One of the great joys of being an owner versus a renter is the "privilege" of getting to clean the airplane after flying through all of the bugs.

What is everyone using to clean the windshield, the leading edges, and the front of the cowl?

Don

Windows get Plexus. It's always best to flush with water first, but this seems seldom an option. A good second choice is to use a large spray bottle of water and saturate the windshielf first. Then dry using micro-fiber cloths before cleaning with Plexus. Micro fiber cloths can be had in the "auto" section at Costco. They are reasonably priced too . . . look for the yellow ones. (Always keep them separate from other towels and launder separately too.)

For the wings and cowl, I use Protect-All (this is similar to Dry-Wash etc, but is not sold under some pyramid marketing scheme, thus is reasonable in price). There are two types, waterless and low water. The low water version uses a capful in a couple of quarts of water and is usually enough to clean an airplane. The waterless version is used to take the bugs of the leading edges after flight.

For the tummy, and to remove oil and exhaust, I use the original formula Go-Jo hand cleaner (not the pumice version). This wipes on by hand or rag and then wipes off. Gets your hands and the belly clean and it quite amazing in its ability to remove exhaust stains. Like any "unknown" cleaning product, it's wise to run a test to be sure it isn't corrosive to aluminum. I tested Go-Jo for several weeks with aluminum strips partially and completely submerged - - no staining or adverse affects.

bumper

Ajax and SOS pad. Not

Airplane plexiglas cleaner any brand. Plexiglas polish any brand.

For the gas stains, oil on the belly and to get the bugs off I use a product from Costco called Oil Eater. I know it is not aircraft approved but it works for me. Don't get it on polished aluminum, it takes the polish right off. I wet the surface first and don't let it dry before I rinse thoroughly. I don't use it in the sun.

If I am using soap and water I use any brand of car wash.

If I am spot cleaning with a wet rag I have some spray on car wash I put a small amount on the wet rag and get busy.

I use any high quality car wax.

My favorite brand is Meguiar's.

Rob

I use Eagle carnuba "instant detail" spray wax on the whole airplane
with a micro-fiber cloth, and I clean the bugs off immediately after
every flight (if you let them dry on there, they're way harder to remove!).
The freshly waxed surfaces also make it tougher for the bug guts to
stick to the paint.

If it's impractical to "de-bug" right after a particular flight and you've
parked outside overnight, wait until morning and wipe the bugs off
1st thing in the morning (the morning dew makes it easier to get
the bugs off).

For the belly, I'll admit it's a bit overkill (read that $$$) but I always
have the stuff on hand anyway due to my numerous painting projects,
but I use PPG DX330 solvent cleaner (it's a wax, grease, silicone, road-tar,
engine oil and adhesive cleaner used as a prep prior to priming or
painting). DX330 cuts right through whatever is on the belly like a hot
knife through butter.

On the exhaust stains, I'll use a "cleaner wax" and/or (sparingly) use
lacquer thinner (painted surfaces must be fully cured prior to using
the latter).

On stubborn stains and/or minor imperfections, I use a clay
bar system like you can get from Maguires, Mothers, etc.

I have been using plexus, a product called 210 ( helicopter pilot recommended, and shell makes a good product for plexi or lexan.
Rob, be careful with the oil eater product, read a gov test report just after it came out and it said had tendancy to surface harden aluminum????
The new ICE products seem to be working well for waxing and cleaning the bugs of after you use it.
My $.02
GT

http://www.rejex.com/rejex.html

Best stuff I have found. Apply and let dry to a light film.
Wipe off with a gentle cloth, bugs can not stick after that.

I use this on everything!!!

When you use it on the windshield, the windshield disappears.

I use Norvis Window Cleaner for HArleys
for the windshield cleaner
and wipe the windshield with this
Harley Cleaning Cloth

Rejex is the stuff

Ki

Hi Okie! I use Plexus for the plexiglass after a cleaning with car wash soap and water. Same soap and water treatment for rest of plane then spray on/wipe off wax. The belly gets a simple green job followed by wax. Works for me!

If anyone has a better (cheaper) source for Plexus than motorcycle shops or FBO's let me know.

RobBurson wrote:Ajax and SOS pad. Not


For the gas stains, oil on the belly and to get the bugs off I use a product from Costco called Oil Eater. I know it is not aircraft approved but it works for me. Rob

Oil Eater is the best stuff that I have found, and earlier this year Boeing approved it for their aircraft, so that's good enough for me. For a quick belly clean up I mix it 50-50 with water and spray it directly on and wipe right behind it with the blue paper towels. I can do the whole belly in about 10 minutes.

Sporty's sells CARBONX a degrease that does a great job on oil, grease ,bugs , and other dirt. I gallon jug is about $19.00 bucks and can be diluted with water.

http://www.sportys.com/acb/showprod.cfm ... up_ID=1263



I use a plastic type brillo pad that does not scratch the paint but makes the debug a lot easier.

Wash??????

Wash an airplane????????


Gump

GumpAir wrote:Wash??????

Wash an airplane????????


Gump

No kidding!!!! All we do here is go fly. Since it is raining all the time, instant power washing. Cleans the leading edges of the prop so well that it looks sandblasted.

gb

I washed my plane once. Didn't use any soap, though.
tom

Gump summarized my thoughts pretty well. One de-bugging a season works pretty well.

onthegas--I hope you're using the aircraft flavor of Simple Green. The regular Simple Green corrodes aluminum.

MTV

Actually I've been using big box store-bought Simple Green. Maybe I should dilute it a bit? I spray it on and immediately wipe it off followed by a water/soap bath prior to waxing. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

onthegas wrote:Actually I've been using big box store-bought Simple Green. Maybe I should dilute it a bit? I spray it on and immediately wipe it off followed by a water/soap bath prior to waxing. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

After the "fracas" over the use of Simple Green on aircraft, some dozen years ago or so, I think even the Simple Green (regular version) bottle warns agains use on aluminum. The Air Force did tests back then that showed SG supported corrosion (yup, with metal loss).

Before using any suspect or non-aircraft approved product, I do my own tests by submerging and partially submerging bare aluminum strips in the test media for several weeks. Maybe not absolutely conclusive, but it makes me feel good.

If you want to know what NOT to do, try gluing some Plexi with super glue. It'll craze so fast it will probably make your eyeballs craze too!

all the best,

bumper

Wash??????

Wash an airplane????????


Gump

Gump

You learned well while living up here in Alaska. Course the front canopy can sometimes use a good steel-wooling during the mosquito season ...

Nizina

Nizina wrote:Gump

You learned well while living up here in Alaska. Course the front canopy can sometimes use a good steel-wooling during the mosquito season ...

Nizina

My career up there was in places like Kotz and Barrow. Started out with a honey bucket in the pilot house, no running water to wash anything at the airport, and the windshield too bug covered in the summer, and too coated with ice in the winter to see out the front of the damn thing. All my flying was done while looking out the bottom/forward corner of the pilot side door window.

Well..... Once in a while I will look out the front window. Only if I have to

And living conditions have improved considerably up there, and my last place in Kotz was damn nice.

Gump