This week, our extremely hard working airliner team put the final finishing touches on the repaint of our Trident 2 front fuselage, G-AVFH.
The repaint was started just after we closed in October 2006, and was completed last Tuesday, with the application of the final markings.
The team, led by Brian Kern, completely paint stripped the aircraft back to bare metal (no mean feat in itself), and then repainted it using aircraft paints and materials, with a more durable top coat, which should last much better!
The old paint had, we worked out, been applied in about 1972, so it hadnt done badly, but as you will see, it was well overdue for replacement!
So, here is the aircraft before we started work. Its a bit of a state! It was in the old British Airways scheme, and had been since we got it. Time for a change!
This is the aircraft covered in paintstripper. This is a new stripper, which doesnt burn your hands, and is environmentally friendly. One application takes the paint right back to the bare metal. Bloomin good stuff!
With the paint off – which required a good bit of scrubbing with thinners and scotchbrite, to get the last bits off, and a bit of sanding to get the corrosion out, the etch primer is applied. This is a base coat, which allows the primer to bond to the aluminium properly.
This is the first coat of primer going on. This one is chromate free, and a very good primer. Unfortunately, LAS ran out half way through, so we used the more common bright yellow one to finish!
Jumped a little bit here – We can now see the aircraft coming back to life! The top white paint has been applied, along with the blue band, and the silver around the window apertures. Oh, and the scheme has changed. We have gone to the last BEA scheme, in which the aircraft did fly before BEA was absorbed into British Airways.
Here you can see the scaffold frame we had built around the aircraft. It had tarpaulin walls, (which came off in the gales), and a steel roof, which stopped much of the bad winter weather from attacking it while the stripper was on.
The scaffolding is coming down, and you will see the grey being applied to the bottom of the aircraft.
Finished – the team have applied the final markings to the aircraft, and it has really changed the look of the whole site. It looks so much better!
The other side.
I hope you like this little photo essay! I cant have Midland Air Museum getting all the credit now can I!
All photos are copyright Brian Kern 2007.
Bruce
By: RichyD - 25th June 2007 at 16:36
I remember when a French company took over the paint stripping of the VC-10’s at St Athan, they used something called Pheanol ( not sure if that’s how you spell it ) But a few of the lads had it on their hands and were taken to the nearest hospital for tests due to it being so toxic.
Great job by the way
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 25th June 2007 at 16:03
Ardrox 2814, must get some… On the Lanc, we were burdened with Dasic… ow, ow, ow…. I now have no hands…
I know that feeling….and the SMELL!!! 😮 🙂
TT
By: RichyD - 25th June 2007 at 15:37
Mark,
Don’t give up your day job !!!! 😀
By: MarkG - 25th June 2007 at 08:47
[QUOTE=RPSmith;1131100]
Have you tried the Ardrox Cafe? QUOTE]
Am I right in thinking you gotta be an Eagles fan to get that one? 😀
Roger Smith.
No, but you need to have eaten at a Hard Rock Cafe somewhere.
Geddit? Ardrox Cafe? Anyone? Hmmm. Maybe it’s just me then……..:D:D 😀
By: RPSmith - 25th June 2007 at 00:19
[QUOTE=MarkG;1130744]Have you tried the Ardrox Cafe? QUOTE]
Am I right in thinking you gotta be an Eagles fan to get that one? 😀
Roger Smith.
By: Creaking Door - 24th June 2007 at 22:04
Trident £7K / Comet £20K
Just for painting – A perfect illustration of the staggering costs involved in aircraft preservation.
Lovely job by the way – Well done!
By: Arabella-Cox - 24th June 2007 at 00:13
Have you tried the Ardrox Cafe?
HA! HA! HA! I’m here all week!!!
I’m sure that means something to you….:rolleyes:
By: Lindy's Lad - 24th June 2007 at 00:08
Ardrox 2814, must get some… On the Lanc, we were burdened with Dasic… ow, ow, ow…. I now have no hands…
By: MarkG - 23rd June 2007 at 23:55
Anybody know where i can source this Ardrox 2814 please ?
.
Have you tried the Ardrox Cafe?
HA! HA! HA! I’m here all week!!!
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd June 2007 at 22:18
Just to confirm the paint stripper we used.
It is Ardrox 2814. It is applied with a spray wand, as thickly as possible without it running off. Leave for 24 hours or so, and it takes all the paint off, no matter how many layers are on there. It does need an extra application if the weather is cold. It was down in the minuses when we did it, and the company we got it from didnt expect it to work at all!
Bruce
Anybody know where i can source this Ardrox 2814 please ?
.
By: Bruce - 11th June 2007 at 10:18
Just to confirm the paint stripper we used.
It is Ardrox 2814. It is applied with a spray wand, as thickly as possible without it running off. Leave for 24 hours or so, and it takes all the paint off, no matter how many layers are on there. It does need an extra application if the weather is cold. It was down in the minuses when we did it, and the company we got it from didnt expect it to work at all!
Bruce
By: LesB - 10th June 2007 at 14:33
Thanks for the reply Bruce, I think MAM may need scafolding when the Vulcan comes into the frame for re-paint. They’ll have to find a friendly builder supplies firm I guess. 😉
Mind you, the Argosy was done without scaffolding and with four-inch rollers! The top of the wings was like painting two cricket pitches (I’m told).
Again, good effort from your troops and yes, spraying can be a bu%%er outside, especially over the time you did yours – respect.
😉
By: Bruce - 10th June 2007 at 14:00
The scaffolding was about 2.5K. We over-ran on the hire period as a result of the bad weather at the beginning of the year. It was still a substantial reduction on their normal rates. It was the only way to do it safely.
A few years ago, we did have all the interior lights working off the aircraft systems, and also had the radios up and running. Change of personnel mean that hasnt been done for a while, but we must sort it out again. I dont have any interior pictures to hand, but will ask the team to send me some.
The aircraft was spray painted, in the original manner. This was quite a challenge, especially working outside in less than ideal conditions, but it has come out well.
It is worth spending money on a project such as this – we occasionally hire it out for film work – even now, and we will be able to recoup the funds quite quickly. The Comet will be different, but it really needs doing, and it is such a significant airframe!
Bruce
By: LesB - 10th June 2007 at 12:06
Outstanding job Bruce, very nice indeed, congrats to the team. (The masking off must have taken some doing.) Should last a good few years. What’s needed now is a frequent “de-streaking” exercise to get rid of rain streaks and keep the frame pristine.
Could you say how much of the £7k went on the scaffolding? Or was that part of the “sponser’s” contribution? Anyway I bet it was a boon for the task.
Any pix of the interior?
Also, been asked to pass on admiration and sincere congratulations from MAM’s SEngO and Team.
😎
By: David Burke - 10th June 2007 at 10:15
Looking at the costs involved makes it even more important that another hangar arrives at London Colney .
By: hunterxf382 - 9th June 2007 at 23:26
Have to admit that’s one very good repaint project.
Nice photo selection showing progress too.
Well done to all concerned 😉
By: Jamie-Southend - 9th June 2007 at 22:14
Looks fantastic Bruce, must pop in and have a look.
I remember paint stripper called Ardrox 588 or something like that, we used it on Heralds having a major check at SEN, nasty stuff, gets the dirt off your hands, ( and skin ) glad to here they produced an alternative. 🙂
Jamie
By: ALBERT ROSS - 9th June 2007 at 21:08
Superb Bruce! Well done to all involved. Must come over and see this.
By: Russ - 9th June 2007 at 18:48
My word, that is stunning..Well done guys….Might have to pop up tomorrow…:)
By: Firebird - 9th June 2007 at 17:43
The team are now sizing up the Comet 1 fuselage for a full respray into Air France colours. We need to raise some cash for that though
Don’t suppose Air Froggie will chuck something into the pot seeing as it’s going to be in their colours………:confused:
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June 9, 2007 at 11:27 am