Light Aircraft Association

I've found nothing much I've done in the past to remove 'black mould' from the Rans a/c skins works for long. It also attacks the painted steel work in the cabin.
Obviously though the Rans lives in a weatherproof 'shed' it remains humid for long periods at this time of the year and this nasty stuff has already come back on wings & fuselage -inside too where I can't get at it readily - to a shocking extent.

Consequently I have just obtained delivery of a NZ product, "Wet & Forget" mentioned in the BMAA forum. I understand it's a more permanent 'cure' ,but needs time to work its magic. I will shortly apply it to the fabric and wet wipe the accessible cabin tube work.

As I suspect this menace afflicts many other strip hangared & operated LAA a/c owners I am cross posting this from the main BMAA forum.
From what others have already written about its use in their Rans section, it is one of the few, if not only products that does work, yet not destroy the fabric - which bleach and other 'whiteners carrying sodium-hypochlorite substances will.

My actual results will be written up & freely available in future RansMails.

mike hallam.

Mike Hi.
I've suffered Mould, Osmosis bubbles etc in the past and one theme runs through those hangarage conditions.
Poor ventilation leading to condensation!
My present Hangar protects 4 aircraft, 3 fabric covered, 1 Aluminium.
We suffer no mould and in fact very little if any condensation exists across a full weather range.
The reason is that the hangar is well ventilated. That ventilation is via air venting in hangar ridge area and some air entry under doors around edge of hangar. It has good air circulation vouched for by ingest of falling leaves. A small price to pay for lack of condensation.

Just an observation.
Regards
Gerry

Thanks Gerry,

We certainly do get plenty of, in fact far too many, leaves inside the hangar & there are generous ventilation gaps along the rear sheet wall top edge, plus under the doors spaces. I also leave the Rans own cockpit doors clipped up fully open to aid interior circulation. So not much more I can do passively. Our Solar cell on the roof normally charges the tractor battery, or over winter the a/c battery via a regulator, I don't think it could drive a ventilation fan for long. But I see what you mean.
Doubtless the existing multiple mould centres though optically reduced by cleaning with previous semi effective mixtures (last time vinegar & borax) have regrettably bloomed in the current conditions.

mike hallam.