Cleaning my Wings

[High Wing Drifter]

Hello again!

Must sound the like the mother of all stoopid questions but:

I am thinking of giving our craft a good clean this weekend. Now, knowing that aircraft paint is a specialised thing is it OK to use regular car shampoo or is there a preferred chemical for the job?

All comments gratefully received (even sarcy ones :p)
HWD.

[QDMQDMQDM]

I use a little bit of zipwax in a bucket of water and then a hose with a brush.

Pledge is good for getting the flies off too. NOTHING gets sheep muck off though. Yuck!

QDM

[Flyin'Dutch']

Yup, car wash products are OK to use.

I was talking to a professional aeroplane cleaner and he told me that these car products are OK.

Don't be tempted to use Fairey liquid as it is corrosive due to its high salt content.

He also recommended Plexus for cleaning the windscreens and I have to agree that the stuff is excellent.

Beware of washing the bird in cold weather if there is a chance of the water freezing into bits such as hinges!

Have fun.

FD

[Skylark4]

Don't use anything which has silicone in it. At the minor end of the scale you will make repainting your aircraft difficult, you will get pinholes in the finish. At the major end of the scale, any repairs which are done later could fail due to glue not adhering to silicone coated surfaces. Silicone spreads everywhere so its no good saying 'I only used it on the wingtips.'

Mike W

[javelin]

Come summer time, WD40 on the cowl and leading edges, flies are no longer a problem - also no silicone content.

[High Wing Drifter]

Thanks for the replies guys. Most useful and good to get some of these tips :)

I also heard of Brasso for windscreen! Shurly shome mishtake??

Unfortunately the weather has decided to try and assist me, trouble is I intended to stay dry!

Thanks again chaps :)
HWD.

[Kolibear]

I can definately recommend Plexus for the canopy - in side & out, it really does remove fine scratches and makes removing dead bugs very easy

I can definately recommend Plexus for the canopy - in side & out, it really does remove fine scratches and makes removing dead bugs very easy.

When we bought our canopy cover, the manufacturer also supplied a small square of what I can only describe as plastic mesh, similar to that found on the back of scourers for non-stick pots & pans. It works a treat for shifting dead bugs, but I'm not sure wheither or not I can honestly reccommend a 'non-stick pan scourer' for cleaning Perspex.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Brasso dissolves a small amount of the surface of perspex, and thus does a very good job of removing small scratches from canopies. But it's not the stuff for cleaning canopies.

For propellers, I recommend the various "bug-shifter" sprays sold in motorcycle shops.

Chap in our syndicate swears by "Pledge" (household furniture polish) for the inside of canopies, and it does seem to work.

Oil on the underside, I like using a spray-on-wipe-off "hard surface cleaner", which avoids getting dripped on by your sponge and usually does a better job than soapy water.

G

[ozplane]

My engineer recommends Mister Muscle for shifting the bugs on the wing leading edges. If you do hit a swarm it's a good idea to clean them off before you go home and they dry and go hard. It does work ...honest. With regard to the use of silicone polish I believe there is a substance which neutralises it. At least that's what I was told when I took my car in for some respray work recently. Totally agree about Plexus. It really does do what it "says on the can".

[LowNSlow]

Sparkle is really good for canopies and windscreens, much better than Pledge IMHO. Mr. Muscle good for the oily bits, road tar / bug remover also very good.

[Flyin'Dutch']

For the oily bits on the underside I use a bit of AvGas on a bit of kitchen roll.

FD


The silicone 'neutraliser' is in fact silicone which you add to the paint. Best steer clear of that sort of stuff if you can

[Thumpango]

Mer is very good, easy to apply, let it dry and wipe off with a soft cloth. Great shine and available from Halfords! I have also used it on Cars and GRP boats- doesn't contain silicone.

Happy cleaning!

[MLS-12D]

HWD - It's not a stupid question!

Most POHs usually have specific instructions on how (and more importantly, how not to) clean the airplane.

More generally, you can find some good advice in Dossey, Lightplane Owner's Maintenance Guide. Woodhouse and Gifford, How to Make Your Airplane Last Forever, and Wanttaja, Airplane Ownership, also contain some tips.