Yes and no! It is to an extent, this plane is painted with DupliColor but top coated with urethane.

Sorry to stray off topic. But MAN!!! that is one nice Airplane!!!!

Hi Joe,

Unless it says "Acrylic Enamel" on the Duplicolor can, it is acrylic lacquer.  There are large and small spray cans of Duplicolor, plus their new Paint Shop line which is a VOC compliant lacquer in quart cans..  The enamel is in black spray cans, IIRC.

Randolph's butyrate is as hot fuel proof as any other dope.  Nitrate is NOT hot fuel proof. 

The urethane I referred to is automotive two part urethane.  But, I have sprayed Sig Lite Coat over Duplicolor many times.  I am not in the least bit familiar with Lustercoat and other hobby spray cans of paint.  Just never have had to use them, sorry.

Ok..here is my gameplan...clearcoat the frame with Randolph's clear nitrate...and then use to put on covering..polyester..silkspan..whatever...couple coats of the same thinned clear and then finish with Buytrate dope which Aircraft Spruce sells much cheaper than any LHS I have found

or....finish with the DupliColor Lacquer spray cans for a bigger variety of color


But here is a question..back in the day..I used AeroGloss..Pactra..nitrate dope and it was fuelproof..wasn't it..nothing ever came off..or was it treated some special way?

So many questions..so many products

Joe, you can use th eDuplicolor lacquers for your colors with out problem.  What you are discribeing is the process I use.  Randolph's nontautening tinted nitrate up through covering. Then tautening butyrate (Sig or Randolph) on the open bays to shrink it.  Duplicolor filler/primer (usually), a blocking coat of anything BUT nitrate (!), in other words, Sig, Brodak, Randolph, or Duplicolor.  This is *almost* white, but it is gray.

Then for colors I user what ever I have around.  Sig, Randolph, Brodak, Duplicolor, in combinations.

Finally, clear with Dupont ChromaClear, Napa Econo Clear, or Sig Lite Coat.

On the clears mentioned, you still have to mix a percentage of hardener right? what is the smallest quantity they sell of those brand clears, I hate to have a gallon around. This may be a silly question but, has any one tried the "Lusterkote" over their colors and had any problems?
Terry B.

HI Terry,

The smallest amount I have found is quarts.  And yes, there is a hardener to go with them.

Never tried Lustercoat on anything! 

I bought the NAPA Econocoat in the gallon size for around $50.  The shelf life is longer than I will be alive.........

Hi Don,

I haven't heard of anyone using Imron lately, like in th epast 10-15 years.  That stuff is way too toxic for our use.  I do believe Winfred had to take a Hospital tour for a while due to Imron.

The catalized polyurethanes are not quite as bad, but the chemicals can leach through you skin.  So, if you are going to have any prolonged exposure, a body suit, beyond a respirator, is necessary.