A Vinyl Makeover at the Air Force Armament Museum

By Gary Householder, Fried Color

In the summer of 2019, the Air Force Armament Museum made history when its P-51 Mustang became the first Air Force museum aircraft to receive a complete vinyl wrap. This innovative approach offered a fresh look for the iconic aircraft without the need for traditional paint.

The P-51, a 32-foot-long warbird with a 37-foot wingspan, had been painted a matte gray, a departure from its original appearance. To honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, the museum decided to wrap the aircraft in the distinctive red-tail scheme.

Choosing vinyl over paint was a practical decision. The museum's indoor displays couldn't be repainted without closing the facility or dismantling the aircraft. Vinyl wrapping provided a more efficient and durable solution.

Fried Color Vehicle Wraps & Graphics was awarded the contract as we are a local Fort Walton Beach company with over 30 years of experience in the industry The work began in June of 2019. Typically, a new brush-roll paint job for one of the museum's aircraft takes a three-person volunteer crew approximately three months to complete. The brush and roller also create a textured, messy look and do not last long, according to the museum director. I was able to do all the work myself, using the industry’s highest-quality materials. Both 3M and Avery Denison were chosen for specific colors that matched the period correct paint, Gary wrapped the entire P-51 in only 10 days, arriving when the museum opened & not leaving until closing time. The work drew interest from the museum’s many summertime visitors. He frequently had an audience and was asked questions about his work and the museum itself. Now complete, the Red Tail Mustang gleams in the fluorescent lights of the museum. The formerly gray and black plane now boasts bright reds, whites, blues, and yellows … and not a drop of paint was spilled. “It came out better than expected,” said museum director Fitzpatrick. “We are very happy with the results.”

Partially wrapped Northrop F-89 Scorpion. It was the first jet made just for this purpose and the first to carry air-to-air nuclear weapons, using a special rocket called the Genie.

The Northrop F-89 Scorpion newly wrapped. Its unique tail design, raised high above the engines, gave it the nickname "Scorpion."

The North American F-86 Sabre before. The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft.

Armed with those results and the project’s success, sights were turned to one of the 30-plus aircraft that are displayed outside at the Armament Museum. In February 2020, I began the process of working on the F-86 Sabre, the first plane to break the sound barrier. It was larger than the first and more than 37 feet long with a wingspan of 39 feet. Due to cold temperatures and the global pandemic, it took quite a while longer than the P-51, but when finished it looked exactly like it landed straight from the 1950’s.

Above: Newly wrapped F-89 and F-86 planes.

Also above: Paritally wrapped wing of the F-86.

Below: Restoring the red tail on a the P-51.

In a perfect world, the Air Force Armament Museum would like to paint & freshen up each of the outdoor aircraft approximately every 3-5 years. The goal at Fried Color was to wrap one in vinyl, wait to see how the wrap would hold up in the Florida climate in comparison, and then reevaluate. Fast forward four years, and the vinyl wrap installed by Fried Color had some very minor issues from being in the Florida sun. All in all, the product looked great, so yet another plane was chosen to be wrapped next. This time Householder wrapped the even larger F-89 Scorpion, the first combat aircraft to be armed with air-to-air nuclear weapons, with a length of more than 53 feet and a nearly 60-foot wingspan.

As part of this vinyl wrapping job, Fried Color’s only other employee Dani Bronson was called upon along with fellow Avery Certified Wrap Installer Brian Cunard with Wrapcraft Enterprise to help. With direct sunlight and temperatures over 90, and winds gusting over 30 mph, the team wrapped the entire plane in less than two weeks using six full rolls of Avery Dennison Gloss Metallic silver paired with Obsidian Black. Currently, one more plane is scheduled to be updated, and while the specific aircraft has yet to be determined, the vinyl wrapping initiative has proven to be a valuable tool for the museum's historic collection.