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Vinyl graphics and N numbers

16 posts in this topic

Posted

anyone have a good source for vinyl graphics and N numbers for our birds? still trying to decide what I want to do but hope to start spraying paint real soon so I need to decide.

 

-Robert-

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Posted

I had a friend do mine but any local sign shop can make them for you.

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Posted

thanks, I didn't know if they were just regular vinyl or if there was anything special for attaching to the fabric covering

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Posted

Nothing special but they do have to be the right height and width to meet the FAA requirements.

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Posted

I'm aware of the specifics on the N# thanks also thinking about doing some sort of aesthetic design on the side

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Posted

Robert, I get my small decals and N-numbers printed locally.

Have heard of people using mailbox numbers and ...?

I got the EXPERIMENTAL and a whole sheet of stick-ons from EAA with my registration kit.

I have no experience with the large (vinyl?) patterns like some have used - I think I heard one time that they are prone to cracking in cold weather, but cant verify that - maybe depends on what they are made of.

There are custom pattern makers around - they do everything from planes to buses - but guessing that paint is cheaper....

EDMO

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Posted

I ordered mine from Bruce MacZenzie. His website is: http://nnumbers.com/. He understands the requirements and gave me some needed guidance on style.

Bruce Mackenzie

ACE graphics

972-377-9761

888-767-1988

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Posted

I had mine done at Aircraft Spruce. It came as one strip. Made it very easy to apply. Sure there are lots of vinyl sign shops out there that can make them. You can get away with more in terms of numbers on an experimental I think. Do yourself a favor and put them as low as you can on the vertical stabilizer. It makes them almost impossible to read when your in the air. I hate how easily someone can google your tail number and have your street address instantly. I keep waiting for some pissed off farmer to show up at my door because I scared his cows or made a "precautionary" landing in his field.   

 

Spruce's site

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/vinylnumberstrip3.php

 

The 3" ones are pretty reasonable in price.

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Posted

As for the graphics, I found a blow out price on a checkered graphic rally stripe for a Camaro Pace Car on eBay and cut it up to fit my plane. Cost me a whopping $30.

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Posted (edited)

Joey good point about using the small numbers, my wife really likes the 12" on the side of the fuselage though (she even wants it on the wing but i already said NO to that" we don't however have the farm fields etc to land in around here to make anyone mad. I live in Gods country. either there is no place to land or if there is your pretty much good to go and nobody really cares anyway.

 

Av8r- thanks for the NNumbers.com link they have just what I want and I know it will be to FAA specs and lots of options as far as colors styles shadowing etc.

 

We are currently looking at doing a paint scheme similar to the factory KF 7 but with red and white being our primary colors. I was looking into graphics as a way to just paint the plane white and apply vinyl so I would not have to worry about each side looking like the other, the only "pattern" work iv'e ever done on a large scale is camo which is obviously not matching from one side to the next. need to decide soon as im hoping to start spraying on the 5th!!!

 

-Robert-

post-352-0-25712200-1372429789_thumb.jpg

Edited by High Country

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Posted

Check the FARs - 45, I think - 12 inch are required to fly thru the AD zones - like crossing into Canada and lots of Florida, and other places - otherwise, why not just stick with the small nums, and put them where the landlubbers cant read them with their camera when you fly low and the chickens quit laying eggs, and the cows quit giving milk, and the potato crop fails, and.........

EDMO

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Posted

Google your tail number and show your wife how quick and easy it is for some weirdo to get your address and hopefully it will change her mind. Even if you aren't landing places think about people taking pictures at gatherings or posting pictures here. Big numbers on a small plane look silly.

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Posted

Ok I think we finally agreed on a design, I finally won the yellow I wanted from the beginning :) and we are going to go with the smaller N# per all of your advise, I also want to have "Avid Flyer" on the cowl here is a pic of what we have in mind. Im' thinking of painting white then yellow and using vinyl for the black accents, We just finished setting up the paint booth today 36'x12' with ventilation fans on one end and air inlet on the other, planning to start spraying ekofill friday morning

 

-Robert-

post-352-0-28891300-1372894402_thumb.jpg

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Posted (edited)

I chose a similar design for my "Mangy Fox" project.

 

 

post-36-0-58431100-1372906376_thumb.jpg

Edited by Av8r3400

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Posted

looks good, your drawing looks a lot better than my chicken scratch.

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Posted (edited)

Are there a lot of Aspen trees around you? That yellow should really blend with them in the fall...

When I was in school, I made the statement that the only good color for a plane was Blue, because that is not found predominately wild in nature....actually, purple isn't either...Yes, I have seen the beautiful, planted fields of blue/purple, and yellow - those are not wild.

My instructor said, "what about going down in the water"?

I quickly said, "I don't swim or go over water, but if I did, I would choose Red!"

We don't have aspens here, but some Hickory, and the yellow Cub would be easy to spot.

I decided that if you had to go white first, and then yellow over it with the Stewarts, like we did on the J3, I would just save money and go white with red or blue or purple trim the next time. White is a lot cooler in the sun here - just ask any plastic plane owner.

Seems like no matter what color plane we searched for in S&R, that was the predominate color of couches, chairs, and other trash in the area........no matter - use the ELT..It don't care what color the feathers are on your bird.

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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