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every screw a couple turns before painting the aircraft. After the paint has cured, the screws are screwed all the way in. The paint around the screw heads won’t chip when the screw is removed for maintenance, and it’s a much cleaner look than a paint cutter could provide.
The other option is to have the paint shop install stainless steel screws after paint. The advantages to stainless hardware are many: Nothing is painted over; paint around the screws does not chip; there’s no paint to chip off the screw head itself; and the screw head will never rust. This is my preference. Plus, I like the finished look of stainless hardware.
Many designers prefer painted screw heads for the smooth and seamless look. They feel this showcases their design to its maximum potential. But the designer isn’t around after five, 10 or 15 years to see what the painted hardware looks like after the wear and tear of required maintenance. It’s something to consider carefully.
Stainless steel screws have one minor downside. They must be treated properly. You cannot use a power screw driver and run these screws in with one shot. A stainless screw gets hot very rapidly, so if screwed in too quickly, it will gall in its receptacle. This is easily avoided by running the screw in with several short bursts. Otherwise you have the laborious task of drilling out the screw, and
tapping or replacing the receptacle. Good mechanics know how to deal with stainless steel screws.
It’s a Big Job
Painting an airplane is very labor-intensive. It’s hard to imagine the scope of work involved until you see it first-hand. The photos in this article were taken of a variety of King Air paint jobs, and should illustrate the complexity of painting a cabin class aircraft.
Colorful paint schemes and clever designs may fall into the realm of decoration, but every step of a paint job, up through the base coat, is really required protection for the aluminum skin of your aircraft. When it’s time to re-paint your King Air, choose wisely and allow time. KA
All photos courtesy of Master Aircraft Services in Wickenburg, Arizona. For more information visit www.masteraircraftservicesinc. com or call Gus Haussler at (928) 684-4926.
Dean Benedict is a certified A&P, AI with over 40 years’ experience in King Air maintenance. He’s the founder and former owner of Honest Air Inc., a “King Air maintenance boutique” (with some Dukes and Barons on the side). In his new venture, BeechMedic LLC, Dean consults with King Air owners and operators on all things King Air related: maintenance, troubleshooting, pre-buys, etc. He can be reached at dr.dean@ beechmedic.com or (702) 773-1800.
DECEMBER 2017
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 13