On Feb 11, 3:12*pm, bildan wrote:
On Feb 11, 8:08*am, Walt Connelly Walt.Connelly.

wrote:
I see planes that are "refinished" in polyurethane. *Is this different
from GelCoat? *I have looked at ships whose gelcoat is horrible and
understand that it can cost in excess of 20K dollars to refinish
properly. *Is PU more durable than Gelcoat? *Is one better than the
other? *The glass vs aluminum thing has me leaning toward aluminum big
time. *I don't ever expect to be competing seriously in cross country
competition so a bird for local fun might be adequate.

Walt

--
Walt Connelly

Don't be too quick to dismiss glass - it will last as long if not
longer than metal. *Take a look at a 1960's Labelle - some of them
still look nearly new. *Too bad they don't still use the same gel coat
material.

Factory gelcoat can crack if not well cared for but cracks don't
necessarily mean the underlying structure is damaged in any way.
Clean, wax regularly & don't leave it tied out in the weather. *PU is
a well known material which will outlast gelcoat but requires a little
more expertise to patch so it doesn't show.

The best advice is buy the glider with the best trailer.

Bill,
There's a number of German workers dying from cancer or already dead
from handling the Schwabbellack gel-coat that you refer to. The stuff
was toxic and it's good they discontinued it, good riddance.
Regarding trailers, the fiberglass shells are a case study in the very
limited life expectancy of the currently used coatings, they look
horrible after 10-15 years max unless kept indoors.