How does ceramic coating helps in maintaining shine of airplanes

[Deepankar Goyal]

Ceramic coating enhances the shine of airplanes by creating a protective layer that repels dirt, moisture, and contaminants. This hydrophobic surface prevents buildup and oxidation, ensuring a glossy finish. Additionally, it reduces the frequency of cleaning, making maintenance easier while keeping aircraft looking sleek and polished.

 

 

[EricJ]

3 hours ago, Deepankar Goyal said:

Ceramic coating enhances the shine of airplanes by creating a protective layer that repels dirt, moisture, and contaminants. This hydrophobic surface prevents buildup and oxidation, ensuring a glossy finish. Additionally, it reduces the frequency of cleaning, making maintenance easier while keeping aircraft looking sleek and polished.

But can these coatings be effectively applied by an AI bot?

[AJ88V]

https://www.kovalentcoatings.com/the-founder/

Wonder if he owns a Mooney.  Maybe we can all get discounts, you know, since we're all like in the same club and all.

[Pinecone]

I just had mine done by a guy in the mid-Atlantic.  Looks FABULOUS.  And bugs just wipe off without any effort.

 

Daniel.  NuAire in Carlisle, PA

 

[PeteMc]

43 minutes ago, Pinecone said:

I just had mine done by a guy in the mid-Atlantic.  Looks FABULOUS.  And bugs just wipe off without any effort.

What do they tell you to maintain it with?  I've heard some people say to do the old fashion water wash with soap that doesn't affect it and to NOT use one of the spray on cleaning products.  But I would think there is a spray cleaner/polish that would work.  

And what about life expectancy.  I know for cars it can be over 5 years, but are planes in the 2-3 year range?

 

[EricJ]

I've been putting ceramic and ceramic-ish coatings on the airplane and cars for about five or six years.    The one application I did to the airplane is still holding up pretty well in most places, but it's hangared nearly all the time.    The cars (cars and a truck) have all held up well, too, but some of the easier, less expensive coatings seem to have gotten just as good and easier to use.   My truck is less than two years old and I put some Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating on it over a year ago and it's still doing great, but it's also garaged most of the time.    That's what I'm using now until something "better" comes along, and the next time the airplane needs redone I'll use it on that, too.   It's just a lot easier than the earlier ceramic coatings and so far seems to be holding up as well.

This stuff:

https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-53409-Solutions-Coating-16/dp/B07XYPS3PS

[wombat]

This guy does amazing reviews of all sorts of stuff.  Here is one where he reviews different ceramic coatings:   

 

[philiplane]

Forget the hassle and expense of "ceramic" coatings. You should try MAXL MAXEasy. It's easy to apply, repels everything, and lasts about year. It's not expensive either. It's a triphene coating with extreme hydrophobic qualities, so dirt and bugs don't stick, water slides right off, and the gloss is outstanding.

I've been using on the plane and the cars for six months so far. Unbelievable product! 

[N201MKTurbo]

Silanes are interesting chemicals. 

Rainx was the first commercial product.

[EricJ]

2 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Silanes are interesting chemicals. 

Rainx was the first commercial product.

Rainx used to be (as in fifteen years ago or so?) really common in racing paddocks for people who had deleted their windshield wipers or had acrylic or poly windscreens.    I used it a few times and it worked well enough, but we needed it so seldom in AZ that after a while most folks just didn't bother any more, or switched to other products.   It is pretty cool how this stuff has evolved and keeps going, though.   Pretty neat stuff.

[dkkim73]

I was recommended  Aquapel for glass windshields years ago. It works well on cars. Something pretty strong chemically I think, as you can hear a glass ampule crack as you activate the applicator, kind of like smelling salts, and visible fumes are emitted while you have a minute or two to apply it.  It's kind of like a super Rain-X/hydrophobic coating in effect, though seems to last longer. I looked around, and it sounds like it is *NOT* for Plexiglass (polycarbonate) though, or any plastic. Too bad. 

Had the detailer at the FBO go over the plane and she used Plane Perfect "1", which looks to be a silane. Seems to be working well. It's supposed to be a one-stop product, clean or protect, so I might get a jug and keep using it. Any PIREPs appreciated on this product. 
 

 

[philiplane]

The MAXL brand MAXEasy product I referenced above can be used on all paint, plastics, and glass.  

[N201MKTurbo]

I have experts on silanes at work, who have explained it to me too many times. I have seen the results in action. It is cool stuff. I could tell you way more, but I shouldn’t. The bonds are strong, but it won’t bond to everything. 

[MikeOH]

24 minutes ago, philiplane said:

The MAXL brand MAXEasy product I referenced above can be used on all paint, plastics, and glass.  

@philiplane

After your earlier posting I looked up the product on Amazon.  The troubling thing to me was that out of over 500 customer reviews about 50% gave it 5 stars, but 25% gave it 1 star!  There were repeated claims of 'spotting' and 'staining' that was very difficult to remove.

I also looked up the product @EricJ recommended, TurtleWax53409, which had nearly 25,000 reviews with 75% 5 stars (90% 5 or 4 stars) and only 3% dissatisfied (1 and 2 stars).

Not surprisingly, I've ordered up the TurtleWax to give it a try (lower cost, as well).

[Schllc]

8 hours ago, dkkim73 said:

I was recommended  Aquapel for glass windshields years ago. It works well on cars. Something pretty strong chemically I think, as you can hear a glass ampule crack as you activate the applicator, kind of like smelling salts, and visible fumes are emitted while you have a minute or two to apply it.  It's kind of like a super Rain-X/hydrophobic coating in effect, though seems to last longer. I looked around, and it sounds like it is *NOT* for Plexiglass (polycarbonate) though, or any plastic. Too bad. 

Had the detailer at the FBO go over the plane and she used Plane Perfect "1", which looks to be a silane. Seems to be working well. It's supposed to be a one-stop product, clean or protect, so I might get a jug and keep using it. Any PIREPs appreciated on this product. 
 

 

I’ve used plane perfect for a few years. Super easy to apply and lasts at least a year for a hangared plane, which isn’t bad for $35. It literally wipes on and off, zero effort. 

[mooniac58]

While this topic was stated by some kind of bot, I banned the user and kept the topic alive since it sparked some good conversation!

[N201MKTurbo]

While silanes will bond to many things, I don't think it will bond to all the stuff we are trying to protect. I think these products have a polymer glue that glues them to most of these surfaces. The glue bond is not as permanent as the chemical bond where the silanes become part of the surface.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silanization

At work we use the last paragraph under glassware.

[philiplane]

10 hours ago, MikeOH said:

@philiplane

After your earlier posting I looked up the product on Amazon.  The troubling thing to me was that out of over 500 customer reviews about 50% gave it 5 stars, but 25% gave it 1 star!  There were repeated claims of 'spotting' and 'staining' that was very difficult to remove.

I also looked up the product @EricJ recommended, TurtleWax53409, which had nearly 25,000 reviews with 75% 5 stars (90% 5 or 4 stars) and only 3% dissatisfied (1 and 2 stars).

Not surprisingly, I've ordered up the TurtleWax to give it a try (lower cost, as well).

I've had no such problems. I apply it on a dry surface after washing, rather than the wet method that can also be used. I would guess that spotting might occur using the wet method, if the water has contaminates in it. Like chlorine, minerals, or salts, which is very common. But the instructions also direct the user to towel dry the vehicle after using the wet method. Which is where some people might get lazy, and end up with spots. I don't see any way that the product itself could cause the problems they're having. 

All sealants require a clean surface first. Good sealants will seal any contamination or stains in, just as well as they seal the paint. So of course, those defects would be "hard to remove". 

I've also used all those others, and the previous best paint sealant I liked was Rejex. The only downside to Rejex is that it takes more effort in application. 

I've been using hydrophobic coatings in my mining equipment applications for ten years. Those coatings are applied more like clear coat, and they are designed to prevent mud and calcium dust from sticking. They dull the paint, but they do have a life span of 5-6 years. It seems that MAXL has figured out how to combine hydrophobic properties with high gloss, which are normally mutually exclusive.

[Pinecone]

17 hours ago, PeteMc said:

What do they tell you to maintain it with?  I've heard some people say to do the old fashion water wash with soap that doesn't affect it and to NOT use one of the spray on cleaning products.  But I would think there is a spray cleaner/polish that would work.  

And what about life expectancy.  I know for cars it can be over 5 years, but are planes in the 2-3 year range?

 

Installer said 5 - 7 years.  My plane is hangared, which helps.

He said for bugs, Wash Wax All Blue is fine.  Or water with a bit of Dawn.  He does not recommend using Wash Wax All Red on the belly.

But when I wiped the bug off the first time,  I think plain water will work fine.  Even a microfiber cloth damp with WWA Blue removed the bugs instantly with a single wipe.

He recommends products from Granitize.  XC-11G and XG-5G.  Only place I could find them was Sky Geeks and they wanted more to ship than to puchase.  $68 shipping for a gallon of each

[Pinecone]

The coatings used by a GOOD installer are not available retail.  Many have training and certification requirements to purchase and install their products.

I like the idea of not having to redo it annually.

[AndreiC]

12 minutes ago, Pinecone said:

The coatings used by a GOOD installer are not available retail.  Many have training and certification requirements to purchase and install their products.

I like the idea of not having to redo it annually.

Ballpark, how much did it cost to have it done? And how much of it was "paint correction" -- i.e., buffing and cleaning the paint? My plane has 30 years old paint which is ok-ish but nothing like what is in your picture, and I was hoping to bring it back to life without the hassle and expense of repainting. I am wondering if I could hope to get results that look similar to what you have.

But if it's over $3-4k it'll have to wait, there are other priorities... (as always).

[Pinecone]

I paid $1850.  And my paint was in pretty good shape.

Not sure the breakdown, but the ceramic used is something like $600 a bottle.

[201Steve]

The problem with some of the pro installers is that they get hooked on certain products for years. They took a class, maybe it was a good product, maybe not, but they get hooked on what they know and the brands are happy to keep selling it to Them for a steep price. Sometimes they get dated and sometimes they weren’t that good to begin with. Overall, they don’t seem to do much shopping.

[icurnmedic]

I used this. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CNMTF8M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

A little goes a long way!Then I maintain after each flight with https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Hybrid-Ceramic-Wax-Shine/dp/B08XSFKC4H/ref=sr_1_6?crid=34GMTEFWB2ITC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.m54Auii6uiWK_KHCL1H-xH9qn1pJV0oXOaJ4BfBD9r8KaaHkvQQShHo5q0H5Oy0hy7CuIu8BUSGs1jHKvk5bpqAcUsbQXMhM5zVV3ZoSx9OCu4WPvTq8JEd93oT7BJCOfvnT_qyvKWszdz5puLTJBIugs8adF1zXSWoDigW2xe6QblOj66pBbDEtqW2awdbeHTvGF3S_bm5UfITJQNRWr0StGG2XKamAPtBojJgdYKibcKIQB6T8qp0k9rWnOC7qSXojPy-oJ4Pi7C6K71cjdubAgl-0jd9vQmKu2RMNfag.vxup1BVf0muHQCMpXEpNmyhVDnbEEWbpOhi0IGVBcEs&dib_tag=se&keywords=meguiars+ceramic+hybrid+wax&qid=1727930006&sprefix=McGuire+ceramic%2Caps%2C327&sr=8-6

makes so much easier to keep clean.

[ziggysanchez]

The dependability of any coating is greatly based on the prepping the surface properly thats being coated. The other most important factor is how much that coating is exposed to the elements and chemicals used for cleaning. I've been ceramic coating airplanes since 2010. Early coatings were very difficult to apply and weren't very durable. Modern coatings are much easier to apply and much more durable. A professional grade coating will definitely last much longer and be more durable than a consumer grade coating when applied to a properly prepped surface.

We actually use coatings now that are true 4 year or true 8 year coatings. They are guaranteed to last that long or longer without any maintenance. Most other coatings will only last as long as they claim if maintained according to the manufacturers standards.  It's the only coating I've ever used that's extremely scratch resistant and also resists bug etching.

For an aircraft the size of a Mooney our prices start at between $2200 and $2700 (depending on model and how bad the paint is) with a 4 year coating. Add another $400 for the 8 year coating. Price may increase based on the amount of time needed to paint correct and polish the aircraft. Paint that is in poor shape would add a little to the cost. If we fly to your location fuel and hotel expenses would be added to the cost. Expect for your aircraft to be down for at least 2-3 days for the process to be complete. If any of you are interested in our process I'd be happy to send you a message with all the details.

Check out our work at: https://www.facebook.com/superioraircraftdetail