PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-676

PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly

ISSUE 676

MARCH 2009
PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-676 - Page 23 of 33
42
PS 676
MAR 09
I
t’s not a good idea to use high-pressure water to blast grime away from your bird’s
exterior. Neither is it good to use unauthorized cleaners.
When cleaning your aircraft,
never
use industrial cleaners, detergents and degreasers
(including Simple Green) that the Army hasn’t tested and approved.
Some unapproved cleaners have a “citrus” compound called “D-Limonene.” These
commercial cleaners did not pass Army performance tests and should not be used. These
cleaners cause corrosion when runoff is trapped in nooks and crannies and that reduces
strength in steel, make alloys brittle, degrades canopy transparencies, damages painted
surfaces and cadmium plating.
If you’ve used unapproved cleaners on your bird, lots of fresh water and an approved
Army cleaning agent will get the stuff off.
Check your airframe TMs for approved cleaners. Follow up cleaning with a corrosion
inspection and treatment. Apply approved corrosion preventive compound like it says in
your -23 TMs and the info in TM 1-1500-344-23,
Cleaning and Corrosion Control.
Dear Editor,
Through my work as an armament logistics assistance representative,
I’ve found that most aviation units aren’t aware that you can fabricate a
continuity test round for the M230 gun.
The test round makes it much easier to do the continuity checks on
the entire gun system. And the test round can be fabricated from a
standard M230 dummy round, NSN 1305-01-164-0206.
The instructions for making the test round are in IETM 1-1520-
Longbow/Apache under “Task, Armament System, Area Weapon System”.
Garry Smith
Logistics Assistance Office
Ft Hood, TX
Make sure that every cleaning product used on your bird is approved by the Army and is
listed in your TMs. Then check MIL-PRF-85570 and MIL-PRF-87937 and order the approved
cleaners you need.
Editor’s note:
Thanks for clueing us in to the test round,
Sir
. That should
make PMCS simpler for aviation crews.
Take a look at GEN-MIM 2005-005 for additional details on aircraft washing equipment,
cleaners and procedures.
All Aircraft…
What Are
You
M230 Gun…
Don’t
Be
a Dummy,
Get
a
Dummy!
if you need a
complete list of
approved aircraft
cleaners and cpcs,
along with their
nsns, check the
amrdec corrosion
section on ako.
hmmm…
where’s
the
good
soap!
ahh,
I’ll
just use
this stuff
we got at
the px.
y’know,
that’s a
lot
of
suds…
whoa!
you can’t use
just
any
old cleaner
on your helicopter! it’s
gotta be
approved!
how do I
find out
what’s ok?
check out
gen-mIm
2005-005 to
see what’s
authorized.
but,
first,
get those
suds off
that bird!
get a continuity test
round made. it makes
continuity checks a snap!
Cleaning With?
676.42-43.indd
1-2
1/27/09
4:09:03 PM
G.S.
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