Despite indoor hangar space, our PA-18 tow plane gets rather gritty through the season. I have used collinite insulator wax on aluminum planes to good, and relatively maintenance-free, effect (http://www.collinite.com/automotive-wax/insulator-wax/). I was wondering if anyone here has tried this wax on something like a PA-18?

Comments/critiques/cautions are welcome. And, thanks for any replies you might have.

When I had my old Citabria parked outside in Vermont, I waxed it. Helped with the bugs in the summer and made it easier to get the snow off in winter.

Some paint jobs will get thousands of micro-cracks from waxing. It's a physical thing from the application and buffing, not chemical. NuPower II might be a good compromise...it goes on and off easier than wax but adds a lot of protection.

All I know is you need to choose the right wax. I think silicon based products are the enemy, you would want to check it out yourself.
Otherwise fabric repairs can be a real problem because the covering system paints / coatings won't stick to the old paint.

According to an ancient Stits manual I have (what morphed into PolyFiber co.) you should use old school Johnson's & Son's Paste Wax. I have a full can, bought just for waxing my Kitfox 1 in 1988, but never used it, or on my subsequent fabric planes. I've never had that much time on my hands, and am lazy I guess. I'd give it to you for postage.

Not sure if its right or wrong but I waxed poly tone and urethane finished fabric planes with great results. It helped keep the older poly tone paint job from deteriorating further as well done a couple times a year, or so I told myself after busted a nut doing it. Also repaired fabric and painted afterwards no problems including a total re-paint over poly tone and urethane. It's a pretty big pain in the ass of a job but I always used maguires products, the expensive carnauba wax, can't remember why but all the maguires products are great for detailing, finishing, wet sanding and that sort of stuff.

I recovered this airplane 10 years ago in Stewart's. It spent the first 7 years after the recover tied down on the 'line', which here means out in the dirt and AZ sun. Additionally it had largish turbine ag planes taxi past it sand blasting it multiple times a day. All I ever use on it is Lemon pledge (the real Lemon Pledge). Not counting off field damage, and cuts to access repair work, I'd say the finish looks about as good as the day it was applied.

FWIW I have used this same treatment on aircraft covered with Randolph, Stits, and Airtech as well with good results.

Take care, Rob

+1 what Rob said.

OK I’m not up on the pledge thing how do you tell real pledge from not real pledge

Real pledge;


Examples of 'not real' Pledge;


The generic stuff has never worked well for me on finishes or windows.

Take care, Rob

Thanks Rob so you’re saying this is the thing to put on the old Taylorcraft correct actually I guess 1989 is not old

After I clean my plexi (most S-7's have Lexan 'shields, Pledge is good for it also) windshield, I hit it with the "real" Pledge. It slicks it up and makes the entire hangar smell good.

Our sealant, and all our products, are safe and effective on fabric (and aluminum, composites, fiberglass...)

Click the link below for more.

I am an avid detailer.
All my mechanical objects are in new condition and clean pretty much all the time
(It helps I live in a desert LOL) So I am qualified to comment.
I fly a Maule which of course is partially fabric. It is hangared and has 1,150 hours TTSN.
It is in new condition, except for some chips from normal use.

It gets detailed once a year:

.Wash
.Clay Bar
.Meguires polish (By hand on the fabric, machine on the metal and fiberglass portions)
.Meguires carnuba wax

I either do it myself with hired help or have a detailer go to the hangar to do it.

This is the same I use on my motorcycles, truck, and Benz.

BTW I have used and can vouch for Plane Perfect products as well.

Battson wrote:All I know is you need to choose the right wax. I think silicon based products are the enemy, you would want to check it out yourself.
Otherwise fabric repairs can be a real problem because the covering system paints / coatings won't stick to the old paint.

This is one of the biggest myths in aviation. Any wax or sealant will make it harder to have things stick, because that's exactly what they are designed to do. They are also easy to remove with things like dish soap. So put 2oz in your emergency repair kit and clean the area that you need to tape before you make the repair.

Want empirical evidence?

The single most commonly recommended airplane treatment is Pledge. We think our stuff is better, because we don't leave a film behind to look a bit worse and collect dirt and dust more quickly, but the reality is that Pledge is *extremely* common. What's the active ingredient: Dimethyl Silicone Oil

Mountain Doctor wrote:BTW I have used and can vouch for Plane Perfect products as well.

Thanks Doc!

Wow! I ordered a Plane Perfect cleaning kit yesterday afternoon on the recomendation from Joe McD and it arrived today! Now, keep in mind, I only live a couple of states over but wow, that was fast! I can hardly wait to try it out. Keep in mind, if you order don't forget the BCP15 code, saves ya few bucks and Zane gets some cookies thrown his way.

Thanks for the great service!

Kurt

rw2 wrote:

Mountain Doctor wrote:BTW I have used and can vouch for Plane Perfect products as well.

Thanks Doc!

I use Meguire's on the cars and bikes, and got out of the habit of using Plane Perfect on the Maule. I will be detailing the plane later this spring and will use PP again. Have a great day.

Mountain Doctor wrote:I use Meguire's on the cars and bikes, and got out of the habit of using Plane Perfect on the Maule. I will be detailing the plane later this spring and will use PP again. Have a great day.

We'll likely be rolling out a marketing campaign next year so that people know that our stuff works just as well on cars/boats/rvs as it does planes.