Dr.O]

I used MS paint, and it is a pita. But, it's all I got. I don't use it enough to justify paying for a program.

That speedster looks alot like what I was thinking of.

Seems that I'd read about the dark colors on fabric somewhere, guess I should check around. Maybe the fabric company has info on color choices.

[WingingIt74]

Download Gimp, it's free and it's similar to Photoshop. That's what I used to photoshop the repaint on my post.

http://www.gimp.org/

[DesertFox4]

Color choice for wings is important. Here in the desert we have a couple with dark paint on the wings and have had bubbling under the fabric not to mention parking in the direct sunlight can cause the temps inside the wing to sky rocket in a very short time.

As for paint scheme designs you can go here:http://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/Paint%20Templates.htm (http://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/Paint%20Templates.htm)
and download templates of your model Kitfox. Make lots of copies, enlarge them if you want, get some colored drawing pencils, a ruler and compass and have a blast cranking paint schemes out by the dozens.
No software to buy or master.