MY DA40 has the pox

Any DA40 related topics

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Rich
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Rich »

Lance Murray wrote:Rich,

I have unscientifically decided that this is a problem with the aircraft and not environmental. I didn't repaint my plane yet and it happened again. I am guessing that it has to do with moisture and cold. The blisters are between the primer and paint. When I decided to repaint i will have it sanded down to the primer.

Lance
I believe you're correct. I had a discussion this morning with a local refurbishing company. What happens is that the moisture propagates into/below the paint, reacts chemically with the paint (or primer) and the resultant compound swells. From what I can tell right now, I don't think the primer is bubbling. I'll be checking around for some place competent to redo the paint job. Hopefully not 1,000 miles away.

Diamond is, so far, totally unhelpful with this problem. I'm not asking for them to fix this (it's been 11 years, after all), but some insight into how to keep it from happening again.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
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Robin
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Robin »

Hello Rich

My DA 40 is in for repair of hail damage. One of the comments from the repairer/paint shop is that to save weight the fibreglass is not coated. Fine small cracks then allow water to get in, remember the previous thread about gaining weight, then salt or bacterial growth can then damage the fibreglass.

The comment from the repair place was to make sure any small cracks are repaired as this will save major problems later on.

Cheers


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Lance Murray
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Lance Murray »

Rich,

When you find someone competent let me know. I haven't dealt with my issue but feel like I should soon. I was quoted 20K for an entire repaint by the guys in Ontario. I won't be going that route.

When having it repainted be sure that the correct primer is used. I believe that the airplane uses an electrostatic primer. This isn't standard on other aircraft.
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Rich
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

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Lance Murray wrote:Rich,

When you find someone competent let me know. I haven't dealt with my issue but feel like I should soon. I was quoted 20K for an entire repaint by the guys in Ontario. I won't be going that route.

When having it repainted be sure that the correct primer is used. I believe that the airplane uses an electrostatic primer. This isn't standard on other aircraft.
Noted. When I had the bird strike it was repaired at Mansberger Aircraft in Minden, NV. (Minden is a hotbed of sailplane activity and they're all over the place.) Diamond provided a patch and they did a fabulous job. But it's a far piece from here. Larry Mansberger has since relocated his business to Ft. Worth, which is even farther. I don't know if they're set up to do a complete repaint, but I would think so.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
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Tim H
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Tim H »

I hate to use the "C" word but what about checking out some Cirrus dealers? I think replacing the parachute (every 10 yrs) requires some amount of body work. I think the Cirrus and Diamonds use different materials, but they both fall under the broad catageory of composites.
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Rich
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Rich »

Tim H wrote:I hate to use the "C" word but what about checking out some Cirrus dealers? I think replacing the parachute (every 10 yrs) requires some amount of body work. I think the Cirrus and Diamonds use different materials, but they both fall under the broad catageory of composites.
Really what you're talking about is a shop that's an authorized Cirrus Service Center qualified to do composite repair and painting. Cirrus itself doesn't operate these, so there's no agonizing over "the other" guys.

Strangely I can't get any recommendations from diamond on a shop to use (though all those years ago, they did recommend Mansberger).

Anyway, there is one of the above-mentioned outfits very near in Auburn, WA. I'll check with them in the next couple of days.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
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Steve
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Steve »

Rich: I recall an article in Aviation Consumer recently (September, 2011) on aircraft paint shops. They mentioned the following shop which is (somewhat) near you: "Midwest Aircraft Refinishing in Minnesota specializes in Cirrus work."

Steve
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Rich
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Rich »

Lance, what is the year/serial no. of your plane?
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
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Rich
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Rich »

Some additional data. Took the plane to American Avionics on Tuesday to be checked out by a paint/composite guy. Comments from him:

1. Likely caused by inadequate prep when painted.
2. The weave is visible through the paint. He considers this unusual.
3. As bad as it is, there's no particular need to deal with it, unless the paint starts to come off.
4. We all confirm the area around the bird-strike repair looks great, even though it's only about 18 months more recent than the airplane itself.

More data:
1. The other DA40 at KPAE with the same problem is N548DS. This is serial number 40.058, manufacture date in 2001. Even aside from this blistering problem, the paint looks awful, especially the wings. Probably could be helped by polishing.
2. The problem with 548DS was reported several years ago to Diamond. They said they'd never heard of this problem. Unfortunately that's also what they told me a couple of weeks ago.
3. There's a Cirrus SR20 also parked outside at KPAE about 1 year newer than my plane. (This thing sits for months without being flown, by the way). This Cirrus has no such problem anywhere that I can see.

Next steps:
1. Andy has been in contact with Diamond and has sent them pictures and fed them this information.
2. My plane goes in for annual on 4/1. At that time we'll pull the right wingtip (it needs some work anyway to fix up the paint from some hangar rash). American Avionics will use that wingtip to see what's going in below the paint.

Current perspective:
I don't look forward to anteing up for a paint job, but I figure it's inevitable. I would hope that Diamond would own up to the problem and provide some relief. It's possible that this could start showing up in more planes. I don't know whether it's age or what, though I did check out another DA40 (probably a 2003 or early 2004) waiting at AA for a part of some kind and it has no such problem as mine.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
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Steve
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Re: MY DA40 has the pox

Post by Steve »

Rich:

Actually, N548DS is SN 40.048. I know this because it is one SN before mine (40.049). I met the previous owner at KLFT, where he kept it hangared. Both this aircraft and mine were Austrian Stars. I believe that yours was built in Canada. It would be interesting (and difficult to explain) how a surface prep problem showed up in aircraft made in different plants (and continenets). Mine (which has been hangared continuously) does not appear to have this problem. Maybe yours was a "Monday Morning Paint Job".

Steve
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