I hate the paint on the forward cowlings just behind the prop on my MU2. I've seen them polished/chromed so that you can't even tell the difference between the heated smile and the cowlings.

How is this best accomplished and where? I've heard bad things about chrome leading to cracking, but if anybody knows a way (and a vendor) who can do this without causing that issue I'm all ears.

Thanks!

Something like this ?

^^^

That's EXACTLY what I want! Quit holding out. Pirep please.

I wish I knew! here is one on an MU2.

Craig - just stripped mine and polished them. Even though it was painted for a reason - had huge ugly repair on cowling as it turned out. But once it was all polished it looked good! Any metal polish guy can do it. But the bottom smile doesn't come off unless you take prop off (at least on the Commanders), so that polish has to take place on the plane.

Craig,
Mark James has seen pretty much every MU-2 in existence at one time or other. He might be able to get you contact info on the one in the photo if nothing else. He may even know how/where to do it. He is a great resource.

Greg Mink has his cowling inlets done while the plane was at IJSC. I'd try contacting them about doing it, Mark James would now.

http://ijetservice.com/

I'd definitely go for chroming them over polished aluminum. Saves much work!

Mike C.

Craig,

We starting polishing the inlet and eyebrows on MU's in 1993 at IBA (Tulsa) ;had 36 Mu-2 and trying to match paint on a fleet of mixed freighters was next to impossible. An AC1000 was parked at across the ramp at Millionaire and it clicked why match paint. Polish the eyebrow panel and smile - no need to waste time matching paint.

We stripped and polished the smile and and beaver tail. They clean up very well. The first set we didn't remove the prop and just masked the areas on the cowl. Subsequent engines were done; with props off and the smiles completely removed.

Regards,

Nigel

Ahem...Greg doesn't have an MU2.

Ahem...Greg doesn't have an MU2.

But I saw it at PROP in Tucson recently!
New owners I suppose. Still a beauty with GM on the tail.

TJ

Nope, it wasn't in Tucson. The last two PROPs it was at were CMH and CVG.

It could have been the short body he had. 324GM

<-------- Look at avatar

He sold it to me and then bought a Premier.

Here she is with polished (or plated) engine inlets.

I have nothing constructive to add because mine were polished when I purchased...
I do have this, though