Black "corrosion" on wings, any ideas?

SPAJC

SPAJC

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jeff
Greetings all!

I'm going to post some pictures of the black substance that I described in my last posting of questions. Anyone who has experience with this stuff or ideas on how to remove it without causing damage, your insight would be greatly appreciated!


As previously stated, it is a coarse black substance that has the feel of a very coarse sand paper. It is set in pretty hard and I am not sure how to get it off wothout causing damage. Not worried about the paint job, just the material underneath. Thanks in advance!
 
Pic:

uge5u2uz.jpg



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looks more like dirt or dried moss to me. Wash it first.
 
Get it wet, maybe lay a wet towel on it and let it soak awhile. It is not corrosion. After softening it up hose as much off as possible and then use something like Simple Green or Purple Power. I get this stuff on my camper. Were there any trees nearby where the aircraft was parked?
 
No, no trees close by. But it is sitting in a "depression" so to speak, so maybe some surface stuff settled on it. There is another airplane with the same issue sitting at the airport right now that is in the open as well, so maybe not related to trees and such...don't know, but I will try. Thank you!


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I've got an old mazda junk truck, and it has that stuff around the bed near the gas cap. It scrapes off with my finger nail. I'm guessing it's some type of mold.
 
That looks like the fungus I would get on the deck of my boat or painted parts that would occasionally get wet and bake in the sun all day. ( Hard and gritty)

I would use water / vinegar solution and baking soda on a scrub brush to remove it. (figured this is less damaging than chemicals and would not damage the painted areas or plastic) .

What I found was any area that did not have a good coating of wax was susceptible to this (you could actually see it start in small pores of the fiberglass and grow after weeks in the sun)
 
Mmmm... mold-alicious.

Time to get the Simple Green (Aviation type) out and get to scrubbing. Don't sprain your shoulder like I did though. :)

There's also this "home remedy" that's supposed to work really well for mold on auto/aircraft surfaces:

1
Apply a few drops of olive oil to a rag. Rub down the mold, effectively lubricating the paint on the automobile to prevent damage by abrasion. Remove as much of the mold as possible by wiping it with a wool buffing pad. Wipe vigorously in a circular, clockwise motion.

2
Dampen a rag with mineral spirits. Kill the mold by wiping it with the mineral spirits. Allow the mineral spirits to sit for 10 seconds and then dry it using a clean, fresh rag.

3
Dampen a rag with white vinegar. Apply the vinegar to the mold using the rag. Wipe the mold in a circular, clockwise motion for 20 seconds using a terry cloth, and then rinse the surface using a water hose.
 
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Hard and gritty is definitely a great description of it...i also could scrape some off on a fingernail and some wouldnt come off like that....i will try your suggestions! Thanks


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I thought about simple green. We used it to wash airplanes with it when i was in the civil air patrol when i was 12 and i remember it being very effective and all purpose. I guess i am going to load my truck up with non corrosive chemicals and go to town with it....


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I'd suggest the aviation version of simple green. It is safe on aluminum.

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It will come off with a little elbow grease. Soft brush and a good cleaning product,be carefull using simple green ,it reacts with aluminum.
 
The aviation simple green will help get that stuff off. I know owners that have had better results with Carbon-X. Any product you use will still require a lot of elbow grease as noted above.
 
Any of the cleaners people are mentioning here will work. Take your time. Soak it and let it softwn. Don't scrub too hard or you wil have bare metal. When it is virtually all off you will have some hazy, dark-discolored paint, at that point switch to paint rubbing compound and then turtle wax.
 
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