Experimental & Kit Aircraft Detailing.
Aviation-grade detailing for Van's RV-series, Lancair, Glasair, Sonex, Carbon Cub, and other owner-built experimental aircraft.
Van's RV-series, Lancair, Glasair, Sonex, Carbon Cub. Owner-built, owner-painted, owner-loved. We respect the builder's work and use chemistry appropriate to their chosen finish.
Service specs
Why experimentals is different.
Experimentals and kit aircraft are a unique category — every airplane is a one-off. A Van's RV-7 might have polyurethane paint applied by a pro shop, or rattle-can paint applied by the builder in his garage. A Lancair IV-P could have wet-sanded composite finish or fiberglass with primer. We always ask the owner: 'What paint did you use, and what's your preferred chemistry?' Their answer determines our entire approach. South Texas has a strong EAA presence (chapters in San Antonio, Boerne, New Braunfels), and we've worked on dozens of homebuilts at hangars across the Hill Country. Owners are typically the builder — they know every rivet, every weld, every paint touch-up — and they appreciate when we treat the airplane the same way they would.
Experimentals have inconsistent finishes by design. Two RV-10s parked next to each other might have entirely different paint systems — one factory-shop polyurethane, one builder-applied epoxy primer with no topcoat, one aluminum left polished. Composite aircraft (Lancair, Glasair, Sportsman) have fiberglass or carbon-fiber surfaces that respond to gentle polish but can be damaged by aggressive compounds. Powder-coated cowls on some homebuilts need specific chemistry. Bare aluminum (some Van's owners polish their aircraft to a mirror finish) requires three-step hand polish like Airstream trailers. We carry every chemistry needed and ask the owner before we apply anything.
Texas reality check. EAA chapters in San Antonio (Chapter 35), Boerne, and New Braunfels are active. Van's RV builds are the most common homebuilt at Boerne Stage, Stinson, Hondo, and home strips across the Hill Country. Sun 'n Fun and AirVenture (Oshkosh) prep season brings a surge of homebuilt detail requests in spring. Hangar-stored experimentals stay in good cosmetic shape; outdoor-tied builds need more restoration work.
The experimentals protocol.
Pre-detail discussion with the owner-builder: what paint system, who applied it, what chemistry has been used in the past, any owner-flagged sensitive areas.
Mask sensors, antennas, pitot/static, and any specific markings the owner wants protected.
If polished aluminum (mirror-polished RV-series, Lancair): three-step hand polish with cleaner, polish, sealant — like an Airstream.
If polyurethane paint: standard aviation-approved soap + hand polish.
If epoxy primer or unpainted areas: extra-gentle cleaning, avoid solvents.
If composite (Lancair, Glasair, Sportsman): fiberglass-safe polish, never aggressive compounds.
Leading edges and prop spinner: bug strike removal with paint-appropriate cleaner.
Belly degrease (light — homebuilts typically don't have heavy exhaust stains).
Cockpit: vacuum, leather/vinyl/composite seat care, screen-safe avionics (Garmin G3X / G3X Touch is very common in homebuilts, also Dynon SkyView, Advanced Flight Systems, Levil).
Acrylic windshield and side glass: Plexus only.
Final walk with owner — every choice we made explained, photo log handed off.
What's included.
Every item on this list runs on every experimentals job. No upsells at the door.
Common add-ons for experimentals
- Polished aluminum three-step restore (multi-visit for older mirror-polished RVs)
- Composite surface deep polish (Lancair / Glasair)
- Custom decal restoration coordination
- Pre-Sun-n-Fun / Pre-Oshkosh airshow prep
- Annual photo log handoff for builder records
Models we see most.
Van's RV-series (most common homebuilt)
Van's RV-3 / RV-4 / RV-6 / RV-7 / RV-8 / RV-9 / RV-10 / RV-12 / RV-14 / RV-15. Every variant — single-seat, tandem, side-by-side, four-seat, low-wing tricycle, taildragger. The most popular homebuilt in Texas.
Composite homebuilts
Lancair 235 / 320 / 360 / IV / IV-P / Evolution, Glasair II / III / Sportsman / GlaStar, Velocity 173 / 250 / V-Twin, Cozy Mark IV, Long-EZ / Vari-EZ, Quickie / Q-200.
Backcountry and bush homebuilts
CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX-2 / EX-3 / FX-3, RANS S-21 Outbound / S-19, Just Aircraft SuperSTOL / SuperSTOL XL, Bearhawk 4-place / Patrol, Murphy Moose / Rebel, Sonex / Sonex B / Onex / Waiex.
What owners always ask.
No — we ask you what paint system you used and choose chemistry appropriate to that system before we apply anything. If you used epoxy primer with no topcoat, we treat it extra-gently. If you used polyurethane, standard aviation soap is fine. We're cautious by default.
Yes — polished aluminum RVs (especially older RV-3s, RV-4s, and some RV-7s) get the three-step hand polish like an Airstream trailer. Cleaner, polish, sealant. Takes longer than a paint job but the mirror is worth it.
No — Lancair, Glasair, Velocity, and other composites get fiberglass-safe polish only. No aggressive compounds, no solvents that attack epoxy. We polish by hand with appropriate pads.
Yes — we service home hangars across the Hill Country, private hangars at Boerne Stage and Stinson, and private strips. We bring our own water and power. Coordinate access ahead of time.
Only with screen-safe microfiber and approved cleaner. We follow Garmin G3X Touch guidance, Dynon's care notes, Advanced Flight Systems (AFS), and Levil panel guidance. If you have OEM-specific preferences, share them.
Yes — spring brings a surge of EAA airshow prep work. Pre-airshow rapid detail, full polish, photo log handoff. We've prepped multiple homebuilts that flew to AirVenture and came back with awards.
A Van's RV-series with polyurethane paint starts at $500. A polished-aluminum RV with three-step polish work runs $700-900. A Lancair IV-P or large composite with full polish runs $900-1,200. Carbon Cub and similar backcountry homebuilts $600-800. Quote after walk-around.
Park it. We'll handle it.
We come to your driveway, dock, RV park, or hangar. Same care, every job.