Plexus or Clear View?

[Kolibear]

Our can of Plexus has nearly run out - I need to buy a replacement. It seems that the UK pilots shops no longer stock Plexus and offer 'Clear View' as a replacement.

Clear View considerably cheaper than Plexus, getting on for half the price, but is it as good?

Does anyone have any experience of Clear View and can compare it to Plexus?

Our canopy is in good condition and I'd like to keep it that way.

[john ball]

I use a product from Autoglym that is specially for perspex. It is not the blue slightly chalky one that is for Glass, but in the green writing squirty bottle.

[fujii]

I don't know if it is the same in the UK as in Australia but I bought my last can of Plexus at a motorcycle shop.

[OpenCirrus619]

Pretty sure I saw some in my local (Laguna) motorcycle shop at the weekend.

Failing that AFE sell it: Plexus cleaner / polish 13oz (http://www.afeonline.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=29_64&products_id=3231&osCsid=d2bbad7bd3fecbd8a4df6f125431c3ea)
http://www.afeonline.com/shop/product_thumb.php?img=images/PLEXUS.JPG&w=168&h=225

OC619

[JUST-local]

AFE keep it in stock, I got a new can last week.

Airplan Flight Equipment (http://www.afeonline.com/shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=plexus&search=Search)

[S-Works]

Mr Sheen.......

Why do people think putting aviation on the tin makes it better? All it does is increase the price by five fold.....

[2high2fastagain]

another for Mr Sheen here.

[stuclark]

Bose- they won't stretch to Mr sheen, Wilcos own brand all the way!

[S-Works]

Bose- they won't stretch to Mr sheen, Wilcos own brand all the way!

Thats because our mighty leader is as tight as ducks ass..... :p:p:p

[jxk]

A vote for Pledge!

[AdamFrisch]

I there Rain-X in the UK? I buy at automotive shops here and it works great on the plane.

[Small Rodent Driver]

Pledge.

£0.79/tin vs £12.00/tin.

No Contest.

[patowalker]

Google is your friend:

Lemon Pledge Ingredients:
Naphtha, petroleum, light alkylate 5%-10%
Polydimethylsiloxanes (Silicon oil) 5%-10%
Water (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3e:;) 70%-85%
Butane (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3e:;) 1% -5%
Isobutane (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3e:;) 1% - 5%
Propane (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3e:;) 1% - 5%

Source: Consumer Product Information Database (http://whatsinproducts.com/information.php?brandNo=19-001-241&PHPSESSID=b080d6aa4c8b324b6c15489367a28cab)


Plexus ingredients:
Alipathic petroleum distillates 23%
Isobutane 12%
Propane 3 %

Source: Plexus Plastic Cleaner MSDS Page 1 of 3 Material Safety Data Sheet (http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=5&q=http://www.chiefsupply.com/resources/msds/KA-Plexus-Plastic-Cleaner.pdf&ei=ZjkvSdiaH5jYNKrHwKEL&usg=AFQjCNFH14FvBnGTBJxI0pZaaiomm20dJw)

[peterh337]

One TB owner put Rain-X on his windows and they went dark.

Just one data point, but I would not use rain-x on any plastic window. It's pretty effective on glass though...

I use Plexus. It works well, gets the bugs off, and polishes out quickly and well.

The most important thing is to use a very clean cloth. If it has been dropped, it must go in the bin, or be used for wiping oil off things. It's very easy to scratch windows.

[S-Works]

Rain X very clearly states not to be used on plastic. RVR is good on plastic.

[AdamFrisch]

Did not know that. Have had no problems, but will stop using it.

[Nipper2]

Pledge is really excellent if you want to have a total nightmare anytime you come to repaint your aircraft. Once you have contaminated the surface with silicon oils, it is all but impossible to remove them. Even minute silicon residues interfere with most paint systems something rotten.....

[jxk]

AND of course DON'T use any products containing ammonia. Unless, you want to fly IMC.

[LowNSlow]

Mr Sheen for me.

Contents are:

Naptha (petroleum), hydrated heavy 10 - <30%
Butane <10%
Propane <10%
Isobutane <10%
2-methylbutane <1%
(R)-p-mentha-1,8-diene <0.1%

Doesn't appear to be any silicon based stuff in there?

Does a great job of getting the bugs off the windscreen, cowling and prop.

[tmmorris]

Spray polishes come in both silicone- and non-silicone-based varieties. Check the label.

Tim

[gileraguy]

Mr Sheen is full of silicon too.

You can never reprint a car that has been polished with Mr Sheen (and we used to use it to polish motorcycles in the shop I worked at.

Plexus can be found in most major motorcycle shops.

I'll also give a vote to Auto Glyms red microfiber cleaning cloth. I have had one for years and use it on everything. I must make a specific exception as regards to canopy plexiglass though.

[piperarcher]

In reply to the OP, I used to buy Plexus from TransAir, and now they only offer ClearView. I cant tell the difference. It seems pretty good to me :-)

[S-Works]

We have used mr sheen for years at work and the aircraft have been painted many times without problem. It's all about preparation when painting......

[cockney steve]

Duraglit will polish out deeper scratches, Iused to fabricate the canopies for premature-baby incubators..that's what we used after trimming with a router,sanding with fine wet-or-dry, buffing on a mop and finally hand-finishing with Duraglit.
We used the American Oroglas (same as the Bell "whirlybirds" bubble canopy) It was softer and more malleable than ICI's Perspex which was brittle by comparison

Asides- Oroglas featured in the infamous Summerland leisure centre blaze on the Isle of Man...the building was entirely glazed with it and melting/burning sheets flopped out of their frames onto the trapped holiday makers below.

being bored one day, i noticed a wasp taking an unhealthy interest in some discarded Duraglit wadding.....trapping a wasp in a vending -cup and feeding a fresh piece of wadding in, one observed the wasp in a feeding frenzy, followed by total disorientation and death...they must have got drunk on the solvent-content, 'cos with a bit of practice, one could tip'em iut on the bench and watch their antics until they eventually recovered sufficiently to lurch into the air*

"Aviation content ;)