Cheap New Coating Could Enhance Aircraft Aerodynamics
Rick Stenberg, the CEO of Coval Molecular Coatings, said this week at the CAFE Electric Aircraft Symposium that his product could potentially provide a super-thin, lightweight, smooth and durable coating for aircraft, minimizing parasite drag and preventing dirt and ice from sticking to the surface. The nano-coating won’t peel or flake, he said, and has been used in a variety of applications from boat hulls to hangar floors to graffiti-prevention programs on bridges. It’s also inexpensive, at less than 30 cents per square foot.
Rick Stenberg, the CEO of Coval Molecular Coatings, said this week at the CAFE Electric Aircraft Symposium that his product could potentially provide a super-thin, lightweight, smooth and durable coating for aircraft, minimizing parasite drag and preventing dirt and ice from sticking to the surface. The nano-coating won't peel or flake, he said, and has been used in a variety of applications from boat hulls to hangar floors to graffiti-prevention programs on bridges. It's also inexpensive, at less than 30 cents per square foot.
The coating meets high air-quality standards, according to the company website, with low VOCs and no known carcinogenic components. The material bonds with surfaces at a molecular level, becoming one with the surface it is applied to. The coating is available with a gloss, satin, or matte finish, and protects surfaces from moisture, mold, stains, scratches, and graffiti. Stenberg said he has been in discussions with at least one major aircraft manufacturer and a helicopter manufacturer interested in using the coating on carbon-fiber rotor blades and polycarbonate windscreens. AVweb's Mary Grady spoke with him at the Symposium; click here to listen to the podcast.
