Intake painting

Donald Dickson II
This has now come up a few times, so I figured I would do an album just for it to share with folks. Let me say, this is NOT my idea. I picked it up somewhere along the line.

Just get any old latex house paint. Thin it 50/50. Full strength is TOO thick IMO.

The intake shown is an F-16, but this will work on any intake that is separate from the fuselage at this point. Tape off one end of the tube. Make sure any holes in the tube are covered as well.

Over a paper towel or the like, pour the paint in to fill it up. Let it sit for a moment, then pour it back out. You may need to peel the tape off the other end for it to flow out. Even thinned its gonna be a little much. You will need to tap one end to help the excess out.

This al needs to be done fairly quickly. It will start firming up in minutes. Set it up vertically with the end that is furthest back at the bottom. Any excess build up will be easier to remove without screwing up the look.

The last pic is the end result. Seams gone and nice even white finish. No putty, no trying to sand inside, none of that.

James C
Great idea and thanks for sharing 👍

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Clever!