Aircraft washing

We used bug and tar on our cherokee 140 last year before Oskosh and it worked wonders to clean the belly off. Let it sit for a minute or two and wip off than rinse. I love Plexis for the windshield. I use that stuff on my motorcycle as well.
 
n57flyguy said:
Another thing to be careful with, an AC went out for Simple Green because it was causing corrosion on the bellies of airplanes. I have never tried the aviation grade yet, however I do love Simple Green for a lot of what I do on airplanes.
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I never had a lot of luck with Simple Green. Granted, I got stuck washing planes that looked like they hadn't been washed since they left the factory in Wichita in the 1980's, but still. Ended up figuring out a use for all of that fuel (Avgas) that gets sumped from the fuel farm. Amazing how well it cuts grease off. Just watch for the blue stains. Of course, I never did this, but was only told how to do it. :D
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
I never had a lot of luck with Simple Green. Granted, I got stuck washing planes that looked like they hadn't been washed since they left the factory in Wichita in the 1980's, but still. Ended up figuring out a use for all of that fuel (Avgas) that gets sumped from the fuel farm. Amazing how well it cuts grease off. Just watch for the blue stains. Of course, I never did this, but was only told how to do it. :D
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AvGas is amazing at getting rid of old grease/oil/nasty. Just make sure you wear gloves and keep it out of your eyes. Oh, no smoking either.
 
Thanks for the responses to this. I have been talking to the guy I rent from to wash his airplanes on the side, I was curious to know what would be the best stuff to use.
 
mshunter said:
Crazing and fogging are two different issues. Crazing is tiny little cracks. Fogging is just that, fogging. You can fix a fogged windscrean usually with some polishing. A crazed windscrean will usually look like this:

[YT]wvXzs0TZ9sE[/YT]

This is fogging
lens-cover-before_tn.jpg
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You mentioned Windex in your post, windex has ammonia, ammonia produces crazing, not "fogging" (scratches) that's why I told you that the term is crazing.
When you say fogging I guess you mean generalized scratching. Please explain to me how a liquid can scratch a plastic. Windex will not "fog" a windscreen, improper cleaning techniques will.
I figured you meant scratching when you say fogging since you said that you can fix it by polishing.
I have spent a few hours fixing scratches in a windscreen so I'm quite familiar with the technique.
 
Roger said:
AvGas is amazing at getting rid of old grease/oil/nasty. Just make sure you wear gloves and keep it out of your eyes. Oh, no smoking either.
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Tastes awful too. Being on a creeper, with a bucket full of 1/2 water and 1/2 avgas for 3 hours under a F33A sure wasn't a fun deal. But, when you come out of it with $100, it ain't that bad.
 
Mariano said:
You mentioned Windex in your post, windex has ammonia, ammonia produces crazing, not "fogging" (scratches) that's why I told you that the term is crazing.
When you say fogging I guess you mean generalized scratching. Please explain to me how a liquid can scratch a plastic. Windex will not "fog" a windscreen, improper cleaning techniques will.
I figured you meant scratching when you say fogging since you said that you can fix it by polishing.
I have spent a few hours fixing scratches in a windscreen so I'm quite familiar with the technique.
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Windex will fog a windscreen. It attacks the material and causes an opaque look. I have seen the damage it causes first hand after repated use. I never said windex causes cracks. The amonia in it causes a chemical reaction. I am at work and need to get back to it. I'll find the article when I get home.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
I never had a lot of luck with Simple Green. Granted, I got stuck washing planes that looked like they hadn't been washed since they left the factory in Wichita in the 1980's, but still. Ended up figuring out a use for all of that fuel (Avgas) that gets sumped from the fuel farm. Amazing how well it cuts grease off. Just watch for the blue stains. Of course, I never did this, but was only told how to do it. :D
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Yeah, I've only heard 100LL works, never have tried it myself. :D
 
mshunter said:
It appears you were right Mariano.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00590.htm
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Well.....after all, I am an Aircraft mechanic :D......................



just kidding.




I mean, I am an aircraft mechanic in a piece of paper. But honestly, I don't have any "real" life experience yet (besides school projects). :o



I did have a composites class last winter term, so all that was still kind of fresh in my mind.


Thanks for looking that up!! :)
 
mattyt98 said:
I used to make some good money doing this on the side while instructing and working at the FBO, I found some stuff that works absolutely awesome for bug removal. You wont believe it but turtle wax makes a spray on wax/bug remover and you can use that on a farely clean aircraft (not something that is covered in dust without a rinse) and it will take the bugs right off and wax the surface and hardly any elbow grease needed. There is some stuff out there you have to watch out for with aluminum and corrosion but as long as you rinse rinse rinse afterward there should be no issues. This was in ref to the belly degreasing. For instance gunk engine degreaser works wonders but I would use soap and water after to wash away the remnants of that powerful cleaner.
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This stuff.
41RYVTK6WML._SL500_AA300_.jpg


I use it to clean the bugs off my motorcycle. It's awesome. Then, I don't have to re-wax the chrome afterward. I would probably use it on my plane too, that is, if I had one.

http://www.turtlewax.com/main.taf?p=2,1,4,11\
 
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