ChrisDNT wrote:
Why it is so hard, on US warbirds, to have natural aluminium aircrafts being let....... natural aluminium ?
This way, with this overglossy grey paint, even the most authentic P-51 looks like a modern fiberglass replica.
On airworthy aircraft I think it comes down to maintenance; natural aluminum has no protection on it and thus needs to be regularly polished etc. to keep it free of corrosion. A good glossy paint finish on the other hand protects the metal and resists weather, mechanical wear from boots etc., as well as fuel and other fluid spills, not to mention acid rain. So guys like Paul Allen who have the resources can afford to keep bare metal finishes properly maintained, while for other operators I think it makes more sense to have a nice paint job that emulates a factory finish, and sink the freed up funds into other things like fuel, tires, spark plugs, yearly checks, hangar fees etc. etc. etc.
As far as this restoration is concerned, check out the restoration archive and you'll note that the source components for this project were in most cases far from pristine:
http://www.pimaair.org/project.php?rid=8Trying to make aluminum parts that have lots of rash or damage on them look perfect enough for a bare metal finish takes a lot of time and in a lot of cases means original parts being tossed in favor of new-build ones. It also takes a very special skill set to make trashed parts look new again, and that isn't cheap. A thin skim of bondo shaped properly can re-contour a mostly re-shaped part so that it looks good, and can be accomplished by those who may not have highly-developed sheet-metal skills.
I think the end result on this Mustang speaks volumes for the abilities of the folks involved, as it looks amazing. Well done Pima!
hope that helps
greg v.