Follow-up to the ceramic coating saga

[PT20J]

9 minutes ago, Schllc said:

Plane perfect is a product I have been using for several years.

Plane Perfect makes a number of products. Which one are you referring to?

https://planeperfect.us/collections/exterior

[Schllc]

11 minutes ago, PT20J said:

Plane Perfect makes a number of products. Which one are you referring to?

https://planeperfect.us/collections/exterior

https://planeperfect.us/products/clear-coat-finishing-spray-reload
this is what I usually buy. They have changed the configuration. 
it used to be two of these small bottles for $35. Looks like it’s $20 a bottle now. 
each bottle will do two planes, or a plane and a car if you can do them at the same time. 
the solution cures in a few days in the bottle, once mixed, and becomes un-useable.  
between the price and the ease of use, I feel like it’s a great value. 

[IvanP]

41 minutes ago, Schllc said:

Plane perfect is a product I have been using for several years.  It is 35 bucks a batch which realistically could do my Mooney twice. 
however, once you mix it you have limited time to use it before it crystallizes in the bottle. 
it’s basically wipe on, wipe off, no real effort and produces fantastic results. 
I don’t know what it is, what is in it, or how it works..

what I can tell you is once the plane is clean it takes about 30 minutes to apply, and the water beads off like fresh rain-x for about a year or so. 
it won’t address paint corrections or swirls and scratches, but I guarantee it will move your paints appearance by several degrees at a minimum , regardless of the condition. 
I have no financial interest or connection to the product.  I only know that I am thrilled with the cost to value. 

Thanks for the pirep. Empirical evidenc from user is better than reviews of unknwon origin. How often do you reapply this and what products do you usually use in between applications to wash the plane?

[Schllc]

14 minutes ago, IvanP said:

Thanks for the pirep. Empirical evidenc from user is better than reviews of unknwon origin. How often do you reapply this and what products do you usually use in between applications to wash the plane?

About  12-18 months for reapplication depending on exposure. Nothing in between. 
I use waterless cleaner about three times a year, the belly about eight  times a year. 
The first time I used it, I did my own cut and buff. I didn’t really try to get every swirl or imperfection out. I did hit scratches and oxidized areas. 
This product applies like rain-x. It has a slight haze that you wipe on, and then off a few minutes later when dry, with little effort. 
Water beads like fresh wax, bugs come off easier and it seems to attract less dust/dirt via static cling. It just seems to stay cleaner and be easier to clean. 
 

[IvanP]

Thanks. I might give this a try. At worst, I will be out of $50 or so and some elbow grease. 

[Slick Nick]

I guess I’m the outlier here. I still use Meguiars Gold Class automotive liquid wax. Works amazing and the water continues to bead after 6mo / 5 washes. It’s so cheap, I’ll continue to use it. 

[Flyler]

7 hours ago, Slick Nick said:

I guess I’m the outlier here. I still use Meguiars Gold Class automotive liquid wax. Works amazing and the water continues to bead after 6mo / 5 washes. It’s so cheap, I’ll continue to use it. 

The Turtle Wax "Hybrid Ceramic" line is pretty dang good too, and really inexpensive.  Worth a try.  It doesn't get as much junk embedded into it as the traditional waxes, IME.

[PT20J]

I wonder what the real difference is between inexpensive products  available to consumers and the more expensive products only sold to professionals and if the extra cost of professional application is really worth it. If the consumer products are easy to apply in a couple of hours and last a year, that seems pretty reasonable to me unless the paint is in bad shape and needs professional correction first.

[N201MKTurbo]

You just have to get the silanes to bond to the surface. A smooth surface will give better results. A porous oxidized surface will produce poor results. 

[PBones]

In my classic auto world I use high quality washes/cleaners that will not harm the paint or clear coats, then use high quality 3000/3500 buffing compound like Menzerna. then finish with P21S carnuba, yes it is expensive about 45 bucks for 6 oz , but you should get at least 2 applications. Using a good decent orbital buffer (battery operated is better and easier) and a pack of high quality foam buffing pads the finish will be amazing, worth the investment. After you do the initial compound, you only have to apply the P21S which goes on and off very easy once a year. Just practice on one of your cars first till you get the hang of using the machine, these machines will not burn through unless you go really nuts on one spot with heavy compound. 

It is not much different using other exotic finish waxes or coatings you might like, there are a lot of them, the buffer and pads are the secret to removing swirls and clear coat scratches. When done, if you do it in steps, the paint will look so wet and be protected.

Not sure why a airplane paint is any different than quality auto paint. There are plenty of videos showing how to do it, I would never pay anyone to buff or seal my paint, nothing like doing it the right way yourself.

One last thing, I use flannel cloth that can be bought by the yard on the internet, to cover all of my cars, easy to clean the covers and they keep the finish perfect. Cheap investment and easy to throw over the plane. https://www.thefabricoutletonline.com/

[Slick Nick]

On 8/24/2025 at 6:57 AM, PT20J said:

I wonder what the real difference is between inexpensive products  available to consumers and the more expensive products only sold to professionals and if the extra cost of professional application is really worth it. If the consumer products are easy to apply in a couple of hours and last a year, that seems pretty reasonable to me unless the paint is in bad shape and needs professional correction first.

I’ve wondered that for a long time. Is aircraft paint really that different from automotive paint? I know some is single stage and some is base/clear, but surely the same maintenance techniques apply?
 

After high school I was a “professional” detailer for a few years. Got really good at paint correction, etc. I’ve been able to use those same techniques successfully on my plane with no issues. Obviously rivets are the big concern when wet sanding, but just avoid them and you’re good. 

[PT20J]

According to my painter, aircraft polyurethane is more flexible and applied thicker than auto paint. 

[Paul Thomas]

On 8/25/2025 at 5:07 PM, PT20J said:

According to my painter, aircraft polyurethane is more flexible and applied thicker than auto paint. 

I'm shocked that airplanes have thicker paint than vehicles. I understand why more paint may be better with the speeds we operate at but I've always heard to be careful with how much paint is applied since weight is so important for our application.