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I'm getting ready to paint all the interior parts for the cabin, and I'm trying to decide which product to use. I know at least a couple of you have used SW's water-based JetFlex product. (Mike Bullock? Brad Oliver? Any others?)

Now that you've had it on for a while, I was curious about some feedback. Is it as durable as you had hoped? Good looking? Would you use it again? Are you happy with it?

Your comments greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Bruce-

Yes, I used the water based JetFlex paint. It is not the easiest stuff to spray because of how thick it is. It took me a while to get the gun setup for a repeatable finish. The good (and bad) part of using jetflex is depending on how you spray it (pressure, fan, and volume) you can either acheive a satin smooth finish, a finish with a little texture on top, or somewhere in between. As far as durability goes, the stuff ROCKS. No chipping. Cleans up nicely with Windex. What I am most impressed with is how acetone won't easily take the it off. That stuff is definitely rock hard. Clean up is the best part. Just use water. I take my spray gun inside and clean it off in the sink with some hot water.

The bad part about JetFlex is it is a little on the pricey side - $40+ per quart. I am on my 3rd quart already.

Overall, I give JetFlex a 5/10 for ease of use and a 8/10 for quality of finish. However, if I had to do my project all over again, I would probably just use rattle cans. They finish they offer is pretty good and it is just so easy to apply. No cleanup whatsoever. I hate mixing paint!

Mike,
Wow, thanks for the comments! I'm glad to hear how durable it is. That's the main thing I was looking for, along with the ease of water cleanup. Are you painting more than the interior? I was hoping one quart would do it.

I'm also wondering where you found it. I can't find a local distributor so it looks like I will have to have it shipped from California. I hope there aren't any hazmet charges, or I may do something else.

Bruce,

I ordered mine through Advanced Aircraft Coatings Inc in OK City. They don't have a website, but their # is (405) 495-7545. They are super to deal with. I am only painting my interior with it and I still needed 3 quarts! I have a hankering a lot of that is overspray -- or should I say I HOPE it is overspray!

Oh -- no hazmat on the water based paint I bought.

Mike's pretty much said it all.

I haven't quite perfected in my process yet, but from the little bit I have done I can say the stuff is awesome. It doesn't smell, it's easy to dilute, and clean-up couldn't be easier.

Thanks again, Mike, and thanks, Brad!

I ended up calling Sherwin Williams and they put me in touch with Alliance Coatings down in San Diego. Their phone number is (800) 596-9191 and they have a website: http://www.alliancecoatings.com
They sent me a color chart that just arrived today, so I can make a choice and get something ordered ASAP.

I'll post more when I get this process going.

UPDATE:
Well, I finally made some decisions after agonizing over this whole thing some more and looking at a lot of other options. Part of the reason I don't want to just use a rattle-can product is because I'm thinking of painting the plane myself and I want the experience on the interior first to see how it goes. I don't want a glossy reflective sheen on the interior, so that rules out most automotive-type paints. I'm going with a satin finish and I'm going to use the JetFlex Water Reducible product. The color I chose is "Blue Black" number 09027, BAC 7800. It looks just a bit darker and greyer than the Pepperdust color that Brad is using. I'll be posting pictures and more information about my experience on my website.

Mike, I owe you one, buddy! I ended up calling Advanced Aircraft Coatings in Oklahoma after all, and I'm glad I did. The price they quoted me was dramatically lower than the place in California. Shipping is reasonable, too. I was able to buy 1 gallon for just $103.50. The primer and hardener is roughly $40 for a 2 qt. package. Not bad.

But the best part is that for the primer, which is a hazmet material, they have learned that under the "ORMD Consumer Commodity" rule, they are able to ship small quantities to consumers without a hazmet charge! I believe we can all use this rule in the future from other vendors for some of the materials we need to have shipped. It's worth taking note of this!

I'll be posting more later on.