You don’t need to read this…your airplane is spotless, right? Then cut this article out and save it for when you come across someone with a dirty airplane. You know itll happen sooner or later.
OK, so maybe your airplane is dirty. Heres something that works. A note before we continue, though. Hangar lore has it that the original Simple Green is inappropriate for aircraft use because it can cause corrosion on aluminum. What differentiates this new product-Extreme Simple Green-Aircraft -from the original is that this new product is advertised as Non-corrosive. Safe on Metals, Finishes, Plastic & ubber. And while we were unable to determine how corrosive or unsafe the original product might be, the new version is the outcome of a request from Boeing. Th at SG-A fi ts the bill is borne out by Boeings acceptance of it for aircraft exterior and general cleaning.
As you can see from the pictures, Simple Green-Aircraft is eff ective in taking off the sort of oil and crud that collects on the belly of an airplane. In this case, its been at least seven years since this area was cleaned. (Were very dedicated to real-world testing here at KITPLANES. Thats a polite way of saying, Don’t ask.) What was most surprising was the ease with which those streaks on the green paint on the side of the cowl came off The airplane was first washed with a brush and water, no soap. One shot of SG-A was sprayed on, followed by a single wipe of a paper towel. No more streaks. Nice.
Its not likely to be on the shelf at the auto parts store, but it may be on the shelf at your local FBO, or it can be purchased from the major mail-order firms including Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. While its about twice the price of other cleaners, doing a good job seemed to require a lot less of it and a lot less effort. Highly recommended…for those of you with dirty planes.
