How to Paint a DuraPlane Wing

Test an inconspicuous area of your DuraPlane wing with a dab of mineral spirits to check if the solvent-based cleaner damages the fiberglass. Testing with mineral spirits determines how much sanding you need to do to remove the DuraPlane's mold-release residue.

Wipe the surface of the wings with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits if there was no reaction on the test area. Use 320-grit sandpaper to lightly abrade the wing surface for the primer to mechanically bond to the wing. If the mineral spirits test was unsuccessful, continue sanding in order to remove the silicone mold release coating from the surface so that the primer adheres correctly.

Wipe the wings with a water-dampened cloth to remove sanding dust, and allow the wings to dry. Mask the fuselage with painter's tape and paper to prevent any paint drift on to non-wing areas.

Spray fuel-proof epoxy primer in light, even strokes over the topside and underside of the DuraPlane wings. Allow the primer to dry. Sand the primer surface with 1,000-grit sandpaper and clean the sanding dust away. Apply a final light coat of primer and repeat the drying and sanding procedure.

Spray fuel-proof epoxy enamel paint onto each wing. Spray a minimum of three coats of paint and use the drying and sanding method between each layer.

Apply an additional paint design onto the wings using painter's tape to outline the design shapes and paper to mask the rest of the wing. Spray a different color of fuel-proof epoxy enamel paint over the exposed wing areas. Allow the design to dry, sand and apply a final coat of paint.

Remove the painter's tape from the wings. Spray a light layer of fuel-proof clear coat over the wings and allow it to dry to finish the DuraPlane painting project.