Fuel/Paint Tests At Odds With One Another

Courtesy AOPA, David Tulis
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • California A&P Michael Luvara claims his testing confirms GAMI's G100UL fuel damages aircraft paint, particularly in slow leak scenarios where concentrated fuel components cause degradation, and also appears to degrade EZ Turn lubricant.
  • GAMI founder George Braly refutes these claims, stating GAMI's own tests (including immersion, evaporation, and drip tests) have consistently shown no paint damage from G100UL.
  • Both Luvara and GAMI have released videos demonstrating their contradictory test results regarding G100UL's impact on aircraft paint, with Luvara also citing additional reports of paint damage on other aircraft since his initial findings.
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A California A&P who has been testing the effects of GAMI’s G100UL on aircraft paint says a second round of testing has confirmed early results. But GAMI founder George Braly says his company has been unable to replicate Michael Luvara’s results. Braly said immersion tests and allowing fuel to evaporate on painted surfaces haven’t caused any of the kind of damage that Luvara has shown in the second of two videos posted on YouTube. Luvara says the second round of tests confirmed suspicions raised in the first video.

Luvara said G100UL also appears to degrade a widely used fuel system lubricant, EZ Turn, and he’s been told of five more aircraft that have suffered paint damage where fuel has been leaking since the first video was posted. Luvara said his tests are designed to duplicate the circumstances caused by slow fuel leaks where volatile compounds evaporate and concentrate the remaining fuel constituents, which appear to cause the damage.

Braly said his company began its tests in late December and has had panels from a Beech Bonanza soaking in two samples of 100LL and one of G100UL ever since. He’s released a video showing time lapse footage of the fuel evaporating and being replenished without any visible paint damage. He said they’re now conducting a “drip test” in which fuel is allowed slowly dribble onto painted surfaces. A video of those tests will be released in coming days but Braly said the results are the same. There is no damage. Below are Luvara’s second video and Braly’s first video from his company’s tests.

Russ Niles

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.
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