Canopy paint colors

[Razor_Racer]

I was out flying a couple days ago, and lately since its winter the days are getting shorter! I found it hard to focus on my heli with a white canopy and some stickers on it. I was thinking about some paint scemes, edited a T500 canopy in paint.


First, is that paint scheme relatively good looking? Somehow I really like the orange-white-black scheme but I dont know if i'm just crazy Obviously the lines are gonna be a little smoother and the paint wont be so flat

And thats going to help with orientation, right?

[Mike SVOR]

I am having the same issue with sight on my raptor.
One thought I had was to paint the inside of the landing gear a different color than the outside.
No black on the bottom or top, only bright colors.
Tail should be some pattern like checkerboard or something.

i'm in the planning stages too for paint...

[invertmast]

I like that color scheme the way it is

[Razor_Racer]

So any more input on the colors themselves?

[PilotSmith]

Stick to yellow lime/yellow or chartreuse for the most visible colors in daylight and dusk conditions. Red and orange are often not that visible and look like black in the sky. At least that is what color experts tend to say. There was an example of a coast guard rescue in which they could not see the international orange life boat but did see the people floating close to it in their bright yellow life jackets.

Chart with various colors against chartreuse: http://www.w3schools.com/tags/ref_co...lor=Chartreuse
Color chart: http://1stchoicemall.com/Adv-Site/bgcolors.html

[Skiddz]

600 #1 is painted pearlescent blue and white and is surprisingly visible against the sky.

One of my 450s is painted with HoK "Sunset" (a very bright orange pearl) and it's tough to see in anything but direct sunlight.

I think that "firetruck yellow" would be very good for visibility...

[MrMel]

I paint all mine with Florecent Yellow at top and Red at bottom, key is to have something inbetween, that makes much more visible and easier to detect orientation.

Latest creation:



Combined with red or yellow sunglasses and it litterly glow

[Razor_Racer]

Darn, I was really hoping that paint would work. The paint I want isnt the best I can use, but are they still okay paint colors? A guy at my field has a Raptor 50 with a red-gray-black scheme (in that order) and he seems to be flying well enough.

[tukkus]

What would be a good airbrush to buy? Is there a certain brand that is considered a better buy? I'm thinking of doing the same and have no idea what I'm getting into.

Also what is a good paint to use?

[ghtracey]

There are many many very good articles on airbrushing from what equipment to get to how to mask and paint on the internet. Do a quick google, you'll be amazed. Paasch makes some good guns, but there are many others. Depending on how much you want to spend and how often you'll use it, you can even get one with a compressed air can at Walmart if I'm not mistaken.

[tz250w]

I agree yellow is the most visible. I recently acquired a yellow / blue / white Align glass canopy that is ten times easier to see than the white w/stickers. The glass ones are slightly larger / rounder as well.

BTW did you draw those lines before you had a drink, or after many?

[Razor_Racer]

I had some kool-aid cause im only 14

I guess the orange-white-black would be easier to see than a white canopy also... might not be the best colors but its an improvement!

[tz250w]

Too much sugar. That'll do it too!

I have another canopy I just picked up waiting for detail. It's all yellow (glass) out of the box with a black bubble. I'm still scratching my head over what to do with it, leaving as much yellow as possible.

[Skiddz]

http://www.airbrush-depot.com has TONS of information on airbrushes (and good prices as well)

For anything bigger than a 450 sized lid, you'll probably want a decent touch-up gun. I used to use a cheap Campbell Hausfeld gun I got from Home Depot and it did ok. I've since purchased a "real" HVLP (High Volume, Low Pressure) gun from the store where I buy my paints and it's a HUGE improvement over the cheap gun - it was also 3x more expensive.

Airbrushes can be powered by cans of propellant. Bigger guns will need a compressor - the capacity to be determined by the pressure and volume requirements of the gun.

I run the HVLP gun off a 30 gallon compressor with oil and water separator. I run right around 22psi, but it needs about 7-8 CFM (Cubic Feet/Minute)

My airbrushes all run right around 20psi and need very little CFM. I'd love an Iwata, but I make due with the 2 Badger dual stage guns I run now.

As for paint, I shoot pretty much nothing but House of Kolor these days. Super easy to work with, a bit on the expensive side, but the results are awesome. The HoK clear is fanastic. 3 light coats, wet sand with 800 grit and then a medium coat over the top will give you a glass finish. They even have a Tech Guide to help you mix/spray their various products properly.

[Lzfalcon]

I like the bright yellow or any bright color on top, as when I flip it upside down I can tell top and bottom fro a good distance. Yellow is the favorite.
The paint I used was..... Fusion for the yellow and Model master red on the bottom