I assume this could go under "Restoration."

If a Cessna has been partially submerged in 27" of sea water is it Salvagable, or would you have to replace several skins/cables/parts?

Figured someone here has experience with planes and ocean water.

Thanks
byeBill

It's been done. Part of the answer is how was it salvaged. If it was drug out of the salt water, then sat in a storage yard or hangar for some time prior to restoration.....might not be worth saving.

On the other hand, if a proper salvage job was undertaken....maybe.

The problem is this: how do you get the salt water residue out of all the lap joints, seams and rivet holes? Just cleaning it out isn't going to do it in my opinion. Avionics and electrics are probably all toast.

But, it has been done. I wouldn't want to own it, though.

MTV

How long was it in the seawater? How quickly after removal was it thoroughly sprayed down extensively inside and out with a powerful stream of fresh water for about three times as long as one might think necessary?

Unfortunately, the structural corrosion will occur between ribs/bulkheads/stringers/spars and the skins, where it is difficult, if not impossible to detect if there is an issue. There would have to be a serious incentive for me to consider salvaging an aluminum plane after saltwater immersion.

If it is a nice 185 or 206 with sweet avionics for five thousand bucks, I might consider. If it's a 150 for any price, forget about it.

I always wondered, what if...........

You took a plane that was submerged in salt water and resunk it in a fresh water lake with one of those concrete vibrators hooked to a gear leg and let it sit for a week or so.... Call it a poor mans ultrasonic cleaner..

Talk to the guys that salvaged all the submerged cars from Katrina and now Sandy. Lots of experience there, as long as the paint looks good they will put it on a lot in a drought stricken plains state with no disclaimer on the title and get a good price. No end to the rear end, wheel bearing, transmission and rocker panel rot problems. Not first hand pain for me but I know some that got here.
I wouldn't touch it.

I think I saw the advertisement that you are looking at. The 27" of water rings a bell. I remember thinking at the time that if it didn't tip over then the horizontal stabilizer, tailwheel, and some distance up the fuselage and verticals would have been immersed. I deduced somehow that this bird was a Sandy victim wasn't it? Anyway it would be one heck of a project, that's for sure.

EB

It's all over for that plane. Here's why:

mtv wrote:The problem is this: how do you get the salt water residue out of all the lap joints, seams and rivet holes?

The only way to get the salt water residue out from between the lap joints, around the rivets, under paint defects, etc., is to disassemble or strip the affected parts and clean. Is it economically feasible to do that? Maybe if we are talking about a P-38 or a P-51, but not a run of the mill plane. Of course, if you buy the plane at the right price you can treat at as disposable and part it out in three years when the corrosion becomes an issue.

Oh, and was the salt water placid (i.e., inside a hangar) or wind blown (i.e., standing outside where waves would cause the actual depth of submersion to be greater)? The effective depth of submersion might be much greater than what's stated in the ad.

I've salvaged several several airplanes from complete submersion in salt water.

Two of these airplanes (DHC-2) are still flying better than ten years later with many thousands of hours, in fact, one of them just turned over 40,000 total time! Both of these airframes were soaked in the replenishing fresh waters of Lake Washington for about a week immediately after salvage. Additionally both airframes were then completely stripped, some new skins, new tube truss, wiring, ETC, you get the idea. Beavers are too expensive to total out I guess.

Another airplane we plucked from the Puget Sound (C-206) was ordered destroyed by the insurance company, and it was. Kind of a shame, seems like some parts could have been reused, even if the major parts were considered suspect.

If the airframe in question is aluminum with some corrosion protection on the skins and some rinsing was done immediately I wouldn't rule it out, but it will take a lot of work and parts to feel good about it.

Sam

Halestorm wrote:....Additionally both airframes were then completely stripped, some new skins, new tube truss, wiring, ETC, you get the idea. Beavers are too expensive to total out I guess....

You just can't keep a good data plate down.