The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

 

Our client wanted an aircraft that stood out among other aircraft. I believe we achieved that goal. What do you think? 

The paint products used for the two-tone aesthetic of the project were two primary systems: Sherwin Williams satin black base with satin clear coat and Axalta Chromalusion’s “color changing” base coat color called Perfect Jade followed by a gloss clear coat.

The Gulfstream GV, N888XY, is branded SEXYjet and is managed by Metropolitan Aviation. For more information about the design collaboration and paint process, go here: http://www.duncanaviation.aero/news/duncan-aviation-unveils-timelapse-of-sexyjet-paint-application

See a time-lapse video of this beautiful paint project below. 

Duncan Aviation works with a variety of customers. The majority use their aircraft for business purposes, some have personal aircraft and a small portion are pilots themselves. A very select group fit all three categories.

When a customer came to Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek facility with a Dassault Falcon 50EX, his mission was to leave with the best upgrades in the cabin, as well as the flight deck.

"Our customer dubbed the Falcon a Time Machine, and wanted to ensure this time saver was the most comfortable and efficient tool to get from point A to point B," says Completions Sales Rep Nate Darlington, confirming that the creative tail number M-CFLY was, in fact, a Back to the Future time-traveler movie reference.

After completing a pre-buy inspection through Duncan Aviation, the aircraft went directly into an airframe inspection, complete interior refurbishment, complete aircraft paint refurbishment, Cabin Management System (CMS) installation and flight deck upgrades.

Read more about the completed Time Machine in the Spring 2015 issue of the Duncan Debrief.

 

We can finally talk about this super secret project our Battle Creak, Michigan, paint team completed. ‪

The challenge: Paint Virgin's Galactic Girl.

The aircraft: Falcon 900EX.

The solution: Our team partnered with artist, John Stahr, to airbrush the well-known logo. When a customer comes to Duncan Aviation with a unique request, we make it happen. Watch the process in just a minute and a half.

 

Contributed by Nate Klenke, completion sales rep

Ever wonder what happens during the first few days your business jet is in getting a new exterior paint?   

During the earliest stage of the repainting process the aircraft is prepared for the existing paint to be removed. After all composites and other areas on the aircraft are protected, a yellowish peroxide-based stripper is applied and then the paint just begins falling off.

To the casual observer, your jet appears to be sitting around waiting with very little activity. But in reality quite a lot is happening. You just have to be patient and wait…and watch…a long time…nearly two days. But don’t blink, you could miss something.

Seriously, unless you have time to hang out for a weekend at a Duncan Aviation paint facility, you’ll just have to take my word that paint stripping magic is happening.

After a quick scrub, second application and a rinse to neutralize the stripper, all of the protective taping is removed and your aircraft is ready for the next step towards its new look.

Video Magic

Over this past weekend we captured a Citation 560 Excel at our Lincoln Nebraska, facility as it began the paint-stripping process.

We shortened and sped up this two-day event into a 60 second video. But don’t blink; you still could miss something.  

When it comes to aircraft paint, the products and processes are constantly changing and improving. To keep up with trends, industry representatives recently collaborated, sharing ideas and solutions at the first-ever Industry Benchmark Forum: Aircraft Paint. That expertise is now available in a customer-focused document at http://www.DuncanAviation.aero/fieldguides/aircraftpaint.

Paint industry representatives from Bombardier Learjet, Dassault Falcon Jet, Duncan Aviation, Gulfstream, Elliott Aviation and Standard Aero gathered to discuss the current state of the aircraft paint industry, the processes and products currently being utilized to minimize and mitigate corrosion’s negative impact on aircraft, as well as tour Duncan Aviation’s paint facilities.

In an effort to collectively raise the industry benchmark, reduce corrosion and improve painter safety, a group of industry aircraft paint experts gathered to share tips and tricks of the trade.

The group also considered current and future work processes and paint products in an attempt to collaborate and find paint systems that are best for customers’ aircraft, as well as paint technicians and team members.

“We also addressed the shift to chrome-free paint. Some of us having been using these products for years while others plan to reduce the amount of chromate products they use,” says Doug Bohac, Paint Shop Manager for Duncan Aviation. “We all realize the shift to chrome-free will happen in the next few years in Europe and the United States will likely follow suit.”

Chrome-free paint product expert Tom Chubb of AkzoNobel gave a presentation on the research and rigorous testing process of products currently available and those that might hit the market in the next few years.

All the attendees agreed the forum was mutually beneficial for the paint managers, shops and customers.

The group will meet again in April at another location to continue to build on this collective knowledge.

Download your copy of the Aircraft Paint Customer Guide now. 

It is day three of NBAA! Have you been to Static?

Take a trip to the Orlando Executive Airport and drop by NARA static display–220 and check out this Embraer Legacy 600. It has been completely refurbished both inside and out with a 96-month inspection and Wi-Fi.

Click on photos to enlarge. 

Along with its incredible physical transformation, the aircraft boasts a new Aircell GoGo Biz Broadband solution, as well as the Aviator 200 Swift Broadband solution alongside several custom additions, creating an efficient, effective, comfortable business jet.

We also paired up with Embraer Executive Jet’s PreFlown division to develop a timelapse video showcasing what it takes to inspect and update an Embraer Legacy 600. To watch the video, visit http://www.duncanaviation.aero/videos/embraer_refurbishment/index.php.

 

Duncan Aviation takes the long-term approach when it comes to investing in the company, and it has paid off more than 250 times in the paint shop alone.Two years ago, the Lincoln, Nebraska, team celebrated the opening of a 45,000-square-foot aircraft paint facility after observing the current customer base’s shift toward larger aircraft and anticipating that trend had staying power.

The paint team saw an influx of Gulfstream 550s, Dassault Falcon 7Xs and other long-range business jets immediately fill the paint schedule.

“We designed the facility so it has the ability to house multiple aircraft at once—so the paint teams can strip, sand, paint and detail work on several projects simultaneously,” says Paint Manager Doug Bohac. “It also includes a down-draft bay and several other green options that allow us to do more with less of an impact on the environment.”

With 150 paint team members between the Lincoln and Battle Creek, Michigan, facilities, they’ve built quite the reputation for themselves, and with nearly 4,500 paint deliveries during the past few decades, it’s no wonder.

“We make most any paint request a reality and the paint teams really take pride in their work. They make sure it’s done right the first time, and that’s what keeps people returning,” says Bohac. 

Customers are coming back, and they’re providing rave reviews.

The Lincoln paint team recently completed one of the most complicated paint schemes on one of the largest jets to grace the facility. It took some creative thinking on the part of the design team and several weeks, but Nataly and Ernst Langner, owners and pilots of the jet, were ecstatic.

“Duncan Aviation is producing a quality I’ve never seen in the industry. This is the best job I have seen in 50 years,” says Ernst Langner.

View the paint team in action on the Langer’s jet.

View a timelapse video of Robert Duncan’s creative lime green, paint splattered M2 paint process. 

A paint refurbishment can completely transform and revive an aircraft, but this update comes with a downtime of several weeks and a hefty price tag.

Although many of the customer projects Duncan Aviation delivers don’t necessarily lend well to generic FAQs, a general pattern of questions do emerge from prospects looking to have their aircraft repainted.

Here are the top two:

Aircraft paint can beautifully reflect hours of painstaking care and preparation—or it can cover a multitude of sins. The trouble is, you can’t always tell which applies to your aircraft until long after the job is finished.

According to George Bajo, completions sales representative for Duncan Aviation, “Anyone can shoot a glossy coat of paint. But the value is in the details.”  

He goes on to suggest operators conduct a visual inspection for dirt specs in the paint finish as one identifier of a quality job. “While a few dirt specs should be expected, a large number is cause for concern.”

The attention to detail at the sealed windows and cleanliness of the painted landing gear are also evidence of a job done right. New stair treads, dressed boots, wiped down wheels and wheel wells, painting inside of gear doors, radome boots that don’t yellow and erosion tape are also extras that customers should expect.

“It’s all about the details,” George says. “That’s what you pay for.”

Duncan Aviation Field Guides

To help aircraft owners identify a quality paint job and decide when to take an aircraft in for a touchup or full repaint, Duncan Aviation industry experts answer questions about pressing paint maintenance issues in the recently updated “More Than Skin Deep: Paint Maintenance and Turbine Aircraft Value” field guide.

This field guide explores routine maintenance and turbine aircraft market value, paint processes, and criteria to consider when selecting an aircraft paint service provider.

Paint Maintenance Topics

• Paint Maintenance Topics
• How to Recognize A Quality Aircraft Paint Finish
• How Long Does Aircraft Paint Last?
• Routine Maintenance & Paint Integrity
• Aircraft Paint Services

Duncan Aviation's field guides address topics of importance to business aircraft operators around the globe and are written by our very own technical experts.

These documents are available as free PDF downloads.