![]() ![]() So keep that in mind when setting your own expectations. If it was already fairly clean and you just added a wax, that is going to be a very different result than an airplane that hasn’t been cleaned in a year and gets a full on detailed wash and wax. But even if you’re able to accurately measure the difference, keep in mind that the results are going to vary a lot based on how dirty the airplane was before cleaning it. Measuring the airspeed before and after a wash or wax job can be very difficult to measure. And keeping the airplane that clean is something we should be doing anyway, regardless of the speed benefits. It’s not going to make a difference on your short flights, but on an 11-hour trip to Idaho that shaves off about 10-20 minutes. The result? While it’s hard to prove it like in the Mooney case study earlier, I can definitely attest that I got about 2 or more knots of airspeed back after a thorough cleaning. Surfaces pretty clean all the time, but these hard to reach areas had really Granted I keep the leading edges and visible It was pretty dirty as it had been six months Inch of the tops of the wings and fuselage, and also getting all of the oil and Of sandpaper on the wings that definitely slows things down.Ī few weekends ago I spent several hours cleaning off every On the other hand, when the belly of the plane is coated in oil, exhaust, and dust, that can really start to slow the airplane down.Īlso, the tops of the wings can tend to really build up someĭust and grime in the old T-hangar that I rent. If the airplane is already very clean and I simply add wax to it, it’s hard to really tell a difference. In my own personal experience with my Cessna 182, I usually only notice an appreciable difference from when the airplane is really dirty. Take for example the Texas to Idaho journey I mentioned earlier, and over theĬourse of 1400nm a few knot difference can start to add up. But over some distance it can really add up. Sure, that’s not enough to notice a difference when you’re The result? An increase of 2.82mph after the airplane had been waxed. These data points they could conclude overall averages for the before and after Indicated airspeed, true airspeed, and outside air temperature. Points of true airspeed along with the pressure altitude, density altitude, During these flights they measured many separate data They took a Mooney M20 on two separate flights, before andĪfter applying wax. That being said, one of my favorite articles and data points Applying wax takes time and so it’s difficult to get a true apples to apples comparison of one airplane before and after a wax job. Weather (temperature, dew point, density altitude, humidity, etc.) changes rapidly which will change the performance of the airplane. For as many people that report no change in airspeed you will find just as many people reporting that they do notice a small change.Įspecially on smaller aircraft it’s difficult to measure an appreciable change in airspeed before and after a waxing job, due to a number of factors. ![]() Proof You (Might) Fly Faster After Waxingįirst off, it’s worth acknowledging that this topic is highly debated in the flying community. In the rest of this post we’ll go over some specific real world examples of increases in airspeed, how often you should wash and wax the airplane, and some popular wash and wax products you can use today. Waxing will also help protect and preserve the body of the airplane from wear. ![]() For airplanes that cruise around 130-200 knots, waxing the airplane can add 2-4 knots to your cruise speed. So I did some research and also decidedĭepending on how dirty the airplane was prior to cleaning, a good wash or wax has been known to add a few knots of additional airspeed. While I was cleaning a considerable amount ofĪccumulated dirt, oil, and other grime, I wondered if my cleaning efforts mightĪctually make the airplane a little faster. Part of my checklist leading up to the trip was to clean theĪirplane really well so that I could do a thorough pre-flight inspection before A couple weekends ago I was preparing for a long crossĬountry trip from Texas to Idaho to do some back country instruction in the ![]()
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