The Beechcraft King Air safety record is very good indeed. A reliable aircraft, it has been described as “load it up and go”, being compared on several occasions to the family vehicle. There is one big difference however besides the wings and propeller, with the family car, you can ignore a few cracks in the paint.
An aircraft is considerably touchier when it comes to paint, as shown in this piece from a FAA report on a Beechcraft King Air C90:
While conducting a scheduled inspection, an inspector discovered a crack in the left aileron skin.
The crack was located at the aft lower outboard edge of the aileron skin. After further examination, the technician noted the skin material was very brittle in the area adjacent to the crack and at other locations. After finding this problem, he thoroughly inspected the right aileron and discovered another crack and more brittle metal. The right aileron was cracked at the skin lap joint just aft of the center attachment point on both the upper and lower skins.
The inspector noted that he believed the cracks in the skin were due to the natural separation of aging paint. This exposed the skin to the elements which contributed to corrosion and cracking (last time we checked, having your ailerons snap off is a bad thing).
Inspecting your paint and having it redone is critical to maintaining safety in your aircraft. Paint helps protect the plane from the ravages of time and weather. There is no set age at which to repaint because it’s very dependent on the climate the aircraft calls home. Up in the Pacific Northwest for example, the environment is merciless on metal. Cracks in the paint will allow rain and all kinds of moisture through to eat away at the skin. Living in the arid southwest desert however, you can find relatively well-preserved Cold War relics at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson looking almost as good as the day the rolled off the assembly line. Fiberglass skins, by comparison, don’t handle this environment so well.
If your plane is in an environment that isn’t damaging to the skin, you’ll probably be repainting just for pride of ownership. But if the elements are detrimental to your baby, you’ll want to stay on top of things by inspecting the paint for cracks and other defects. Repainting is not cheap. It is however, well worth it when it comes to keeping your aircraft safely flying.
Additionally, detailing your aircraft on a regular basis will increase the life of your paint job. Winner Aviation, based in Northeast Ohio, has made aircraft detailing a part of their business.
“Many paint jobs can be restored to their original luster,” Neil Gallagher, VP of Aircraft Maintenance told us. “We’ve found that properly maintaining your aircraft through detailing will extend the paint life and will help prevent the chances of any issues resulting in paint defects or cracking.”
Knowing how to care for your aircraft based on your climate is key but maintaining its condition through inspections and professional detailing will certainly help the checkbook.
For more tips regarding your King Air aircraft, contact us! Have a story or experience related to this, let us know info@kingairnation.com.