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-   -   Rain Repellant on 737 windscreens (https://www.pprune.org/tech-log/344763-rain-repellant-737-windscreens.html)

411A 28th September 2008 11:07

Much consternation about RainX, it appears.
Been using it for years on my private twin engine aircraft, no problems noted.
My business partner has his own personal jet, he uses RainX, and also has no problems....for the last ten years.
Many other business jet operators, likewise.
And yes, the stuff used on our airplanes is fully approved for use on same.

Sometimes, those in the airline world, who, from time to time, look down their collective noses at general aviation operators, perhaps need to emerge from their airline protected world, and see just how far advanced those of us who fly our own private airplanes, really are.

Nowhere today is this more apparent than cockpit instrumentation (glass) and indeed, the type you look through (windshields), to land.

And yes, old timers will surely remember that Coca Cola worked very well for the removal of Rainboe (the chemical type) from windshields, years ago.

Kiwiconehead 28th September 2008 12:22

We bung the RainX on our Dash 8 windows every line check down here - no dramas.

NSEU 28th September 2008 13:20


I've got no dog in this fight but I find it odd you'd not know how a car windshield is constructed.
Not so odd considering I've never had to change one in 30 or so years of driving. Other than knowing that they are laminates, I wasn't aware that automobiles used an identical plastic compound.

I just find it odd that people are using products that may not be approved by the FAA or the airplane manufacturer.... or health authorities. What happens when this automobile product is heated? Is it safe to use with fibreglass? Carbon composites? Does it break down into dangerous compounds in the presence of ozone, etc?

Why was aircraft rain repellent banned in the first place?

BigHitDH 28th September 2008 20:03

I believe the use of Rainboe was stopped because around 90% of by weight in a solvent called freon 113 and breakdown products of this solvent can cause damage to the upper atmosphere.

Jesper 28th September 2008 21:14

Why dont we just put a little prop in the front of every aircraft?
Seems to do the trick for SEPs, and then we could all get that lovely feeling of flying as it actually was during training! ;)

IŽd rather have a stupid prop there instead of using non approved chemicals... stuppid stuppid thing according to me.

Blip 28th September 2008 23:05

A major airline in Australia applies Rain-X to the windscreens of their B737's on a regular basis (every A-Check) and engineers have it on stock around the domestic network so that they can re-apply it more often if the flight crew think it is needed.

It really does make the wipers obsolete! Brilliant stuff!!

FullWings 29th September 2008 18:35

I use Rain-X on my car - super stuff! You rarely need wipers and the heavier the rain gets, the better it performs, even when getting huge amounts of water from lorries dumped on the screen.

I believe Rainboe was withdrawn from use due to the toxicity of the chemical/solvent mix. We had an incident on a 737 where the can leaked and oxygen was definitely needed.

Piper19 29th September 2008 22:12

Corrosion is another reason why some rain repellants cannot be used. Think about all these screws around a window.
Some products are aggressive over time, I had the habit of putting some product in my car window sprayer, and after 5 years there are 2 nice weared strips on the hood where the sprayers are. Like someone rubbed sanding paper over the paint.
Never use products that are not approved folks, that aircraft is not a car, and never rub a dry cloth over a pax aircraft windshield. Always make sure the whole window is wetted first.

TO MEMO 30th September 2008 00:15

NSEU.

rain repellent was removed due to environmental reasons,

good thing that I`m flying the A320, since rain repellent was re-installed, because airbus has a new patented type of rain repellent that is unharmfull to the environment. Not has effective has the one in the old 737, in my opinion, but good anyway!

ga_trojan 30th September 2008 00:44


What kind of rain is this lady flying through, that the wipers on full chat don't clear enough water for her to see to make a safe landing.
737 windows are probably the worst design in aviation. Landing in a light shower in a 737 is like landing in a heavy shower in any other aircraft. I am surprised that the regulators don't make rain repellent compulsory

RAT 5 1st October 2008 19:30

My Rain X bottles are > 100mls. How does she get it through the Stazi check point?


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