Good quick read on corrosion

[Jeev]

The recent post about spar corrosion got me thinking since I am about to move my J from the Las Vegas desert to Tampa Fl. I came across this in my research: http://www.mechanicsupport.com/airplane_corrosion.html

I will have my J in a hangar about 20 miles inland and just treated it with ACF 50... Any other recommendations?

Thanks

[HopePilot]

Best of luck in Florida Sanjeev!

[mike_elliott]

A couple of years ago, I moved to the Tampa area from Indy and had the same concerns. Yes, the environment is harsher here than in the Midwest or Las Vegas. You are already familiar with what heat can do, so you are well prepared for that. As far as humidity, 3 months out of the year, we have very high humidity, and that has to be mitigated. I yearly treat my plane with corrosion proofing. The first time with ACF50 and subsequent with Boshield T9. I also keep a engine dehumidifier on it at all times. Leaving it out in the sun will kill it, as you know. Its death to bladders and to tank sealant both.

Knowing the enemy is the best way to win this battle. All that said, some of the nicest, best maintained Mooneys I have ever seen are in Florida. The owners are the reason, they know what can happen without a proactive posture on the enemy.

[N601RX]

We are just finishing up my annual and found a rat nest that had went undetected for several years.  Its in area that doesn't have an inspection panel and is only viewable with a bore scope. It was made from the old style insulation which was removed from the plane back in the 90's so I'm guessing it was there before then. There was no sign of any recent activity.   Luckily there was no corrosion. You can see the location in the attached picture. It is only viewable through the small hole in the rib.

[rbridges]

The recent post about spar corrosion got me thinking since I am about to move my J from the Las Vegas desert to Tampa Fl. I came across this in my research: http://www.mechanicsupport.com/airplane_corrosion.html

I will have my J in a hangar about 20 miles inland and just treated it with ACF 50... Any other recommendations?

Thanks

 

I've seen that article before.  There are a lot of guys on here from FL, so they can give you some great advice. 

[Piloto]

I used to work on ships and yatchs in Puerto Rico and have seen plenty of corrosion problems. On boats the best way to cope with it paint and keep painting. Specially on Striker yachts that are made of aluminum. Boat owners buy WD-40 and paint by the boxes for fighting corrosion. Why do you think the Golden Gate other bridges and on boats there is always a crew with cans of paint and brushes. Best corrosion prevention products are the marine ones. They have been dealing with this problem before planes were invented.

 

For planes the sure best way to keep corrosion away is in a fully enclosed hangar. Not only will it keep it from the rainfall but from the humid environment outside. When you look at an old metal hangar in humid environment you will notice that all the corrosion is on the outside while most of the inside is corrosion free. This is because the humid air condenses on the outside before reaching inside.

 

Another cause for premature problems is sun exposure. If you live in a sunny environment with temps reaching 90 or more like Phoenix the windows, paint, fuel tank sealant, interiors, engine hoses will age prematurely.  

 

Shelter benefits are nothing new. You see this on cars left outside vs those in a garage, specially on those parked by the beach.

 

Keep your plane in a hangar

 

José   

[Hector]

I live in Florida and keep my Mooney in a T- hangar. I apply corrosion-X every annual and fly it often. Corrosion has been a non-issue for me.

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