Quote Originally Posted by HighWing View Post
This caught my eye. I took an Avid elevator I am modifying for a trim tab to the local Powder coat guy. When he saw it, is first words out of his mouth were, "I thought airplane parts shouldn't be powder coated because it hides cracks". I told him that with home builts we can do pretty much what we want. Yes, occasional reports of cracks in the Model IV engine mount would surface on the lists and forums. A good checklist item for the annual inspection.
I know painters who hate powder coating - it is generally thick & flexible enough that it can hide cracks. It also can hide corrosion if not applied correctly, to a properly cleaned & prepared surface. I saw an example of a piece of 4130 tubing that had corroded badly underneath the powder-coating. The outer surface of the powder coat looked beautiful. I had some serious doubts about whether I wanted to order my Kitfox parts with powder coating, but I did it anyway.
On my "other" airplane, I painted my engine mount black, but that is generally considered a no-no by some, as it makes it a little harder to spot any developing cracks. White is better in that regard.