Hangar Flying > Hangar Flying

storing a Varieze on the ramp in Phoenix?

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askewview:
Hello all,  I am considering purchasing a Varieze as I have always been fascinated with the aircraft.  My only reservation is I live in the Phoenix Arizona area and do not have a hanger to put it in.  Will the high temps be a problem with the composite construction and are these planes able to be securely tied down outside?  Any help would be appreciated, Thank you

flyingwaldo:
If you can't walk on the tarmac barefoot I'd be seriously worried about the condition of your composite after a few 115° days.  More knowledgeable people should chime in shortly.
Friend has a Long EZ that has sat outside in Chicago for 20 years.  Flies regularly during the season.  Always covered and shovels the snow off when needed.

dorr:
The white paint of virtually all EZs keeps the temperature of the blue foam in the wings and canard below about 145 degrees. I've left a Defiant outdoors for 15 years - same type of construction.  I left a Long EZ out on a SoCal ramp for 5 years, no issue for either - SO LONG AS THE PAINT IS GOOD.  If the paint is good, the structure is protected, if the glass is exposed or primer is dark and shows through, you might hit higher temps which will affect the blue foam.   I found that the avionics (King stuff back then) did need more servicing than when in a hangar, but not to the cost of hangars - not hangaring and accepting some avionics repairs is cheaper.  Hangar temps in Arizona are not much lower than the ramp temps - it's the direct sun that works bad things on dark surfaces like red or dark blue, etc.  We don't paint with dark colors on wings or canards.

We can put two canards in a single hangar - if you'd like a list of Phoenix people who might help you settle in a hangar, just ask.  Having an EZ is like having a grandfather clause - if there are two of them in a hangar and one sells, the other usually holds onto the hangar - not so with traditional airplanes.

David

David at CanardFinder dot net

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