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Beech on a Budget Safe • Legal • Low Cost By Mike Caban www.bonanza.org Wax On, Wax Off: Low-Cost Cleaning Products and Tips Figure 2 With May finally here and the cold wintry weather for many of us a memory, our Beechcraft airplanes are likely starting to get the exercise they deserve. For many of us, the beginning of the prime flying months is the time we also focus on cleaning up our birds. Even for our members in the Southern Hemisphere, cleaning and waxing are good things for preparing for the less active flying months. Whether you’re an old hand at this cleaning ritual or a new Beechcraft owner, you might appreciate some of my low-cost cleaning and waxing finds from over eight years of Beechcraft ownership. Figure 1 Since taking delivery of my fresh ly painted B55 in 2004, I have always hand-washed. I use airport water pressure from a garden hose and a large cotton towel to loosen dust and dirt. For drying, I’ve used nothing more exotic than a genuine leather chamois cloth (Figure 1), usually available for under $20 in most auto supply outlets. The beauty of genuine leather chamois is that it has no abrasive properties and high absorption properties. It has become a favorite for many auto detailers who pride themselves on not scratching painted surfaces. I’ve avoided the expensive pressure washers, exotic soap systems, blade brushes, and water spot eliminator systems; and I have always been happy with the cleaning results of water, chamois, and good old fashioned elbow grease. In my mind, it doesn’t get any more “natural” than that, with a green bonus of no soap chemistry going into the water treatment system. When it comes to waxing, I’ll try to get two wax events in each year (but at least one). I won’t deny that waxing the airplane is a major undertaking in the application of time and elbow grease. For me it involves about two four-hour sessions to completely apply the wax and buff it off by hand. Large, old cotton bath towels are once again your friends. The wax products I’ve found easiest to apply and buff, while providing a long lasting beading surface and smooth-as-glass surface, are Marine-grade liquids from 3M and West Marine (Figure 2), a quart of which is in the $20 range. These newly formulated waxes tout “nano” particle size technology that seals the surface and leaves a protective, smooth, high-gloss finish. Since air is a fluid, it will flow more effortlessly over your airframe – and we all know what that means. Another wax/polishing product that comes highly recommended is Protect All, an easy to apply spray liquid. It’s reportedly available in 14-ounce bottles for about $10 at Wal-Mart. Still yet another great value in a wax is Nu Finish (Figure 3), which applies and buffs off easily, and available for about $9 for 16 ounces. For those of us with less than Herculean arm endurance, mechanical help can be found in the form of a Cyclo orbi tal polisher (Figure 4). Figure 3 Figure 4 28 AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY MAY 2013
Figure 5 It produces an orbital rotation with an overlapping motion. The Cyclo’s pedigree is reported to go back to the mid-1950s when the government used it to polish aircraft and missiles! (Who knew they polished missiles?) They have a robust cast metal design with serviceable motor brushes. Good condition used units have been seen on eBay for under $200, while a new one will set you back about $300. Be careful with the Cyclo in that you do not apply too much pressure and burn through your paint. A lower cost, random orbiting single head unit that has gotten good Beech owner reviews is the Porter Cable Model #7424 (Figure 5), available at outlets like www.amazon.com for about $115. For the belly and some of the under wing areas, I’ve found that an automotive creeper with an adjustable angle back works very well. Are you tired yet? Well stay with me, because one of the overlooked benefits of hand-washing and waxing your airframe is that you are actually performing a very close inspection of every square inch of your airplane. Indeed, any scratch, crack, loose rivet, missing trim, or hardware anomaly is going to be revealed. Now that you’ve found some stone chips that need to be touched up, check out the folks at www.aero touchups.com who have 2-ounce kits of the ubiquitous Matterhorn White (Figure 6) and other popular aerocolors in two-part polyurethane systems (just like original airplane paint). For those difficult bug, exhaust, and oil stains I’m fond of Simple Green Figure 6 Figure 7 Extreme (Figure 7), which is specifically designed for aviation aluminum and meets the Boeing Exterior & General Cleaners Spec # D6-17487 Revision P (April 2003). Be sure to use this and not other versions of Simple Green. The recommended dilution rate is 50 percent with water, and I’ve heard some Beech owners report good results with a 70 percent water dilution. Simple Green Extreme can be found at Aircraft Spruce and all the other usual aviation sources for about $17 a gallon. Designing Products to make a Fine Aircraft Outstanding. Full Service Repair Station #OYSR774L. Over forty years serving <strong>Bonanza</strong>s and Barons. Avionics, Auto Pilot, Instruments sales and installation specializing in ASPEN, Cobham S-TEC, GARMIN & ULTRA. INSTRUMENT PANEL ASSEMBLY: STC PMA 35 thru N35, 33 series. Upgrade, modify later models including Barons. Custom per client specifications. Install at our facility or shipped for installation by your local maintenance facility. E225-8 ENGINE MODIFICATION ASSEMBLY: STC PMA Series 35 thru G35. All the benefits of the 470-260HP series engine without the high costs. STAINLESS STEEL BATTERY BOX ASSEMBLY: STC PMA Series 35, 33, 36 SECURITY LOCKING FUEL CAP ASSEMBLY: STC PMA Series 35, 33, 36, 95, 55, 56, 58, 60, 76 Aviation Research Systems, Inc. Sandy River Airport 03S, Sandy Oregon • aviationresearch@msn.com www.aviation-research.com Toll free: 888-301-9207 | 503-668-<strong>45</strong>42 Volume 13 • Number 5 AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY 29
Page 1 and 2: May 2013 VOLUME 13 • NUMBER 5 BPP
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