Fuid Thin Film Coating (FTFC) – before covering ?

[PBY Catalina]

Happy New Year everybody !


In my modest aviation culture, assembling aluminum parts without the slightest anti-corrosion protection is rather considered like an heresy. But considering all the arguments, I decided to follow CC’s manuals closely and not apply any primer before assembling the wings.

However, I consider the application of FTCF. (“CorrosionX” in this case)

My question:
Are there contraindications to the application of FTCF before (and after) covering?

Yves

[ZackJones]

This is a great product for corrosion protection and lubrication in one bottle

[aeroaddict]

It is my understanding that CorrosionX is applied to fully metal aircraft. It is not uncommon to have older GA (Cessna, Piper, Beech,...) to have CorrosionX sprayed into the wings and fuse. Where it will drip out from the wings and fuse for many hours.

I personally would not apply it to a soon to be fabric covered aircraft. I would be concerned it would eventually run down onto the fabric interior.

If concerned about corrosion I would prime interior parts (adds weight, most sheet metal parts are Aclad). Extra information here: Two pack paint wings for corrosion proof before covering (supercub.org)

When I was building an RV7 there was GREAT discussions on whether to prime or not. I could never understand why people would spend hours scuffing off the great almost pure aluminum (Aclad) corrosion protection to add prime and paint for better corrosion protection. And a ton of weight.

I guess it comes down to personal choice.

Considering this was Posted in January, what did you decide to do?

[PBY Catalina]

Hello Dan,

Alclad is a very thin layer of pure aluminium that is a good protection, but who do not give you any insurance that your airplane will not be rapidly invaded by corrosion.

As a homebuilder I’m a beginner, but professionally I have been very concerned by airplane corrosion. I have seen airliners who were very badly damaged and AOG due to corrosion on painted Alclad after only 4 years of operations.

We are drilling hundreds of little holes in our EX, each one that can be the start of future intergranular corrosion. But my future EX2 will not be used as an Airliners and will be most of the time well protected in a dry hangar. After reading many discussions about this very controversial subject, and asking the opinion of technician’s specialists in corrosion protection, I decided not to cover my airplane with primer but to use FTFC products.

Apparently, there is no problem to use CorrosionX on fabric as long it’s not used before covering and the painting dry. I will wait one or two months after the covering and the painting before spaying the CorrosionX.



Yves

[aeroaddict]

Thanks for the interesting update.

Let us know how the CorrosionX application works out.

Cheers,
Dan

[David H]

I applied CorrosionX to the inside of my EX2 fuselage frame right after unpacking the big box. I sprayed it in the open holes that are present in the bare fuselage using the thin tube supplied with the can. I made no attempt to fog it as the professionals do.
It was dripping out months later during the fuselage assembly when I would rotate the fuselage.

I never had any issues with covering or paint. Two years post completion and I have no bleed through on the paint (Stewart Systems). Perhaps all the rotating of the fuselage during assembly allowed my over application to drip out. It really does not take much. The liquid you spray in "crawls" along the metal for months.

So?? A very small amount of effort for a hoped for anticorrosion benefit.
I would definitely do it again. (but only two years out and not living near salt water is not a very definitive test). CorrosionX is an amazingly good product.

Cheers!
David