In looking at all the photos available, I have seen a number of new paint designs -- some similar to the original, and some completely different. I come from the Vans RV community, where there is an admiration for individuality and self-expression. This is no doubt a bit different in the Fournier community where there is a history and heritage to uphold.

I go back and forth about the paint design. On one hand I want to support the heritage. The paint design is very unique and identifiable and demonstrates pride in the history, especially when there are multiple RFs at a fly-in. On the other hand, with all the stripes, the paint design is fairly difficult to apply and a bit busy for my personal tastes. With the planned mechanical and electrical upgrades, I’m really creating a modern version of the original – how it might be built today – and it would have a more contemporary paint design.

Sorry to get all philosophical, but I do care about doing this right. What are your thoughts on this?

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Dann Parks • RF4D #4051 N2188 • now flying!
Pictures at: https://picasaweb.google.com/111628310900713778468/RF4D_N2188?noredirect=1

Rene Fournier is an artist and chose a wonderful paint scheme that really accentuates the graceful lines of the aircraft. Then again, we may think of an RF4 as a classic, but then by the same criteria, so is a Cherokee, a Citabria or or a Pitts an no one is going to fuss about keeping a Cherokee original.

I say express your individuality and preference, but do so by designing a variation on the original. Something modern and personal but which is still recognizably Fournier and still accentuates the grace of the motor glider.

Steve

Like Steve, I think Rene's original paint scheme was a masterpiece, ideally suited to this pretty airplane's slim, graceful lines. I also liked his choice of colors: smart white with a choice of radiant red, deep blue or bright green. There was a yellow too.

Unfortunately, when I bought my example, it had already been re-covered and re-painted in a slightly different and simpler scheme, using a lighter blue. It would have been expensive and weighty to change this, so I stuck with it, adding the over-wing sunburst for the usual reason (without it, you cannot easily tell which way up I am when I'm above 500 feet).

In time, I shall have to replace the fuselage fabric, and when I do so I shall revert to Rene's original scheme (on the fuselage -- I'll stick with the sunburst wings).

Having said all that, I do not feel particularly strongly about what other folks' Fourniers look like although, as Steve says, I think it's important that any scheme accentuates the RF4's pleasant lines.

Good luck with your deliberations.

Yours, Bob

[size=small][Edit by Bob Grimstead on [TIME]1226981470[/TIME]][/size]

I was hard to decide what to do for me since I wanted to spice up the design a bit but not depart completely from the traditional design.

I used a flight simulator to map some paint schemes onto an RF4D model to see what it would look like.

Its a great way to model a paint scheme in 3D to see if you will like your potential design from all angles.

I used the FSX flight simulator since there was an RF4D aircraft model available for it. You can see a couple of
the paint design maps I created that FSX uses.

https://picasaweb.google.com/118388745157890389551/RF4DFuselageRecoverAndRepaintProject

In the end I went pseudo traditional.

[Edit by jb92563 on Thursday, June 14, 2012 @ 10:47 AM]

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Ray
RF4D #4057 N-1771 Rectimo 1400cc
http://picasaweb.google.com/jb92563/FournierRF4D
http://www.touringmotorgliders.org

http://sbeaver.com/cgi-bin/fournier/cutecast.pl?session=bqrtLSuUrIdEvnFOwflnPgyDDi&forum=11&thread=716

May the 4's be with you/ Jörgen