Venture on an aircraft refurbishment project—large or small—and there’s a good chance you’ll be replacing plastic parts. This is an important market because the majority of aging aircraft are decked out in old, faded, cracked and brittle plastic.
Sun, vibration, temperature fluctuations and general wear and tear quickly take a toll on plastic components. The good news is there are a handful of reliable companies that are at the top of the aftermarket plastics market (Google pops up more than we could count on the first hit). That’s good because if you browsed through the parts list for the typical Cessna and Piper, to name two, you’ll find a lot of plastic parts.