June 27th 2005

What better way to start the fresh new work week after a holiday than with some nice juicy corrosion!!!!! I can almost taste the sulfury metallic dust now....

This lovely specimen was spotted on the underside of the Cabin floor, a typical haven for all sorts of moisture-induced nasties which are extremely common in passenger aircraft and also happen to be the worst enemy to Aluminum structure....
That's right kids, like I've mentioned Time and Time again... Coffee, Cola, Urine and Vomit - The Silent Airplane Killers -
The tragic truth is that most ignorant passengers spray these plane-poisons around without a care in the world..... Pissing into the wind and blowing chunks at will after drunkenly tipping their 15th Rum and Coke down the sidewall.

The safety of each and every flight depends on your diligence....
Please urinate sitting down and always vomit into a waterproof receptacle....And maybe consider a nice Gin and Tonic instead of an Aluminum acid bath libation. Please Think before you Drink.  

June 6th, 2005

I was inspired to add in a different sort of corrosion this week as I have been linked by Aviatrix from Cockpit Conversations in her most recent Post about Corrosion. Amazingly enough, she happens to be a pilot that is actually interested in the maintenance end of her aircraft.... 'Tis a beautiful quality indeed!

Anyhow, back to my captivating looking bit of metal breakdown......
This is actually a perfect example of Magnesium corrosion at an attach point of a flap actuator mechanism on a Boeing 727.
Magnesium is used quite a lot in the thick casted parts and has a telltale dark colored pitting style of corrosion that is hard to realize it's full extent until it gets cleaned properly. I have actually seen magnesium pit all the way through and still keep its strength and not crack. This damage seen above was probably a combination of dissimilar metals and dirt, water,and/or salt getting underneath the washer of the attaching Bolt.

- An amusing little tidbit about rotted out magnesium castings such as this. - When labeled NFG, originally they will find their final resting place in the scrap metal bin... But, more times than not, are rescued and taken camping, thrown in a blazing fire that will end up eventually blinding the fellow campers as typically magnesium burns brighter than the sun. Fun and Games for Everyone!

Alas! - Its better to burn out than to rot away.....

 

May 30th 2005

This is a stunning sample of the types of Corrosion you can find in a belly baggage pit. I have seen more than a lifetimes worth this week alone. Corrosion generally will run rampant in the aircraft belly because typically this is where all things wet and grungy collect. Speaking of wet and grungy - who wants to hear a gross little fact about airplanes !?!?!?! (O.K. I knew you would)
.....So here goes;
We all know that an aircraft is a completely sealed cylindrical object that generally is used to haul hundreds of people in recycled air, around the globe for hours at a time, right?. As we also know people are, shall we say, self-lubricating body fluid excreting sweaty skin blobs.... So what happens to all the sneezes, bad breath, and dry skin flakes that are expelled from each and every person in that aircraft?....
Well, you see, here's the thing - it actually makes a film on the inside walls of the cabin and slides down ever so slippery to under the belly baggage pit where it sits sloshing around slowly rotting out the structure. Then that's where I come in like the hero I am and grind, cut and replace all that snot-induced rot, so that you can have your safe hot-breathy-aired flight over the Atlantic.

....Yes, you are welcome.