...There's nothing wrong with the box full of GWS props I have in my shop, but gray might look better on a sorta-scale plane like the Splash-E float plane in the latest FlyRC.

From : Don Stackhouse

As other posters to this thread have responded, you don't have to settle for orange. GWS props respond very well to permanent felt marker, and what you can use paint for other colors. I've been using props with scale paint schemes on our prototype Roadkill Series models with their GWS props for a couple of years now. Gunther props (like the ones we used on our older MPS-1 power units, since superceded by the MPS-1A with the GWS prop) also will accept permanent markers. You can see some examples of the results in the various photos of the Roadkill Series models on our website.

In general the marker adds no measurable weight, and therefore does not measurably alter the balance. For this reason I try to use marker wherever possible, and use paint only to add small details.

As others reported, black probably covers the best, but other colors also do well. Don't be discouraged if some orange still shows through after coloring one side of the blade, it will disappear when you color the other side. Rub on one thin coat, let it dry thoroughly (10 minutes should be enough), then put on a second coat.

For a wood prop, find a brown marker. They're a bit rare, but I have found them in a big multi-color set of "Sharpie" brand markers. It will be almost impossible to keep from having some streaks in the colored surface, but if you make all your strokes spanwise along the blade, the result will be a very respectable imitation of natural wood grain!

For the final touch, get some red, yellow and silver plastic model paint (my favorite is the water-based acrylic that Tamiya sells for painting Lexan R/C car bodies), mix about one part each of red and yellow and two parts silver (those ratios are approximate; adjust the mix till the color after drying looks right when you test it on some scrap) to make a brass color, then carefully paint on the brass erosion strips on the leading edges of the blades.

The Ryan PT-16 (the military trainer version of the Ryan ST) called for a wood prop with orange-red tips and brass leading edges. I colored the inboard parts of the blades with brown marker, a single coat of red marker for the tips, and painted on the leading edges.

The B-17 and others required black with yellow tips. I used marker for the black, being careful not to get any black on the tips (yellow paint will not cover black marker!). I then painted the yellow tips with Tamiya acrylic paint. Other model paints such as Testors and Poly-S will also work.

For the prototype of the 33" Northrop N9M flying wing we're working on, the scale paint scheme called for a light grey prop with orange tips. This required the use of lots of paint, since I have never been able to find light grey markers. I stuck the props on the ends of some bamboo skewers (like the ones the local grocery stores sell for making shish-kabob), masked off the tips of the props with tape, and twirled the props while fogging them with light grey spray paint. I used Top-Flite "Lustrecoat", although its tendency to run makes me reluctant to use it again. A light grey touch-up primer from the automotive paint section at the local discount or auto parts store might work better. However, the Lustrecoat did get the job done, with minimal weight gain and no balance problems. You can see the results in AnnMarie Cross's coverage of the Toledo Show at www.ezonemag.com.

There are obviously all sorts of options, and the GWS props are cheap and available enough that you can afford to experiment. Save any of your broken props for use as "paint-test dummies".

Don Stackhouse
DJ Aerotech