HELPFUL HINTS
"WINTERIZING" YOUR AIRPLANES
by Roy Bourke
Several modellers have asked me recently how to prepare their aircraft, engines and radio equipment for storage over the winter. Here is what I would recommend:
AIRPLANE. The aircraft itself really needs little to prepare it for storage, other than a good cleaning. It is quite a job to get oil and grit off after- it has dried on over a winter, so give the airplane a good cleaning outside and in the engine compartment and other areas where oil and grit can collect. You could use a household detergent, or a cleaner such as Fantastik, but I findthat Varsol works better.
Simple covers for your wings are easy to make out of cotton (old bed sheets, etc.) and do a really good job of protecting the wings from dust and "hangar rash" during storage. I keep all my wings on storage racks, and I use the wing covers year 'round.
Store the aircraft in a clean location that is humidified to the same level as the rest of your home. Inside aircan get pretty dry during winter, so you could find your covering wrinkling badly due to a wooden structure shrinking from too dry an atmosphere. Cover open hatches and the engine intake and exhaust openings. A drop of oil on metal pushrods will help to stop corrosion there.
And don't forget to make sure the fuel tank is absolutely empty.
ENGINES: The main enemy for the engine is internal corrosion, and two highly corrosive agents to watch for in glow engines are found in the fuel; - water (in the alcohol) and nitromethane! It is vitally important to get rid of all
traces of fuel in the engine before storage, and this is best done by running the engine until both the engine and the tank run completely out of fuel. The heat from running will also help to dry up any moisture in the engine.
Some of the manufacturers of four-stroke engines recommend you also flush out the crankcase with kerosene.
After-run oil should then be worked into all parts of the engine. (This should be done after every flying session too, not just prior to storage). Some modellers use light machine oil, transmission oil, or other similar products, but my favourite is a penetrating industrial lubricant known as LPS-2. This product comes in a pressurized can with a thin application tube that is great for getting the material into tight spots. I get it from the parts department of Leggat Aviation Ltd. at Buttonville Airport for approximately $10.00 a can. (It is also available from any KBC Tools Ltd. outlet).
My second choice for a good after-run and storage lubricant is Rislone Engine Treatment. This is more readily available than LPS-2. You can get it at Canadian Tire stores. (Make sure you get the "Engine Treatment", as opposed to the Rislone "Oil Treatment".)
Loosen or remove the glow plug, (tight glow plugs try to "weld" themselves to the head when stored for a long time). When storing a fuselage with an engine in it, it is best to store it nose down. That way the protective lubrication in the engine flows forward to the bearings in the front of the crankcase.
RADIO BATTERIES: Many modellers, myself included, leave the NiCd battery in the aircraft and transmitter, and run the packs through a discharge-charge cycle periodically through the winter. But a better plan is to remove them from the aircraft and transmitters and store them in the refrigerator or freezer over the winter. In spring they should be cycled several times before using them.