WHAT WORKS THE BEST FOR CLEANING THE OIL OFF A PLANE AFTER FLYING? I HAVE TREID WINDEX AND OTHERS BUT THEY DONT SEEM TO CUT THE OIL. WONDERING WHAT WORKS THE BEST. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

I like orange 409. It's some of the cheeper stuff and works great for me. My plane smells nice too.

Mike18

I use 50% windex 50% alchohol.....works great

I use 3 equal parts of Ammonia- rubbing alcohol- and water- with just a couple drops of liquid dishwashing detergent.

Dirty cheap and works great- just don't take a big whiff of the stuff. It'll knock ya on your butt.

One problem with ammonia, it tends to break down Monokote after a period of time. I use the same formula that Groundforce uses and it works good.

1 oz. Dawn dish liquid
16 oz. Isopropal Alcohol
111 oz. Water
Mix all ingredients in a gallon bottle

Did anyone think to use a little auto wax on your birds before you flew? If you do, then the oil will come right off with what ever you use for a cleaner, and it will fly better too!

Use Denatured alcohol. I use to get it from work by the gallon. If you don't have that, then try 409. It works great.

Like many of you, I've found that whatever works well will work even better when you add alcohol. The windex and alcohol works great with and equal part of water added.

You mean that you guys CLEAN your airplanes?

Any type of alcohol is a dehesive, 409 leaves a soapy film and wax well myself is a bit more then I want to do but a good idea,(May give this a try).

Just simple ole windex glass cleaner is all you need, as far as ammonia breaking down material, I have never seen it, besides even if it did, it would not happen over night, if at all.

I tried using the denatured alcohol and started noticing my decals and covering starting to lift off, it dawned on me that it was the alcohol that was causing it. I stopped with the alcohol and the peeling stopped. 409 left a soapy film and I noticed no cleaning difference between windex and the 409.

Windex and scotty paper towles, thats all you need, keep it quick and simple. Fly, spray, wipe and go home.

Randy

If you look at the Windex bottles you will see that there is some alcohol in it. thats what makes it dry so quick

Hmmm... Don't see any alcohol in the three bottles I have?

I have some ammonia free with vinegar and some ammonia-D nothing said about alcohol.


Randy

I went to the Windex website and searched for alcohol. The only thing that came up was references to Glade.

Have you guys tried baby wipes ? I use it all the time with excellent results. Also be careful about using windex as it contains ammonia which can cause seams to lift. Cheers.......

Mix equal parts water, simple green concentrate & 90% rubbing alachol. Put in spray bottle and spray it on and watch the oily residue run off. Wipe clean with a rag. For the best shine and oil proofing use Meguires liquid fine scratch remover/polish.

Yup. Works great.

Put a SAITO on your machine, it will always come back clean.......
Dennis (Red Bluff) Real airplanes have 2 wings and round motors

Flatbeddennis, I'm not sure what brand of Saito you are using but my 100 is my most messiest motor. It leaves enough residue on my Edge to equal two mid sized 2 strokes.

Randy

BABY WIPES!!!!! Or "COTTONELLE" wipes,(for big kids like us)

One thing about these is they come in their own carrying case, you pull one out (usually takes two for two strokes) and close the top back up. And you can carry them right in your field box.
Plus when it's time to leave the field, you grab one for your hands, and face. (you don't want to do that with ammonia)

I use these most of the time and once in a while I'll grab a squirt bottle of detergent and water and give them a thorough cleaning.

Oh,Yea! Since I have a 20 month young grandson, They're in every vehicle I drive.

DESERT RATT

I would look into that Blackie, I have never had a 4-s that put out ANYWHERE near the amount of oil that a 2 stroke puts out.

In fact, earlier in this thread, I made a joking reference to the fact that I don't clean my airplanes. But the fact of the matter is that when I am flying 4-strokes (which is most of the time), I rarely ever need to clean them. I may have to wipe a few flakes of grass off them, but that's about it.

I'll try thinning it out a bit and see if that helps.

Randy

Randy,
I have a Saito 72 on my Super Stearman. Its my first 4 stroke, and I hate 2 strokes now. I won't fly my Super Sportster anymore because I tired of cleaning the oil off the tail and side of it after every flight. It has a OS 46 FX on it. I fly the Stearman 5 or 6 times for 10 or so minutes each flight every nite. When Im done, 1 paper towell and about 20 seconds cleans it up like I never flew it at all. And I might add that that the Saito 72 uses less fuel than the OS 46 FX. Both my low and high speed are one and a half turns out. The only oil on the plane which is very little, is on the bottom from the crankcase breather hose which I have poking straight down thru a gromet out of the cowling.
Dennis (Red Bluff)

Real airplanes have 2 wings and round motors...........

50% denatured alcohol and 50% windshield washer solution with bug cleaner. Works great.

HI Guys,

Here is another vote for Baby Wipes. A young friend (Dago_Red) in my club got me on to these about a year or so ago.

After using these, I don't ever want to go back to the mess of paper towels and liquid cleaners.

Plus, when you are done, the plane sure smells good!