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Re: Europa-List: Europa colours

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Europa colours
From: Raimo Toivio <raimo.toivio@rwm.fi>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:12:35
Wau, an another bad boy again!

In fact I found few days ago nice pics of N81EU
and it was parked in Utah Salt Lake City may I guess.
I think it is one of the hottiest place in the world. And fastest!

I noticed your Europa=C2=B4s sides also have been painted blue,
not only down side.

Maybe you fly so much that it has no time enough to melt...

Karel: people do things many times just because it is just a "habit".
Like painting gliders only white. Some times an individual decides
to do something other way. It can be a disaster or success. You know.

They call it experimental.

Thanks, Raimo


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: thomas@scherer.com 
  To: europa-list@matronics.com 
  Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 6:57 AM
  Subject: Re: Europa-List: Europa colours


  my Europa is half blue and shoes no signs of melting after ten years 
of service. She has been parked and flown in hot cuntries.


  <Thomas, N81EU>

  ----Original Message----
  From: karelvranken@hotmail.com
  Date: Jul 24, 2007 2:38 
  To: 
  Subj: Re: Europa-List: Europa colours


  Do you know the gliders color? They know why!
  Karel Vranken  # 447 F-PKRL
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: James 
    To: europa-list@matronics.com 
    Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 5:55 PM
    Subject: RE: Europa-List: Europa colours


    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 weight was sagging the footwell area of the 
plane while it was hot.  Needless to say after it was reapaired it 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 =C2=93reflected=C2=94 where I 
should have used the technically correct term =C2=93emitted.=C2=94  

       

      First, you seem to misunderstand heat transfer.  You are correct 
that the sun=C2=92s energy is not reflected from a black surface.  
However, a =C2=93black body=C2=94 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.  Here=C2=92s how Lancair describes their composites on their web 
site http://www.lancair.com/Main/legacy.html  ---

       

      =C2=93Like every Lancair, the Legacy=C2=92s 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.=C2=94

       

      Note that the Lancair=C2=92s composites are cured at a much higher 
temperature than the factory and we cure the Europa structural 
components.  The =C2=93glass transition temperature=C2=94 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

      Europa=C2=B4s undersides any colour but white. I still well

      remember Manual=C2=B4s 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 there has been 10 years a wonderful full 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 total 
deep yellow Europa.

       

      I think - with other colour as white - it is better to be even 
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 Europa in 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 =C2'

         

        In re: dark paint

         

        Don=C2=92t 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 don=C2=92t 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

         


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