ekau20

what can i do to keep the plane from getting so dirty from all the oily residue that come out from the engine during flight?
can i put one of these silicone tubes to deflect the emission away from the plane?
how is it called in the shops? (sorry beginner does not know the name)
thanks
Eran

LuckyArmpit

Called an exhaust deflector. Fits on the exhaust and is held on by two zip ties. However, you lose about 200 rpm using it.
Also, to clean your plane after flying, use something like this....

40 oz. water
1 cup Rubbing Alcohol
1/2 cup Amonnia
1 oz. Dish Washing Soap (not dish washing machine soap)

Put this stuff in a spray bottle. Spray on plane and wipe off. Works good.

Dave...

bbbair

I do not want to ruin your day, but if you are really bothered by the clean up or mess involved with glow fuel you only have three options;
Go Electric,
Go to Gassers (think 1/4 scale),
Find a new hobby.

I actually have some friends that hate the mess so much they fly both electric a 1/4 scale gassers.

They have a saying; "To Slime is a Crime!"

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

In addition to directing some of the slime away from the plane, the exhaust deflector also makes the engine a bit quieter. Do not expect it to fix your problem entirely. Your plane will still get some slime on it. While I am at the field I occasionally wipe the slime off the plane. When I finish for the day I use a spray cleaner and paper towels to give it a good cleaning. That way it's already clean for the next flying session. As has already been mentioned, if the slime is a big problem you might consider flying electrics.

Personally, I would have trouble switching to electrics entirely, I'm addicted to the smell of burning castor oil

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

***QUANDARY ALERT!!!***

Don't think for a moment that flying electric or gas will break you of flying glow! I really enjoy the size and power of my gassers, and I fly electrics in the winter and spring to avoid glow oil cleanup....

But sooner or later, the call of the glowplug just overpowers me, and I'm back at it! Sort of like, "resistance is futile...." etc. Just yesterday I flew a brand new ½A Mustang, and a newly repaired Sukhoi, both glow, and picked them up and said "Oh, yah. The oil." Of course, I wasn't carrying enough paper towels, but I still had the spray cleaner in the truck. Ah, well.

Good luck with this one!
Dave Olson

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

There is a product called SprayAway available at Costco stores that does not contain ammonia. Best window cleaner I've ever found and it works like magic on engine exhaust sludge. Best part is it comes in aerosol cans.

Live Wire

K&N air cleaner Cleaner, spray on wash of with water, wipe dry and you can repair most coverings and they will stick!!
Try it you will like it!!!!!!

gjeffers

like everyone else said,its a mess. so i just rely on rags-rags-rags. but i cant give up on the real thrill of an engine. no electricts for me!!!! oh and keep an extra rag in your back pocket.

Fletch124

My Feedback: (7)

one thing that i use is go and get a good degreaser then add some rubbing alcohol to and wamm there you go you'll get all the oil off the wing and you disinfect it. hehe.

CafeenMan

I've found that exhaust deflectors don't work that well and they're always falling off and getting lost. I don't waste my money any more. bbbair is right. You have choices, but if you want your plane to stay clean, then using glow engines isn't one of them.

Wing-Ding

Sometimes repositioning your exhaust helps quite a bit. Just loosen the screw that runs down the middle of the muffler, rotate the exhaust so that it points away from your plane (if it's not already) and then re-tighten.

waynem

My Feedback: (58)

I have been using windex with a spray bottle and soft rags. Works for me. wayne

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

I fly glow. I try to have the exhaust come out the bottom of the plane. It make a huge difference. Generally, the belly has a little residue and the rest of the plane is almost spotless.

Then when it come to cleaning up, Try Viva paper towels. They feel like cloth and they are extremely absorbant. This is very important if you want to keep your plane looking new for years.

And believe it or not, the runway makes a difference to. A clean runway helps. If you just take a leaf blower to the runway now and then it helps.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

I've found something that I really like to help with clean-up. Baby wipes. The cheap generic type work fine.

Just wipe the sludge off the plane, one wipe will usually clean the whole thing. They do tend to leave streaks, but a quick wipe with Windex or similar takes the streaks off.
Dennis-

Cyclic Hardover

My Feedback: (3)

Windex works very well

Daryl_y

Wipe off what you can with paper towels then use some brand of foaming glass cleaner for a no "streak shine" . Generic brands of Citrus spray cleaner work well too. Stuff like Windex and 409 don't work very well INMO

BlackB12

My Feedback: (9)

I've been using Windex for years to clean. Works for me. Recently I ran out of Windex and tried Orange Clean. That too, worked and of course smelled like oranges, which was better than the ammonia smell with windex. Both worked about the same overall.

MIke

RTang

this one is faily clean!

It is a small aeroplane though, with a 0.09 ci 2 stroke. I made a new muffler so the exhaust exit was parallel to fuse rather than at 90 degrees with the stock one. It has thin cardboard made into a tube that on the outside is cellotape. Right now it makes a different noise and is slightly louder as the vibrating engine is in contact with the pipe and making it resonate. But it works.

Note that this one is only a diverter and is note fully connected to the exhaust outlet of the muffler.

Probably would not do this on a bigger engine cause of higher temperatures, airspeed, and it does not look that good.

But what i will do on my bigger plane that is nearly finished is have the exhaust coming out on the underside, and keeping this area smooth and free eg the antenna goes some where else, so it is easier to clean.

ELTIGRE

mounting the engine sideways &using a "pitts style " muffler helps considerably. most engine men DO NOT recommend exhaust deflectors due to excessive back pressure &heat build up. a very short extension possiblyto redirect but anything over2-3" not recommended.

Bruno Stachel

My Feedback: (4)

Another option would be to use 4 stroke engines. They are a bit more expensive, but they won't spew as much slime on your plane. You'll like the sound, and cleanup will be easier.

TheParrot

Until you get to the bigger 4 strokes. My OS 91 makes a bigger emss than my 46 FX.