Rain-X

[Heather Poe]

It has been mentioned that Rain-X (http://www.rainx.com/BB/default.htm) might prevent some of the loss of lift (due to airfoil shape changes) that is typically observed while flying in the rain (http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=638 post #10, http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6584 post #7). However, my search of the forum has not found an answer based on actual use. This issue is important for my flying in the Seattle area. Does anyone have a definitive answer? A similar product RejeX, http://www.corrosionx.com/articles/AvConsumer4_03.pdf, has also been used to minimize accumulation of bug goo.
Thanks,
Heather

[Gary_in_Orygun]

I always wipe my blades down with a liquid car wax after each flight. (Forgot the name now.) So, my blades are always are clean and shiny and rain repellent to a degree. The bugs come off easy too. I have flown in a number of rain showers and have not noticed any difference in flight characteristics (I'm down in the Portland area of the PNW).

[Al_Hammer]

Heather, I would think that if Rain repellant worked to prevent leading edge droplets from forming, it would be used on airplane/helo wings routinely.

This article talks about the adverse effects of rain on the Voyager wing and how they solved the problem with vortex generators.
http://aarls.eng.ohio-state.edu/projects/voyager.html