A Study of Wash Intervals on Navy P3 Aircraft Using Corrosion Sensors

A study was conducted on operational Navy P3 aircraft to determine the effects from a corrosion standpoint of extending wash intervals.  Corrosion sensors were used to provide “hard metrics”.  Two wash intervals were used. One was the standard 28 day interval; the other was 112 days.  Data were obtained over a period of 1+ years on an initial sample size of 14 aircraft.

The results from this study showed no statistically significant differences among the sample groups.  These results are consistent with earlier ground based studies conducted at Daytona Beach and later flight test studies conducted in a similar manner on USAF C130 aircraft.  However, the importance of the current work is to extend these conclusions to higher levels of basing severity.

These conclusions may provide a firm basis for the extension of wash intervals fleet wide and possibly to other platforms.  In addition they may provide some assurance of little or no consequences from wash deferral on deployed aircraft where washes may be difficult.