Ceramic Coating vs Waxing

[DavidShep]

Is a Ceramic Finish Coating application safe for a DA40?

[Aggiepack]

in general: yes. Only a few caveats. A lot of good information https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_MCnhsZf6E

[Boatguy]

I looked into this last year and concluded it wasn't worth the expense. Even with a ceramic coating you still have to clean off the bugs after every flight.

I use Wash/Wax All on my wings and cowling after every flight and as a result they are very slick. I have to be careful about setting anything down on the wing because it just slides off.

The belly is also going to need to be cleaned no matter what finish is applied. I clean with a light citrus cleaner to get through the oil (and in my case diesel exhaust) every 2-3 months, and then finish it with Wash/Wax All.

I think the big question would be whether your plane is hangared or not. If it sits out in the weather without a cover then ceramic might be worth it to protect the finish. For myself, the plane is in a hangar and I didn't see how the ceramic finish would reduce my work load or make my plane faster in the air.

[ahmebane]

I just tried Aero Cosmetics Wash/Wax All & I loved it. My plane sits outside & tends to get pretty dirty. This product cleaned the dirt off easily & left the surface very slick - I think it will tend to stay cleaner that way. Took about 1/2 hour to do the whole plane. After trying it, I fired the washing service that was charging me $80 for a spray-off that left the plane fairly dirty. For $10 & 30 minutes, I'll take care of it myself! (They quoted me $500 for wash/wax and $2000 for ceramic coating - thats what led me to trying it myself!) I may just keep a spray bottle in the plane & give at least the wings a quick wipe after flying.

[smoss]

Also a long-time fan of Wash/Wax All. Easy and protective. Just make sure you use new micro-fiber rags with it and change often. Works great on the canopy also, better than their actual Plex Wax product which doesn't leave it as ''slippery''.