On Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 9:48:01 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Hi all,

I just purchased a glider with a factory PU finish. I'd like to know more about them, including:

- best practices for maintenance
- failure modes
- method for repairing minor dings etc.
- causes of wear and tear

I am pretty familiar with gelcoat but know very little about PU.

Thanks,
Mat

Hi Matt,
First off, there are lots of urethanes available, but the one used by factory is Acrylic Urethane and it is an unbelievable great finish............with one notable exception! It will blister if left in an closed trailer too long! My bird is 20 years old and the finish looks as good today as the day it was produced, but it spends its Winters inside its trailer which is inside my barn! If you are unable to get inside storage, I’d recommend opening your trailer every month, even if you don’t fly, let the damp trailer dry out!
As for upkeep, I wax her every Spring and buff and wax it every other year.........changing the transition tape after buffing, but before new wax is applied.
AU remains ever so slightly flexible and won’t crack. Scrapes can be filled, sanded, primed and painted in a conventional manner. Color match can be a problem, but several manufacturers use an auto paint color, so exact match can be ordered...........Most will not use any “tint”, so specify “no tint” in most cases.
Hope this helps,
JJ