Aviation

Throughout the history of Shipshape Services we have been instructed to undertake valeting and maintenance work for client's investments and to make sure they remain in the best possible condition.

We have worked on multi-million pound investments from super yachts to private jets and are fully aware of the level of service required, we approach every job with the highest quality products and experience needed. 

Shipshape can provide various levels of valeting 

• Exterior wash
• Regular valet program
• Full exterior valet
• Interior valet
• Full Protection 

Shipshape Members Club

With joining the Shipshape members club you can receive up to 15% discount off our standard prices, for more information contact us through info@shipshapeservices.co.uk.

Aviation A Glaze

Aviation glaze has been used for several years by some of the worlds major airlines to protect their aircrafts paintwork from the harsh environment at high altitudes. By using the A Glaze sealant system, the paint life of a long haul airliner will be more than doubled, as well as being much easier to keep clean and maintain a high gloss finish. A Glaze is also the only paint sealant to carry the necessary Boeing, McDouglas and Airbus certification for use on all aircraft. This is in accordance with Boeing D6-17487 Revision P and Airbus AIMS 09-00-002 Issue 1.

A Glaze is not a polish or a wax. The A Glaze aviation sealant system uses the most up to date technology available to provide the best possible protection for your aircrafts paintwork. Using a unique blend of polymers and UV absorbers, the A Glaze aviation sealant ensures full protection against fading and the suns ultra violet rays. The sealant is completely safe on all plastics, rubber, chrome and stainless steel and will not leave behind any scruffy white marks or dust.

Currently used by a number of international carriers such as: Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Virgin (applied by Qantas on long haul flights), South African and of course British Airways. All of these airlines have found their maintenance schedule has been greatly reduced. In some areas such as Asia with yellow dust, sand storms and air pollutants in general, aircraft could be washed once a month. Considering a Boeing 747-400 for example has a tail height equivalent to a six storey building, the logistics of cleaning such a craft can be a real headache. When a plane is A Glazed the maintenance needed on the craft is greatly reduced.

An average wash of a 747 can take 8 hours and to enable the plane to look its best, this has to be carried out regularly. Of course, this is not realistic in todays growing air travel activity as the down time of an average plane is never 8 hours. With A Glaze, an application on a 747 can take two and a half hours ideally every three months - of course, it is usually every 6 months and the plane remains pristine during this time.

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF AVIATION GLAZE - COMMERCIAL AND DIY FOR SMALL LIGHT AIRCRAFT. COMMERCIAL WE ASK YOU TO APPLY EVERY THREE MONTHS WHEREAS SMALL LIGHT AIRCRAFT CAN BE APPLIED ONCE A YEAR AS THEY TEND TO HAVE MUCH LESS FLIGHT TIME.

Not only is it time consuming having to wash the plane but it also uses a lot of water. For example some airlines estimate that their craft have to be washed once a month which can use up to 6000 litres of water. As airline manufacturers recommend airlines do not use more than 80 pounds of water pressure per square inch, it can be very difficult to remove some marks from the planes surface. With A Glaze this will not happen as the particles bond to our sealant not the body of the plane. As A Glaze reduces the amount of particles that can bond to a craft, it ensures there is no decrease in the lift of the wings.

SAVE ON FUEL

As the belly of the plane is A Glazed, nothing can stick to it thus causing less drag, saving the airlines 1-1.5% in fuel, although we are unable to quantify the exact saving due to each journey being different in time, weather and temperature. The fuel capacity of a 747-400 is 57285 gallons giving a maximum range of 8430 statute miles and a typical cruise speed of 565 miles per hour at 35000 ft. A 1.5% saving on this is quite dramatic as I am sure you would agree especially as a 747-400 consumes a gallon a second.

With fuel costs ever rising, this is a massive advantage to airlines and helps reduce their carbon footprint as well as decreasing their costs. With rumors the airfares are to rise by 40% over the next year, every airline is fighting for passengers by looking for ways to reduce costs.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Steve Edwards - Manager Aircraft Movements - British Airways. 'A Glaze has been approved and is being added to the aircraft exterior. The glaze protects the paint, giving our aircraft a smarter appearance while making washing easier and increasing the lifespan of the paintwork......'

British Airways have found that the main benefits are easier to clean craft, the belly of the aircraft which is often the worst area to keep clean is now not a problem. Streaking from aircraft windows is common when planes are dirty but they have found this to be rare after the glaze is applied.

We recently attended the Farnborough Trade Airshow so we could see the new A380 and calculate for our customer the amount of glaze needed when they take delivery of their new fleet.

The advantages of A Glazing a plane far outweigh the disadvantages. Not only is there the obvious saving on fuel but it also enables a plane to arrive at its final destination looking clean. With the reduced downtime needed to glaze a plane or even just to wash it once it has been glazed allows money to be saved in labour costs. When the plane does need washing, A Glaze makes the job a whole lot easier and quicker for maintenance crews and it prolongs the life of the aircrafts paintwork.

Email or call us if you would like a free quotation for the application of A Glaze for your aircraft, glider, helicopter or microlite - 023 92 324 500 info@shipshapeservices.co.uk.