Q26.
What material must be avoided as a substitute to
aluminum oxide abrasive cloth and why?
CLEANING EQUIPMENT
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify the
cleaning compounds used in aircraft cleaning
and the procedures for washing aircraft.
Cleaning aircraft surfaces requires the correct
cleaning materials and the use of properly maintained
equipment. The choice of equipment depends upon
several factors. Some of these are the amount of
cleaning regularly performed, the type of aircraft,
location of the activity, and the availability of air
pressure, water, and electricity. Several types of
specialized equipment are available for cleaning
aircraft. These include pressure-type tank sprayers, a
variety of spray guns and nozzles, high-pressure
cleaning machines. and industrial-type vacuum
cleaners. One piece of specialized equipment, the
automatic water spray nozzle, is shown in figure 4-4.
A device used for the fast, economical cleaning of
aircraft is a swivel-type, conformable applicator
cleaning kit (fig. 4-5). Its design allows you to clean
aircraft exteriors faster than with cotton mops or
bristle brushes. Its official designation is the Aircraft
Cleaning Kit No. 251. The swivel and applicator head
is attached to a standard brush handle. Because it
conforms to the surface, the applicator allows easier
application of a constant scrubbing pressure on curved
skin panels. It does this by keeping the brushes in
maximum contact with the surface. When you use
these brushes, you must make sure they do not cause
a FOD problem.
CLASSIFICATION AND
REMOVAL OF SOILS
Soils may be classified and removed as described
below:
Lightly soiled surfaces (dirt, dust, mud, salt, and
soot). Use the proper mixture of MIL-C-85570 and fresh
water.
Moderately soiled surfaces (hydraulic oils,
lubricating oils, and light preservatives). Use a proper
mixture of MIL-C-85570 and fresh water.
Heavily soiled surfaces (carbonized oils, aged
preservatives, grease, gun blast deposits, and exhaust
Figure 4-4.—Automatic water spray nozzle.
4-10
