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…Z-Beam afforded me the opportunity to laser-clean an aluminum aircraft undergoing restoration.

Kevin HendershottView all testimonials

Cessna 182 Aluminum Corrosion Removal — Aircraft Restoration

16 hours of laser work replaced 200+ hours of abrasives on a full Cessna 182 restoration — corrosion and paint removed from all aluminum airframe surfaces.

Kevin called us for help with his Cessna 182 restoration project at his hangar in Vacaville. The aircraft needed a complete laser cleaning of 6061 and 6065 aluminum surfaces throughout, from propeller to tail feathers.

This famous and popular aircraft is about to live again thanks to the massive time savings laser cleaning brings to the project. The worries of chemicals, mess and laborious sanding damaging delicate metal are now no longer a concern.

An FAA-certified Airframe and Powerplant specialist and ex Air Force engineer, Kevin found the laser cleaning process so effective he's drafting plans for research experiments with Z-Beam to make FAA proposals and official protocols to use the technology.

From engine mounts, cowlings, prop, landing gear struts to the cockpit and internal wing structure, the laser chewed up corrosion and old paint leaving surfaces ready for refinishing in only one weekend.

Photos

N2639F: Cessna 182 SkyLane Restoration

Kevin's Cessna 182 SkyLane (N2639F) stripped and ready for laser cleaning at his Vacaville hangar. Doors off, interior cleared — the aircraft is fully accessible for a complete corrosion removal pass from nose to tail.

…Z-Beam afforded me the opportunity to laser-clean an aluminum aircraft undergoing restoration.

Z-Beam Set Up and Ready

The Kamino laser unit staged beside the aircraft, door panel removed. With the aircraft fully accessible and laser calibrated, Kevin was able to work continuously across all fuselage surfaces — no masking, no media, no cleanup between areas.

…The process was amazingly effective and efficient in removing corrosion products and other contaminants such as adhesives and grime.

Empennage: Tail Surfaces

The tail section still in painted condition before laser cleaning. The Cessna engine is visible on a stand in the background — engine, airframe, and control surfaces all in various stages of disassembly at once, maximizing the single-weekend cleaning window.

…I was pleased to see it ablated corrosion faster and more completely than I could have imagined, and certainly better than I had been able to accomplish with abrasives in the past.

Overhead View: Cowling Off, Engine Exposed

Looking down at the aircraft from above — cowling removed and engine bay fully exposed. The cowling-off state gave direct laser access to the firewall, engine mounts, and forward fuselage structure without any disassembly beyond what Kevin had already completed for the restoration.

…I calculate that 16 hours of laser cleaning saved me 200+ hours of labor using abrasives and solvents.

Bonus: Piper J-3 Cub Steel Tube Fuselage

While the laser was on site, Kevin also ran it over the welded 4130 chromoly steel tube fuselage of a Piper J-3 Cub in his hangar. The frame is now clean bare metal — rust, oxidation, and old coating gone from every tube and gusset, including deep into the tube intersections where wire brushes can't reach.

…The process was easy to learn and control, and the results are incredible.

Engine Cylinders: Laser on Steel

The laser handpiece working directly across the steel cylinder cooling fins — the ribbed geometry that defeats wire brushes and blasting. Kevin noted this specifically in his review: the laser cleaned rust off the steel cylinders as effectively as it handled the aluminum surfaces.

…The laser makes an audible sound, a sizzle or buzz if you will, while it ablates the corrosion, then silence when it's gone, and a pristine, glass smooth aluminum surface afterward.

Before: Top of Dash — Oxidation and Staining

The top face of the instrument panel surface — all avionics removed, decades of oxidation staining and adhesive residue visible across the upper aluminum surface. The rectangular cutout and surrounding rivet pattern show the full area that needed cleaning before re-installation.

…Also cleaned rust off steel cylinders.

Before: Cabin Floor Panels

The cabin floor viewed from above — aluminum skin panels with corrosion staining and access holes for the landing gear mechanism and control cable runs. Floor areas trap moisture and are among the highest-corrosion zones in light aircraft. Each rivet shows the corrosion pattern around its head.

…Z-Beam afforded me the opportunity to laser-clean an aluminum aircraft undergoing restoration.

Cabin Interior: Floor Cleaned

Looking down into the stripped cabin — floor panels cleaned, door frame structure and upper sidewalls showing the remaining corrosion work ahead. The contrast between the cleaned floor and the still-contaminated upper structure shows how the laser is worked through the aircraft systematically.

…The process was amazingly effective and efficient in removing corrosion products and other contaminants such as adhesives and grime.

Headliner Adhesive vs. Clean Aluminum

A close-up showing exactly what the laser is removing: the upper surface carries thick adhesive residue and corrosion from decades of headliner backing, while the lower aluminum stringer has already been laser-cleaned to bright bare metal. The line between contaminated and clean is visible in a single frame.

…I was pleased to see it ablated corrosion faster and more completely than I could have imagined, and certainly better than I had been able to accomplish with abrasives in the past.

Before: Interior Overhead — Looking Aft

Looking aft through the stripped cabin — the overhead fuselage frames and skin show heavy brown adhesive residue from the original headliner, corrosion staining, and old coatings throughout. This is the scope of contamination that 16 hours of laser work addressed.

…I calculate that 16 hours of laser cleaning saved me 200+ hours of labor using abrasives and solvents.

Before: Interior Side Structure

The port-side interior looking aft — instrument subpanel removed, heavy corrosion and adhesive contamination visible on the upper frame and skin. The door frames, window surrounds, and overhead longerons all required laser attention. With doors off and interior stripped, every surface was accessible without further disassembly.

…The process was easy to learn and control, and the results are incredible.

Kevin in PPE — Ready to Work

Kevin suited up with a powered air-purifying respirator — the right protection for enclosed-space laser cleaning where fume plume stays inside the fuselage. The J-3 Cub fuselage frame is visible behind him. As an FAA A&P with an Air Force engineering background, Kevin ran the laser himself after a short orientation.

…The laser makes an audible sound, a sizzle or buzz if you will, while it ablates the corrosion, then silence when it's gone, and a pristine, glass smooth aluminum surface afterward.

Before: Full Cockpit — Scope of Work

The full cockpit gutted and ready for laser cleaning — both left and right instrument panel sections visible with all instruments removed, heavy corrosion and adhesive staining on the sidewalls, and the control column bases exposed. This single shot captures why 16 hours of laser work was needed: every surface in this space required attention.

…Also cleaned rust off steel cylinders.

Before: Interior Bulkhead — Rust and Flaking Paint

An interior structural panel showing rust staining around fasteners, flaking old paint, and a rectangular inspection cutout. The corrosion pattern is typical of aluminum that has been sealed under old paint for decades — surface pits and staining that abrasive methods would enlarge rather than remove cleanly.

…Z-Beam afforded me the opportunity to laser-clean an aluminum aircraft undergoing restoration.

Before: Spar Bay — Fuel Sender and Corrosion

The lower spar bay area with the fuel quantity sender visible — heavy brown corrosion across the entire surface, staining around every rivet and attach point, and old sealant around the sender flange. An area that would require hours of careful hand work to clean with abrasives without damaging the sender or wiring.

…The process was amazingly effective and efficient in removing corrosion products and other contaminants such as adhesives and grime.

Overhead: Mid-Clean Contrast

The overhead structure mid-session — the central aluminum frame has been laser-cleaned to bright bare metal while the adjacent skin panels still carry the dark green adhesive and corrosion from the original headliner. The contrast shows exactly what the laser removes and how the work progresses panel by panel.

…I was pleased to see it ablated corrosion faster and more completely than I could have imagined, and certainly better than I had been able to accomplish with abrasives in the past.

Spar Cleaning: Cleaning in Progress

The laser working across the spar cap — the fume plume is visible as a faint haze over the surface, and the cleaned metal track is already visible beneath. This is the sizzle Kevin described: the laser audibly ablating corrosion until the surface is clean, then silence.

…I calculate that 16 hours of laser cleaning saved me 200+ hours of labor using abrasives and solvents.

Spar Cap: Clean Metal Revealed

The spar cap cleaned to bright bare aluminum — the primary load-carrying surface of the main spar is now free of corrosion and ready for inspection and primer. The upper flange still shows remaining work above, illustrating the systematic pass-by-pass approach through each structural member.

…The process was easy to learn and control, and the results are incredible.

Before: Spar Re-Riveted, Now Needs Cleaning

The main spar with new rivets freshly installed — copper-shank rivets with yellow protective caps not yet set. The spar web shows heavy corrosion and oxidation across the entire face. The laser will clean this surface without disturbing the new fasteners or requiring any masking.

…The laser makes an audible sound, a sizzle or buzz if you will, while it ablates the corrosion, then silence when it's gone, and a pristine, glass smooth aluminum surface afterward.

…I calculate that 16 hours of laser cleaning saved me 200+ hours of labor using abrasives and solvents.

Kevin HendershottView all testimonials
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