Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: lml
Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2002 12:06:35 -0400
Message-ID: <redirect-1710314@logan.com>
From: RWolf99@aol.com
Subject: Lancair Paint Colors
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Angier -

I originally wanted to paint my 360 the "Ferrari Red" color that N320L used 
to have.  I I even sent a letter to Lancair asking if they knew what the skin 
temperature would be if I painted it that color (or any other color).  I 
received a well-thought out letter from Lance himself describing the 
difficulties in predicting an average (or peak) skin temperature on the 
aircraft, which concluded with the recommendation that "light colors are 
best".  (My brief summary does not do it justice -- it really was a detailed 
letter.)

Since that time, as part of the Columbia certififcation effort, Lancair was 
forced to conduct extensive tests on precisely this issue.  I'm told that 
they discovered (to their surprise) that their original recommendations were 
more conservative than they needed to be, and that colors other than white 
might not be a problem after all.  I don't know if anyone up there in Bend 
has time to share the test results with us, but my recollection of the 
conversation was that any color you wanted was just fine, with the possible 
exception of the top wing skin near the wing root (where the bending loads 
are highest and the load carrying member -- the spar cap -- is very close to 
the skin).

My wife informs me that "our" airplane will be green-and-cream, which looked 
very nice on one of the other factory airplanes, too...

On a personal note, I would love to sample the Hamilton MA BBQ claim, and see 
how your project (and new house) are coming along.  My wife is agitating for 
a trip out there for Thanksgiving.  I'll keep you posted.

- Rob Wolf