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Re: Europa-List: Europa colours

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Europa colours
From: JEFF ROBERTS <jeff@rmmm.net>
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:36:41

This is very correct Jim. I have light tan or gold accents on N128LJ.  
It is a metallic light gold so I figured it to be a very acceptable  
reflective / emitted color.  On a sunny day the difference to the touch  
is the difference between very warm and neutral to the touch.  Even in  
the winter months on a sunny day reach out and touch a black car then a  
white and you'll know the color to paint your plane. Keep it white and  
keep it strong.
Regards,

Jeff R.


On Jul 20, 2007, at 10:55 AM, James wrote:

> Anyone remember the factory demonstrator N914XS with the blue belly?  
> After two or so years in the US sun that plane needed repairs to the  
> front fuselage as the engine weightwas sagging the footwell area of  
> the plane while it was hot. Needless to say after it was reapairedit  
> was repainted white. As Rob H said even yellow can get a bit warmer  
> that white, and I've sprayed one yellow myself.
> Paint em' white, or fly em' at night!
> 
> Jim T.
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com  
>> [mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Rob  
>> Housman
>> Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 11:02 AM
>> To: europa-list@matronics.com
>> Subject: RE: Europa-List: Europa colours
>>
>> Sorry Raimo, but this is dangerous thinking for those of us flying in  
>> warmer climes.
>> 
>> In my previous post I deliberately avoided getting into too much  
>> technical detail, and I used the word reflected where I should have  
>> used the technically correct term emitted. 
>> 
>> First, you seem to misunderstand heat transfer. You are correct that  
>> the suns energy is not reflected from a black surface. However, a  
>> black body is not only a perfect absorber but also a perfect  
>> emitter, which is to say it may not be reflecting solar heating but  
>> it surely emits it. Park on a black surface and the solar energy  
>> absorbed by that surface will be re-radiated to the underside of the  
>> aircraft, and if that aircraft is any color but white it will absorb  
>> too much energy. Any material absorbing energy will increase in  
>> temperature. Sure, there will be some re-radiation from the dark  
>> aircraft structure but that is irrelevant because the  
>> epoxy-fiberglass will already have softened.
>> 
>> Second, the Lancair aircraft all use a different composite than  
>> Europa. Heres how Lancair describes their composites on their web  
>> site http://www.lancair.com/Main/legacy.html ---
>> 
>> Like every Lancair, the Legacys major airframe is constructed of  
>> advanced composite materials. Cured at 270 degrees Fahrenheit under  
>> vacuum pressure, these NASA tested, epoxy based composites are among  
>> the lightest, strongest, stiffest materials known.
>> 
>> The high-temperature, pre-impregnated carbon fiber and/or fiberglass  
>> systems combined with Nomex/honeycomb core materials are considered  
>> the supreme composite airframe materials of choice worldwide.
>> 
>> Note that the Lancairs composites are cured at a much higher  
>> temperature than the factory and we cure the Europa structural  
>> components. The glass transition temperature is approximately the  
>> cure temperature so softening of the composite does not begin until  
>> approximately T sub g is reached. For a detailed explanation to T  
>> sub g see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_transition_temperature  
>> For our purposes we can consider the glass transition temperature the  
>> softening temperature, above which the structure loses a significant  
>> portion of its strength.
>> 
>> Anyone contemplating painting a Europa any color other than white  
>> (including yellow) should review the chart in the Builders Manual,  
>> Figure 1, Colour-Temperature Relationship, on page 36-1 of the Europa  
>> XS Tri-Gear Manual, Issue 1, dated 30 May 1998.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Best regards,
>> 
>> Rob Housman
>> Irvine, California
>> Europa XS Tri-Gear
>> S/N A070
>> Airframe complete
>> 
>> From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com  
>> [mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Raimo  
>> Toivio
>> Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 1:28 AM
>> To: europa-list@matronics.com
>> Subject: Re: Europa-List: Europa colours
>> 
>> Rob,
>> 
>> I am not going to encourage anybody to paint their
>> Europas undersides any colour but white. I still well
>> remember Manuals words: all the Europas must be white.
>> 
>> I still have to point out the energy of the sun is NOT
>> reflecting out of the black asphalt IMHO. That is why
>> it is hot when a sunny day. It absorbs allmost all the heat
>> energy and nothing is reflecting out. White surfaces are
>> cool because they are reflecting out much more.
>> 
>> So it could be more dangerous to keep it on the snow covered
>> surface while a sunny day (or on white sand or water w Europa  
>> floats!).
>> 
>> In Sweden therehas been 10 years awonderfulfull colour mid red  
>> Lancair 320
>> and no composite problems at all. Register # is SE-XOP (!).And like
>> we all know in South America (Columbia?) there is flying a totaldeep  
>> yellow Europa.
>> 
>> I think - with other colour as white - it is better to beeven more  
>> careful.
>> Beauty is a good reason for some extra work and some sacrifice.
>> That is the fact all the women know. That is all.
>> 
>> "Keep your full matt black Europain the hangar and fly only night  
>> time if you wanna be absolutely sure"
>> 
>> Raimo
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Rob Housman
>>> To: europa-list@matronics.com
>>> Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 2:32 AM
>>> Subject: RE: Europa-List: Europa rules
>>> 
>>> Mike 
>>> 
>>> In re: dark paint
>>> 
>>> Dont even think about it. Where we live and fly, on warm days the  
>>> heat reflected off the ramp will be sufficient to soften the  
>>> epoxy-fiberglass enough to reduce the strength of the structure.  
>>> Sure it will be OK at altitude but you still have to climb away from  
>>> the surface. Folks flying closer to the Arctic Circle dont have to  
>>> worry about getting the airframe too hot.
>>> 
>>> Best regards,
>>> 
>>> Rob Housman
>>> Irvine, California
>>> Europa XS Tri-Gear
>>> S/N A070
>>> Airframe complete
>>> 
>>> From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com  
>>> [mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of  
>>> DuaneFamly@aol.com
>>> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 3:23 PM
>>> To: europa-list@matronics.com
>>> Subject: Re: Europa-List: Europa rules
>>> 
>>> Raimo,
>>> 
>>> Congratulations to you and your aircraft. I think we can all stand a  
>>> little taller and more proud when one of "our" planes tops the list  
>>> of all in an entire country.
>>> 
>>> Do you have any pix of you panel? Is the underside of your aircraft  
>>> really painted dark? Black, blue, brown? Any reasoning for this?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Mike Duane A207A
>>> Redding, California
>>> XS Conventional Gear
>>> Jabiru 3300
>>> Sensenich R64Z N
>>> Ground Adjustable Prop
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Europa-List
>>> http://forums.matronics.com
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Europa-List";>http:// 
>>> www.matronhref="http://forums.matronics.com";>http:// 
>>> forums.matronics.com
>>> 
>>
>> href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Europa-List";>http:// 
>> www.matronhref="http://forums.matronics.com";>http:// 
>> forums.matronics.com
>>
>
>



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