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Aircraft graphics

gnubler

Active Member
I have a customer asking about installing partial wraps on parts of an aircraft. These are aftermarket parts that they manufacture and install on the ends of the wings, called 'winglets'. Right now they paint them, but have been wanting to have them wrapped with a printed design instead and wondering about the safety/durability of printed vinyl. Would it hold up? Bad idea? If anyone has experience with aircraft graphics I'd appreciate any info so I can pass it on to the customer.

winglet.JPG
 

JBurton

Signtologist
It should hold up fine, if I am not mistaken, the graphics on f35's are applied with rapidtac, so perhaps aim for a non air egress vinyl. I knew of a company producing airplane graphics that only did it with a couple of edge printers, though I have no clue what media they used...
 

gnubler

Active Member
Check with an Airplane Mechanic. The FAA regs get really strict.
That's what I'm hoping others may chime in with. There's another thread buried somewhere about liability concerns...what if the vinyl fails and gets sucked into an engine. Choosing the right type of vinyl is probably pretty important.

My customer was concerned that it wouldn't hold up to wind, edges might start peeling, etc.
 

DL Signs

Never go against the family
Standard vehicle wrapping vinyl isn't approved for aircraft graphics, except for hobby/ experimental aitcraft, you could probably sneak by on bush planes and such, but not a corporate or commercial aitcraft. Winglets are usually more for jets, so I'm assuming that's what it is...???

If it's for a plane that travels at high speed/ high altitude, or has cabin pressurization, there are specific materials you need, along with a sign off from an engineer, and the FAA. Materials for these have micro-perforated holes, needed for aircraft with pressurized cabins, because they experience seepage of pressurized air around rivets, seams, etc. If the film didn’t have this micro-perf, the air wouldn't escape and just push the graphic off in flight, which could cause a lot of different problems that you don't want (like jamming a flight control, covering sensors, sucked into an engine). They can't be laminated either because of the micro-perf. There are liquid laminates that can be used, but they also have to be compatible with the film, and inks if you're printing. They also need to be trimmed around any protrusions, rivets, seams, or anything else, and edge sealed. Thre are also parts you can, and can't put them on.

3M makes one (A7706), but it's regulated, and almost impossible to obtain without certification. There's a procurement process, including documentation like the aircraft engineers sign off letter, before the films can be purchased. There are also pretty specifig print methods/ printers & inksets. It's not a straightforward print & lay by any means. There are companies that specialize in aircraft graphics, that would be my reccomendation.
 

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ikarasu

Active Member
We do it all the time. We supply the vinyl and the aircraft company puts the vinyl on.


They use a permanent vinyl - non air egress, and they never have a problem. We've probably done 100+ fire prevention planes with huge 6 ft by 10 ft decals.... on propeller planes, and jet engine planes. They go all across Canada, Australia, and USA.... and we've never had a complaint.

We don't apply it, just supply it... so I'm not sure if they ever had to do any testing to meet regulations. But we use cast Avery vinyl for their planes, and not once has it been an issue ... it's for a big aircraft manufacturer / fire company, so they have their own engineers who can determine if it'll work or not.


You should be safe ... but as others have pointed out, if it's a requirement to get faa approval, I wouldn't touch it!
 

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
We do it all the time. We supply the vinyl and the aircraft company puts the vinyl on.


They use a permanent vinyl - non air egress, and they never have a problem. We've probably done 100+ fire prevention planes with huge 6 ft by 10 ft decals.... on propeller planes, and jet engine planes. They go all across Canada, Australia, and USA.... and we've never had a complaint.

We don't apply it, just supply it... so I'm not sure if they ever had to do any testing to meet regulations. But we use cast Avery vinyl for their planes, and not once has it been an issue ... it's for a big aircraft manufacturer / fire company, so they have their own engineers who can determine if it'll work or not.


You should be safe ... but as others have pointed out, if it's a requirement to get faa approval, I wouldn't touch it!
We also do large decals for an outfit that fights fires. We make them and they install them. We use 3M Ij180 though. They have been ordering these from us for years... No issues.
 

tulsagraphics

New Member
Check with an Airplane Mechanic. The FAA regs get really strict.

Good Luck
Yep. very strict. I've installed airplane graphics for American before, and they were only allowed to use material the FAA approved for their fleet. They didn't tell me "which" media they used, but that it was something that's not available on the regular market -- I assume it was this: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_LB/p/d/v000209686/

But even with the right material, the FAA still may not approve the work and could ground a plane if it doesn't pass inspection (I've heard about issues from fellow pilot friends). What are their criteria? Who knows... I haven't researched FAA regs in years. If had to guess, I would think it has something to do with the extreme conditions produced by certain types of aircraft (think Lear vs. Cessna) as well as the location of the wrap's proximity to critical components.

Apart from the AA supplied graphics -- the only thing I've installed (without inspection issues) was plane numbers and relatively small decals (16" circles on the tails) for a fleet of student planes.
 

gggraphics1

New Member
I have a customer asking about installing partial wraps on parts of an aircraft. These are aftermarket parts that they manufacture and install on the ends of the wings, called 'winglets'. Right now they paint them, but have been wanting to have them wrapped with a printed design instead and wondering about the safety/durability of printed vinyl. Would it hold up? Bad idea? If anyone has experience with aircraft graphics I'd appreciate any info so I can pass it on to the customer.

View attachment 167510
As a pilot, and someone who was in the aircraft graphics business. If the plane has winglets, the airspeed is probably too fast to support vinyl. Needs to be painted
 

tulsagraphics

New Member
what about Paint and Hydrodip?
Paint is always the best / most durable choice... just not the cheapest or easiest. Hydrodipping requires a tank to submerge a part (but only "small" parts). Plane parts are way to big for any type of hydrodipping scenario -- and there isn't much you can take off a plane. Everything is riveted together.
 

somcalmetim

New Member
Setup a paint mask to help a company restore an old Canadian Fighter Jet with a Mako Shark Mouth graphic on the front but it was all painted.
They brought me in, I could install the mask as long as I was careful with my knife (basically by not really using it if possible) but regs said their mechanic had to paint it himself. I know for sure some of the small warnings and labels on the jet were decals and we have done wing numbers for prop planes before.
They also needed a special 3M Leading Edge Wing Tape installed but the ordering/install process was so tied up in red tape and regulations we couldn't even buy it let alone install it even though the mechanic was sure I could install the stuff better than they could. I did some work on a smaller Sesna type plane while I was there that was just striped in orange vinyl...I installed that but there was a dude hawking me real close the whole time I had my knife out.
I heard the Russian Mig jets in the orig Top Gun were actually US Hornets they painted black...but ol Harvey Weinstein was to cheap to get the jets painted for the movie and then repainted after so they painted the jets black with Plasti-dip so they could remove it...unforch the Migs could only go so fast in the movie or the Plasti-dip would start to come off...lol...

Funny story: Guy was leading me through a couple hangers full of smaller planes...he told me there are at least 3-4 guys that have planes in storage at their facility...where the guys wife doesn't know he owns a plane...lol
 

ikarasu

Active Member
I was curious so I looked. It seems like many a years ago faa said you can put decals and logos on your plane, but you need approval for full wraps.... at least that's what 50% of the people who read the guidelines say, the other 50% point out it refers to "shrink vinyl" which is different, and there's no consensus.

If you search for 3m airplane graphics.... there are tons of links from 3m in other countries, but not USA. USA has one photo of an aircraft wrap... but they don't seem to promote it or specifically say it. Avery airplane wrap says they do interior wraps.... but no mention of exterior.


It specifically mentions it.... AE does... and a few other countries do as well.


Safety wise, there's no issues - violating faa policy.... who knows. If you want to be safe, call the faa and ask, they have a general hotline for questions / concerns.... at this point there's so much fud online you have a thousand people swearing it's fine and a thousand swearing it's not.
 

damonCA21

New Member
To be honest, tell the company to paint them. ALL parts for aircraft cost a fortune anyway, so the cost of painting them is neither here nor there as far as the end purchaser goes. Paint would also look better and last longer.

Yes, you can use decals on jets, and people do ( have a search for the Iron Maiden Ed Force One plane they use for touring ) but it is minefield of regulations. Not to mention you would probably need to spend huge amounts in public liability insurance to cover you just in case something did happen.

Unless you are standing to make hundreds of thousands a year from doing it save yourself the headaches.
 
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