Sun Foil vs Kennon Sunshades

[Charles Schefer]

I've decided to buy a set of reflective window inserts to go on the inside of my PA-30 windshield / windows to keep the sun / heat out on those occasions where the plane needs to sit outside in the sun. The plane lives in a hangar, and even on the road I try to hangar it when / where possible but it's not always possible. I've researched and debated the idea of a canvas / sunbrella type cover that goes on the outside (PlaneCover / Bruces / Kennon / etc...) vs interior window inserts. I acknowledge there are pros and cons to both and both have their specific benefits / advantages. Without going into all the reasoning; I've decided that the reflective interior inserts suit my particular situation the best.

I've found two companies making these types of inserts for the PA-30:

Sun Foil (http://www.sunfoil.com/)

The first company I found is Sun Foil. For my PA-30 (1968 "B" model) the price is $325 for the windshield and all windows. That includes tags with my N-number or S/N on each sunshield and labels as to which window they go in. They also have velcro straps attached to each for rolling them up and they come with a storage bag. Options include either a silver or gold mylar coating on the outside. The silver reflects the most but they told me they've measured the gold at only 0.03% less reflective so in a practical sense it's really just a personal preference. The inserts are made of a somewhat rigid micro-bubble material wrapped in reflective mylar and then coated with another product for durability and scratch resistance and then the edges are double stitched in a soft scratch resistant fabric. The inserts are held in place both by being precisely form fitted to the windows and they also have "strategically placed" suction cups that hold them to the windows. The suction cups are made of PVC material not silicone (I asked because silicone causes crazing on acrylic windows). They offer a lifetime guarantee on the product including the suction cups. In a few of the recent Flyer issues (e.g. April 2015) ICS Member Stephan Hodgson wrote about his exploration of Madagascar in his PA-260 ZS-ONX (I'm jealous). In one picture he has these inserts and in fact his aircraft is pictured on the Sun Foil website so I assume Sun Foil is the product he uses.

Kennon (http://www.kennoncovers.com/)

The second company I found is Kennon. They produce many aircraft related products including cowl plugs and exterior covers and similar to Sun Foil they have a window insert product they call "Sunshields". The price for my PA-30 is $225, a full $100 less than the Sun Foil product. Talking to them on the phone their product sounds somewhat similar in it's construction process to the Sun Foil product. They do not offer the gold mylar just the silver but ground shipping is included in the price. They use a "Sunbrella" fabric on the outer edges of the inserts. The big difference in approach seems to be that they do not use suction cups. They claim that the inserts fit so precisely into the window they are simply held there by fit-tension against the window frame. There are small fabric tabs you "pinch" to pull them out of the windows. They said that on some models of aircraft they include small plastic "tabs" that wedge in between the window and the window frame. Apparently they have a database that tells them from experience which planes they need to include the tabs vs which will stay in place just by fit-tension. Kennon also includes a storage bag for their inserts and they claim all the inserts in the bag weigh just 3lbs. I imagine the Sun Foil weight is similar.

Research

I talked to both companies and Googled both products extensively and the following represent my findings / impressions / and things I was told talking to the companies on the phone:

I could find no real complaints about either product on-line. I found comments by people who had used one product on one airplane and the competitive product on another and seemed to like both (not Comanche specific per-se). I found many comments by those who had used one or the other product for 10-15 years with no problems.

Sun Foil claims their product uses superior materials to the Kennon product, that they use a higher quality and sturdier / thicker bubble foam base, and that they use a mylar coating that Kennon does not. They also claim that they have "Gigabytes" of photos taken of aircraft with Kennon shades where the Kennon shades had fallen down. They say that the problem is after 6 months their is slight shrinkage and the fit gets looser and they fall down so suction cups is the way to go.

Kennon claims their product does not shrink like the competition hence they do not need suction cups.

Kennon advertises they were selected by the military for keeping the heat out of planes in Iraq and Afganistan. I asked an F-18 pilot friend of mine who also later flew A-10s multiple tours in both theaters and he said he'd never heard of or seen either used. Based on the data on their website however, I do not doubt their claim.

Sun Foil supplies their product to a number of manufacturers directly including Pilatus, Cessna and others. Kennon also seems to get big orders

Sun Foil is based in AZ and claims they are designed for the type of heat they have in the summer in AZ.

In spite of Sun Foil claims regarding the Kennon product with regard to material quality and production process, the Kennon folks seemed to describe their product in a very similar way (quality of materials / process) but without the suction cups.

Both companies seem to stand behind their products and seem to get great reviews and thumbs up for support.

Current Conclusion

I think I'm currently leaning towards the Sun Foil product but not heavily. Overall I have a hard time believing that inserts would just stay in the Comanche windows without the aid of suction cups or similar. Maybe Kennon includes the plastic "tabs" for Comanches - I don't know. However, the Sun Foil product is $100 more which is a lot ($325 vs $225). Sometimes a better product does just cost more and it's a better product. Sometimes however, a false perception is made that a more expensive product is better when it's not.

I'd appreciate any feedback other ICS members can offer. Specifically I'm hoping for real world feedback from anyone who's actually used one or both of these products.

Thanks,

- Charles

[Charles Schefer]

I think I'll order the Sun Foil shades today because I'd like to have them for a trip I'm taking a few weeks out. If anyone has any feedback on Kennon vs Sun Foil sun shades I'd appreciate any intel.

- Charles

[N3322G]

Anything is better than nothing.

The company's product we have is no longer in business. It used a thin silver coated white fabric that then velcroed to the plastic moulding. super light and fold flat. If you found a source for the fabric, I'd be happy to trace ours and send photos - although likely not in time for your trip.

[Charles Schefer]

Thanks Pat. I thought about making a set of home-made shades but then I figured I'd just buy a set of pre-made ones from one of these companies. I think I am going to give Sun Foil a shot. Look like a good product - hope it is.

- Charles

[JIMICS2452]

I have had Kenon shades in my Comanche and Aztec in Florida for years, and they are holding up very well. Either will keep the plane cooler and keep wondering eyes out.

[Charles Schefer]

Thanks Jim! No problems with them falling out of place?

[JIMICS2452]

No - they are a good fit and the tabs really work.

[Charles Schefer]

Cool. Thanks Jim. I take it from your message that the Kennon shades for Comanches do in fact have the little tabs that go in-between the windows and the window trim to keep them snug. They told me it depended on the aircraft model if they included those tabs.

You indicated you've had them for years... have they shrunk at all?

- Charles

[JIMICS2452]

Yes, the ones I have do have the tabs. You might ask to verify, though. I have had no shrinkage at all. I am very happy with the product.

[Charles Schefer]

Awesome - thanks Jim.

[justin hawkins]

I have the Kennon canopy cover and am very impressed with the fit, quality, and effectiveness. My plane is hangared 20 days per month, the rest of the time it's just got the canopy cover.

[Pat Elliott]

[quote="Charles Schefer"]Thanks Pat. I thought about making a set of home-made shades but then I figured I'd just buy a set of pre-made ones from one of these companies. I think I am going to give Sun Foil a shot. Look like a good product - hope it is.

- Charles[/quote]

If you haven't bought these yet, I have a front window Sun Foil that I picked up on Ebay awhile back, I don't use it very often, you're welcome to test drive it to see if it fits your needs.

[Charles Schefer]

Thanks Pat, that's a kind offer. I ordered a full set of Sun Foils last week and should have them by Wednesday. I was torn because the Kennon product looked excellent too but in the end I just went with the Sun Foils. I'll post a PIREP later after some use.

- Charles