"O. Sami Saydjari" wrote in message
...
After talking to a mechanic about this, he suggested that it was likely
that the small spot was improperly primed when it was last painted. He
also said that he has *never* been about to get an exactly match to
white....and that with fading, even if it matches at first, it wont match
after a year. He suggested getting spray paint (enamel) from the hardware
store with a white that best matches to my eye...and then spray paint it
with some feathering into the surrounding area. Does anyone think this is
not a good idea?

-Sami

Depending on how nice your airplane is, I'd pass on your mechanic's advise.
*Good* custom automotive painters can match almost any paint, and can blend
in the new paint well (or mask back to the next panel line). Sure, you
might see a slightly different fade rate, or the new paint may be a little
shinier than the old, but using the old eyeball match with rattle can paint
will leave you with a functional but *probably* ugly repair.

Depending on where you live, there may be someone who specializes in "on
airport" spot painting. I live in Atlanta, and have a buddy who makes good
money doing touch-up work on aircraft. He has a trailer with all of the
necessary equipment, paint, and pigments for color matching. He'll simply
drive to the airport, string some plastic around your airplane, mask, prep,
and spray small areas.

KB