Wondering what products people find most helpful to detail and protect your plane? I find a lot of misinformation out there about what is safe to use, what works, what is cheap and what is not. Wondering if you have a favorite product, how you use it and why? It would also be helpful to know where everyone finds their products (Amazon, Aircraft Spruce, Sporty's, etc). Full disclosure: A partner and I have started an aircraft detail supply company, and this is for our research. Thank you!
Bought some Protect All at OSH in 1988 and have been happy with it ever since. Some Walmarts have it in the RV section. http://www.protectall.com
Jim Clark, Chairman National Biplane Fly In, www.nationalbiplaneflyin.com. Currently flying: 1929 Waco CSO, 1939 Waco EGC-8, 1946 Piper J-3, 1955 Piper PA22/20, 1956 Beech G35, 1984 Beech A36 & 2001 Vans RV9.
You love a lot of things if you live around them, but there isn't any woman and there isn't any horse, nor any before nor any after, that is as lovely as a great airplane, and men who love them are faithful to them even though they leave them for others.
- Ernest Hemingway
I use just a regular mild car wash for most of the cleaning. I suspect palmolive would probably work about the same. I use Carbon-X and mineral spirits (not mixed together) for oil/grease and the grime on the belly. Back when my paint was in poorer shape, I used regular automotive compound and a low speed buffer to restore it. For the final finish, I've switched to Collinte 845. This is the standard of the classic car (and some boat) crowd. It's pretty much a straight wax in a liquid carrier. Very easy to apply and looks and works great.
I use Nuvite on the polished metal (and occasionaly simichrome).
Depends on if you fly a metal airplane or a wood and fabric. On my wood and fabric airplane, I use a mild dish soap diluted down and put in a spray bottle. I then spray down the airplane working in small area's wiping everything down. On the plexiglass windscreen and canopy I do the same but after spraying said plexiglass down I use my hand and very lightly spreading the water soap mix around loosing up all bugs and crap on it. This keeps scratching to a minimum. If the windscreen is really dirty I will lay a clean rag on it then soak the rag with the spray bottle. Let it set for about 10 mins then wipe it off. I even do the prop this way.
After everything is clean I then apply a good car wax to everything. I try and do this at least twice a year. My thinking if a rag will not stay on the wing it will go through the air easier then if a rag sticks to a wing when laid on said wing.
How I clean my airplane.
Tony
P.S. I use a plexiglass cleaner from Aircraft spruce or wicks on windscreen and canopy twice a year.
Last edited by 1600vw; 12-18-2014 at 08:17 AM.
OK, Tony, how is that different from the way I treat my metal airplane?
Don't believe I said it was.
Just how I do it.
But what I do see as " different" I use no power tools. Elbow grease. But I have seen people with metal birds like a 172 hose them down and start a scrubbing away. I would not recommend that on a wooden airplane.
Tony
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