Anybody done anything this stupid?

[Yooper Rocketman]

Just finishing up my annual this year, and thanks to recent joining of this forum, I am more motivated than I have been in a while about my Mooney.  (Must confess, working and spending a pile of money on another project pretty hard right now).  First I installed vinyl on the window corners for the "newer look", which I DO like.  Then I washed it and decided to wax it, doing the blue sections with some special "blue tinted" wax, left over from my Chevelle, that will fill and cover small imperfections.  Have yet to do the white on the top of the plane (wings, horz, vert and fuselage), as I am waiting for my order of spinner and regular "California" wax products this forum so nicely made me aware of.  Anyway, once I got the fuselage sides and tops of the inside and outside wing surfaces waxed, I thought, why not do the bottom since it's nice a clean.  I had some regular car wax good enough for the bottom.  Well, I worked from 7 PM last night until 1 AM waxing the entire bottom of the aircraft.  I had never done that before and never realized what a project that would be.  My wrists are pretty sore today. Water spots were on the camera, not the plane.

 

Think I'll gain a knot in cruise?

[Hank]

I figure one Mooney waxing is 3-4 cars worth of sheet metal, to say nothing of the extra effort required to do the belly and the bottoms of the wings and tail. Congrats, she looks great! When finished, a fresh wax is generally held to be worth 3-5 knots.

P.S.-- I have the one piece belly, and wax it while it's off for annual. It helps reduce the effort a little.

[aviatoreb]

You can come by my hangar any time.  Bring your wax!

 

I never did that...I should but I don't.  I clean it sometimes....

 

HEY!  Yours is the only other rocket I have ever seen besides mine with tks.  VERY cool!

[Piloto]

I like your window vinyl round covers. They look nice. As for the bottom wax job, anyone seeing it from the ground when you take off will be really impress.

José

[Yooper Rocketman]

I figure one Mooney waxing is 3-4 cars worth of sheet metal, to say nothing of the extra effort required to do the belly and the bottoms of the wings and tail. Congrats, she looks great! When finished, a fresh wax is generally held to be worth 3-5 knots.

P.S.-- I have the one piece belly, and wax it while it's off for annual. It helps reduce the effort a little.

Ya, I should have thought of that. Next year I'll wax the panels I DO take off on the bench.

I DID say stupid, didn't I?

[Yetti]

Can't believe you removed all that free bottom panel oil corrosion protection.  People pay lots of money to spray oil on their aluminum.

[Yooper Rocketman]

You can come by my hangar any time.  Bring your wax!

 

I never did that...I should but I don't.  I clean it sometimes....

 

HEY!  Yours is the only other rocket I have ever seen besides mine with tks.  VERY cool!

yep, flying in the Great Lake area it is almost a requirement. I have my fourth TKS system ordered from them right now for my project. Getting to know those guys pretty well.

[Yooper Rocketman]

I like your window vinyl round covers. They look nice. As for the bottom wax job, anyone seeing it from the ground when you take off will be really impress.José

Thanks Jose

[Yooper Rocketman]

Can't believe you removed all that free bottom panel oil corrosion protection.  People pay lots of money to spray oil on their aluminum.

Ya, if I could just do without the lead crap coming out of the exhaust, cleaning the bottom would be a piece of cake.

[Yooper Rocketman]

 

HEY!  Yours is the only other rocket I have ever seen besides mine with tks.  VERY cool!

Eric,

I learned something pretty valuable in regards to a vey expensive repair to TKS systems. Will post that experience soon.

[Hank]

Ya, if I could just do without the lead crap coming out of the exhaust, cleaning the bottom would be a piece of cake.

I use Aero Cosmetics Wash & Wax, Degreaser formula for my belly pan, it takes about 10 minutes while it's leaning against the wall, no scrubbing required. Spray on, wipe off, buff. I generally do it in quarters, top left, bottom left, top right, bottom right. Piece of cake!

[N201MKTurbo]

I look at the top of the plane, so it gets waxed. Those ground pounders get to look at the bottom. If they don't like it they can wax it.

[Yooper Rocketman]

Guess look at the subject line. I admitted stupidity. :>)

[Jim Peace]

What is going on with the C model behind yours?

[Yooper Rocketman]

What is going on with the C model behind yours?

That is actually an "E" model. My hangar partner is an A&P and has owned and maintained that for 33 years. He is helping me on the IVPT right now and has a crazy medical condition that the FAA requires about $10K in tests every year to get his third class medical. Amazingly, he gets a special issuance every time, and the issue would have never been even discovered had he not done a voluntary "calcium test", as it appears his issue was from birth. So........he's working on all the tests to submit his medical again, thanks to being a Nam vet and the VA Hospital. If not for that, he would have sold the plane by now. We repainted not too long ago, after extensive speed mods ( I did one fuel tank reseal for him, after doing 2 on my F model) and he redid the interior and added a Garmin 430. It is a pretty sweet E model, flying 155 knots on 8 gallons an hour.

Another clear case of why the third class medical need to go away!

[ryoder]

I have waxed the bottom of mine. I have a porter cable polisher and have waxed the entire airplane with it. I did it in sections starting with one wing at a time and used Meguiars cleaner wax. I find that waxing is a cheap way to enjoy my bird while listening to good music in solitude.

[Danb]

looks great may pick up a knot or two, i wax under the plane 2 times a yr and the rest about 4 times, about every 3 flights i spray clean the bottom and wipe the bugs off every flight, that way it never takes to long and always looks good plus if something starts leaking its easy to see since generally clean/ always looks like crap after a vacation if i need to keep it outside for a few days....yours now looks like new..

[triple8s]

GoJo without the grit is great for removing the oil,lead,grimy goo from the belly and it leaves shine behind.

[Shadrach]

you need one of these:  

 

http://www.humanhoist.com/

[Yooper Rocketman]

.................plus if something starts leaking its easy to see since generally clean..................

 

I found a couple things I (nor my A&P and our IA) didn't see during the annual.  There are some loose rivets on the "bump out" fairings that are mounted just aft of the wheels when they are tucked into the wing.  Easy fix, but did not notice until rubbing a rag across them to polish.  They were not obvious even during the washing, and I use a mitt.  Like you say, getting up close and personal gives you a closer look at everything.

 

Someday I will share my declared emergency this past February, and how knowing your plane well helps.  I been a little too active for a newbie for now.

[HRM]

Jee-zus, you could put Redi-whip on it and lick it off!

[DXB]

Not gonna lie- I'm a little obsessed with improving a couple of aesthetic aspects of my plane that are even stupider.   "Fortunately" for me, so far more substantive mechanical issues have come up often enough to take my mind off this stuff 

[bonal]

Not gonna lie- I'm a little obsessed with improving a couple of aesthetic aspects of my plane that are even stupider.   "Fortunately" for me, so far more substantive mechanical issues have come up often enough to take my mind off this stuff 

 

 

Sir I strongly recommend you take that back one should never jinx a winning streak

[Andy95W]

"Stupid is as stupid does, Forrest."

-Mrs. Gump

"You're a better man than I, Gunga Din."

- Rudyard Kipling

"Holy crap, and I thought I was weird!"

-me

[Yooper Rocketman]

"Stupid is as stupid does, Forrest."

-Mrs. Gump

"You're a better man than I, Gunga Din."

- Rudyard Kipling

"Holy crap, and I thought I was weird!"

-me

Yep, and you're a Michigander too!!