On Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 9:20:39 AM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Cookie wrote on 12/9/2019 8:58 PM:
Well, it might make sense to wrap a glider when the glider is new...to protect
the gel coat...before it crazes.

We have noticed that when we refinish a glider, that when we peel off the vinyl
racing number off the tail fin and rudder, (or remove a painted on number) that
the gel coat underneath that portion of the plane, is NOT crazed.

You would have to budget changing out the vinyl wrap every 4 years. vs painting
the glider every 10 or whatever. You must remove the wrap periodically or else
it does not come off easily after 5 or more years.

Guys who buy Ferrari's of Lambos, or Ford GT's type of cars often have clear
vinyl applied to protect the factor original paint...but in the collector car
world, original paint is a real value thing.....more then offsets the cost of a
wrap job every 4 years.

If the glider is painted with polyurethane or similar, it will not have to be
repainted "every 10 or whatever". Shucks, my gel coat is in good condition, with
minor crazing along portions of the leading edge, after 4000 flight hours and 25
years. No one would paint with poly without the expectation it will last 30+ years.

Crazing often seems to occur first on the wing leading edge. Has anyone ever
refinished just the leading edge of glider, whether it's with gel coat or PU? That
would be a lot cheaper than doing the entire glider.

I've done lots of spot repairs to local crazing. I'm sure others have done the same. This happens wherever final finishing is done at the factory on joints. Leading edges, wing roots, fuselage center joints. canopy frame edges.
Result
No crazing showing
Repairs don't match color
Improved appearance for a while.
Can be a useful short term improvement to delay refinishing.
UH