Aircraft fabric and battery acid

[old man emu]

Just to add to the list of things that shouldn't be applied to aircraft fabric such as dacron :- battery acid.

 

I've just spent all day stripping the fabric from a GA aircraft because sometime in the past, someone put an usealed lead acid battery in it, and the acid leaked onto the fabric. Over time, the acid dissolved the dacron and all that was keeping the skin together was the paint.

 

The whole skin has had to be removed and replacement will cost $10,000 plus. As well, the aircraft will be out of service for several months while other parts are made/imported to replace damaged structural items.

 

Suggestions to prevent this happening to your plane include,

 

fitting sealed batteries; ensuring overflow pipes are unclogged, and reglularly wiping the battery box and surrounds with a solution of bicarbonate of soda.

 

Old Man Emu