Cleaning Blades

Chopnotch

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Joined
May 8, 2010
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81
Location
DFW Texas
What's good for cleaning the rotor blades? I am wanting to make these old blades shine but, don't want to damage the aluminum by using the wrong thing. Do you guys wax your blades?
 
Chopnotch- Get some "Purple" from Ernie Boyette. You can have some nice looking blades using just this stuff. Its goe on like liquid car wax. If you really want a mirror finish.....its not really that much extra work.



Stan
 
Thanks Stan. I just did a search for a vendor. Where would one purchase it and can you think of a similar product which is widely available?
 
Stu and I were using it the other day on our rotors. Brought them up very nicely.

Stan has described his process on his build thread for 'showroom quality, concourse d'elegance finish, using the purple polish. Caution. The resulting shine can damage eyesight without the appropriate eye-protection.:eek:
 
I like it! I used it. That green stuff is very neat. It does desensitize the surface like nothing else without being harsh on the AL.
 
now see how you guys are, now I am going to have to polish my blades.

Naw need to kill more bugs with them first...lol

beside if i got them to slick the tree frogs would slid off.
 

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about 15 years ago Tom Sudrete polished his benson blades to a highly polished mirror like finish, after he went out and flown the blades, he returned claiming he was going to have to buy longer blades, because the blades would not perform and produce lift as they should. There was much discussion about this problem, to include he deformed the blades.
Walt Bullerwell explained that the blades were losing boundry layer. Take some SCOTCH BRITE and scuff the top of the blades and they will return to performing as they had in the past.
Tom had a whipped puppy look as he scuffed the blades, but when he returned from the first flight, it was all smiles.

So Boundry layer being something to consider as we clean our wings, at what point do we polish away ,or not, the lift being produced.

Oh yea! this might ignite a fire storm of discussion? Lets see
 
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Oh my good Lord.

Stan! Hey Stan, read this post quick.:eek:

Better get the sander out.:(
 
Leigh- If my helicopter doesn't lift the skids off with 62000 rpm and full collective, I have some 40 grit ready to go! Hap Miller's. Helicycle blades can start fires they asre so shiny, and I don't recall his machine lacking a bit in performance. Stan
 
Suck it and see!.

There have been numerous reports about blade polishing, sometimes with good, sometimes with poor, results.
It appears that some folk push their blades nearer to optimum lift/drag by polishing them
while some go further away from the optimum.
This probably relates to the individual machine, by weight, blade pitch, and other
variables.
My experience was in this area was a little peculiar.
I roughed up my 23ft extruded rotorhawks with a scotchbrite pad, more to clean them
up than anything.
My RRPM dropped from 360 to 320, with no noticeable performance difference.
I repitched to bring them back to 360. Dreadful performance. Higher takeoff and landing
speeds in particular. So I repitched again back to 320. Back to normal performance.
Since then, it has very slowly crept back up to 360, with no performance change.

My feeling is that I have gone from slightly ahead of, to slightly behind the optimum
L/D, or vice versa.

I suspect the performance variation might not be so noticeable on a more powerful gyro.

If anyone has any opinions on whether 320 is better or worse than 360, I'm listening.
In a rollover I'd prefer 320, in the flare I'd prefer 360.
 
First off, we all should know that "rotor wash is the best thing for cleaning rotor blades. LOL. Funny but true side to that was years ago the U.S. Air Force actually had a NSN for - Rotor Wash, a blade cleaning product that won me a case of beer from my, Army, maintenance sergeant when he ran the numbers through our supply.

There is truth and myth to both statements as presented on this forum in regards to polishing and roughing rotor blades. First, a good cleaning is the best thing for your rotor blades in regards to performance and corrosion protection. Polishing should not be performed, wax is sometimes authorized for some blades and aircraft manufacturers. Roughness does have some benefits but it is short lived and you ruin your blades. (I.E.) When Hughes Helicopters set out to break the speed record with the OH-6 the engineers had a special little machine to put a swirl pattern to the leading edge of the blades, they got their record. I have heard of Westland using a similar method. But this is definately not something a person would want to do on a set of normal everyday rotor blades and in the cases sited above I heard the blades where used only for those record attempts and then destroyed.

Best advise follow the cleaning procedures outlined by your blade or aircraft manufacturer. They also, normally, have a list of recommended products to use on your rotor blades. Some products can actually be harmful to the adhesives in your blades over time.

Ken
 
Use Johnsons baby oil.
Try it and see.
I use it also for all stainless steel home appliances (fridge a.s.o.) and all stains and fingers prints are gone. Brush with smooth cloth.
 
That's an interesting one Giorgos. Since both my son's have young should be some lying around.

I might just give that a try...on the fridge.

I already have the Purple Polish, but the stainless steel cleaner I have for the house does a lousy job.
 
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