Stieglitz SZ-18 at Tuulonen shopping centre was cleaned

Maanantai 4.10.2021 - Tuesday Club member

Suomeksi

Focke Wulff w 44 Stieglitz (SZ-18), which is owned by the Aviation Museum Society, has been on display for some years at the Tuulonen shopping centre in Hämeenlinna. Earlier the Stieglitz was on display at the Tuurin Kyläkauppa shopping centre. The SZ-18 has been restored by the Tuesday Club.

The Stieglitz SZ-18 has already been at the shopping centre a number of years and dust had gathered on its surfaces. It was time to do some cleaning. It was agreed with the shopping centre that two members of the Tuesday Club will come and do the cleaning. The shopping centre will provide the equipment and a scissor lift. The aircraft is hanging from the ceiling of the shopping mall atrium and a scissor lift is needed when the aircraft’s surfaces are cleaned without lowering the aircraft to floor level.

When the Tuesday Club members arrived at Tuulonen on September 15th, everything was ready for the cleaning work: an industrial vacuum cleaner, mops, cleaning cloths and buckets, filled with water. But first some coffee. Then the cleaning team climbed on the scissor lift and the work was started. The shopping centre staff moved the scissor lift under the aircraft during the cleaning.

First the heavy layer of dust was vacuumed from the aircraft’s surfaces and then the surfaces were mopped with damp mops and cloths. The shopping centre staff rinsed the dirty mops and cloths in buckets and changed the water in the buckets when the scissor lift was moved. The co-operation worked well, and the cleaning progressed efficiently. The Tuesday Club team commented the good co-operation by saying that “the Tuulonen guys were really nice, and this task leaves a good memory”.

Now the Aviation Museum Society’s Stieglitz is shining bright again and can be admired by the customers of the Tuulonen shopping centre. The customers can also see other aircraft on display at the Tuulonen shopping centre. There is a DC-2 (DO-1) “Hanssin Jukka” in a hangar, and Saab 35FS Draken (DK-247) and Mig 21 BIS (MG-124) fighters and Mil Mi-8P (HS-6) helicopter on the yard. The Tuulonen shopping centre is already a small aviation museum for the aviation history enthusiasts and other customers to enjoy.

Photos: Kimmo Salomaa

Translation: Erja Reinikainen.