The rear part of the fuselage is done and out of the spray booth. The wing center section is stripped of all parts and metal work is in progress.
The top turtle deck skins are fit and ready for rivets.
All work done and an epoxy primer is applied.
Next is the Glossy Sea Blue.
The Interior green in the aft cockpit area and baggage compartment is applied. Then the LONG day begins at 6:45 AM. The star and bar is applied to both sides. It is laid out with tape by hand. The rest of the items are spray masks I make on my computer and cut with a vinyl cutter using spray mask material. Finally at 7:00 PM I can spray the first coat of white, followed by another coat after 30 minutes and then 30 minutes later a 3rd coat. Normally only 2 coats would be needed but this is white on a dark blue. By 10:00 PM the white lettering is done and the tape and masks must be removed before the paint dries. Finally clean up around rivets is required before the paint completely dries. I walked out of the spray booth a 1:15 AM, what a LONG DAY!
The final product in the sun. I will let the paint cure for a week while I start the wing center section.
Look at that really cool WWII Glossy Sea Blue color! Notice the new skins are all flat as glass and the gloss paint really shows the reflections of the paver stones in the driveway!
Here is the wing center section that is now undergoing overhaul. It is already completely disassembled and undergoing metal rework. Should have paint by June 1, 2006.
