Wouldn’t it be great if we could clearcoat our airplane with a high-gloss finish and simply keep it shining by washing it several times a year? Enter ceramic coatings, which appear to be a step in that direction, but at a price premium and not without big effort.
For this article, I brought my Grumman—that sports a new $20,000 clearcoat paint job—to a professional aircraft detailer for a ceramic finish. Herewith are the short-term results, tips and potential pitfalls, with some advice for attempting DIY ceramic coatings.