# Cirrus and the Sun? **URL:** \ **Category:** Guest Discussion\ **Created:** [February 27, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245 "2016-02-27T19:27:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![extralite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f9ae1b/32.png) [@extralite](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/extralite)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/1 "2016-02-27T19:27:01Z")
Hi All, Weighing up a cirrus purchase vs something like a A36. I am drawn to the Cirrus for looks, chute, general moderness but it has its detractors. Have seen some comments along the lines of “don’t leave your Cirrus in the sun.” Often my trip do involve flyign to regional airports and the aircraft can be parked in the sun for 4 or 5 days. Sometimes its above 93 degrees in these places. Obviously will have a cover but will this lead to a danger of plastic buckling, window damage etc? Anyone else had to leave their Cirrus in a fairly hot sun? ---
**Author:** ![Roger\_Whittier](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/copa/user_avatar/forum.cirruspilots.org/roger_whittier/32/85023_2.png) [@Roger\_Whittier](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/Roger_Whittier)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/2 "2016-02-27T19:47:36Z")
> [@](#): > > james craig wrote the following post at Sat, Feb 27 2016 20:27: > > Hi All, > > Weighing up a cirrus purchase vs something like a A36. I am drawn to the Cirrus for looks, chute, general moderness but it has its detractors. > > Have seen some comments along the lines of “don’t leave your Cirrus in the sun.” Often my trip do involve flyign to regional airports and the aircraft can be parked in the sun for 4 or 5 days. Sometimes its above 93 degrees in these places. > > Obviously will have a cover but will this lead to a danger of plastic buckling, window damage etc? Anyone else had to leave their Cirrus in a fairly hot sun? Owned mine in Phoenix for 15 years. We get a little bit of sun here. I do hangar it and I also keep a canopy cover on it. Still doing fine. They can warp some plastic interior parts on the early ones if you don’t do that. The exterior takes it very well. ---
**Author:** ![extralite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f9ae1b/32.png) [@extralite](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/extralite)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/3 "2016-02-27T21:04:23Z")
Thanks very much for that. So out in the hot sun, with a cover for a few days shouldn’t be a concern. ---
**Author:** ![clyde](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/copa/user_avatar/forum.cirruspilots.org/clyde/32/13_2.png) [@clyde](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/clyde)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/4 "2016-02-28T02:58:17Z")
> **extralite:** > out in the hot sun, with a cover for a few days shouldn’t be a concern. No. I see plenty of Cirri tied down permanently some with no cover. The inevitable repaint is probably cheaper than hangarage, but my plane is hangared whenever possible, and when not it has a cover on, even if only for a few hours. But I don’t have any major concern about parking it outside for a few days at a time. via [COPAme](http://copame.control-j.com) ---
**Author:** ![Roger\_Whittier](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/copa/user_avatar/forum.cirruspilots.org/roger_whittier/32/85023_2.png) [@Roger\_Whittier](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/Roger_Whittier)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 3:04am UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/5 "2016-02-28T03:04:29Z")
> [@](#): > > james craig wrote the following post at Sat, Feb 27 2016 22:04: > > Thanks very much for that. So out in the hot sun, with a cover for a few days shouldn’t be a concern. None at all. ---
**Author:** ![dennish](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/copa/user_avatar/forum.cirruspilots.org/dennish/32/86555_2.png) [@dennish](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/dennish)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 4:42am UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/6 "2016-02-28T04:42:12Z")
> [@](#): > > james craig wrote the following post at Sat, Feb 27 2016 22:27: > > Hi All, > > Weighing up a cirrus purchase vs something like a A36. . . . Obviously will have a cover but will this lead to a danger of plastic buckling, window damage etc? Anyone else had to leave their Cirrus in a fairly hot sun? I’ve owned 3 Cirrus I live in Miami . . . got it . . . Miami Florida. I cover my Cirrus to protect the interior, electronics, & parts. I have NEVER had a problem, and BTW, plastic doesn’t rust. BTW, we have lots of boats here. They too are similarly constructed of similar materials, and they do just fine as well. ---
**Author:** ![cnsanford](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/copa/user_avatar/forum.cirruspilots.org/cnsanford/32/85958_2.png) [@cnsanford](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/cnsanford)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/7 "2016-02-28T14:48:20Z")
I parked my first Cirrus in the California sun for 4 years, with just a Bruce’s canopy cover for protection. The plane was just fine, the cover made it onto my next plane and another year before it disintegrated. ---
**Author:** ![Ross\_Robillard](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/copa/user_avatar/forum.cirruspilots.org/ross_robillard/32/147816_2.png) [@Ross\_Robillard](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/Ross_Robillard)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/8 "2016-02-28T17:53:44Z")
The paint protects the composite from the sun. It will fade the same as any airplane if left outside for a decade. In fact, Cirrus has specific requirements for the paint used that ensure the skin is properly protected and does not get too hot in the worst case scenario. Like others have said, there is nothing about a Cirrus making it more sun damage prone than any other plane. ---
**Author:** ![n536sr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@n536sr](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/n536sr)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/9 "2016-02-28T18:55:44Z")
Ross I agree to a point, and certainly leaving the airplane outside when traveling won’t matter. But I do think composite planes need to be well painted, and, as the fleet ages, the older paint jobs may deteriorate to the point that they no longer have the protection they need. Paint them! Hangars are costly, but priceless IMHO. The sun warps plastic, fades paint. The wind stresses incessantly and rain permeates hinges, etc. Probably even worse with 4 seasons freezing, etc. It’s kinda sad to see rows of airplanes tied down outside for years. ---
**Author:** ![Spholder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/copa/user_avatar/forum.cirruspilots.org/spholder/32/686_2.png) [@Spholder](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/Spholder)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/10 "2016-02-28T21:58:07Z")
> [@](#): > > the cover made it onto my next plane and another year before it disintegrated. That explains the sun-burn on N310TN [:D] ---
**Author:** ![cnsanford](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/copa/user_avatar/forum.cirruspilots.org/cnsanford/32/85958_2.png) [@cnsanford](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/u/cnsanford)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.cirruspilots.org/t/cirrus-and-the-sun/81245/11 "2016-02-29T13:46:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Scott Holder wrote the following post at Sun, Feb 28 2016 21:58: > > > [@](#): > > > > the cover made it onto my next plane and another year before it disintegrated. > > That explains the sun-burn on N310TN Actually the most sun-scorched was N751CD, but it evidently didn’t harm the parachute which served the next owner well. N310TN was hangared and only got its sun on the move!