Air cooling reduced one route for salt contamination, but it did not make carrier aircraft immune to corrosion. Salt could enter cooling passages and attack the aluminum, brass, copper, and steel found in an airframe and engine. The required wash water needed to be clean and pH-neutral. Carriers already distilled boiler-feed water, so the practical answer was to allocate some of that supply and maintain a disciplined washing routine.
Notable Point · 5:30:01-5:33:17
Salt water, aircraft engines, and carrier maintenance
Air-cooled naval aircraft still needed careful washing, and carriers already had the distillation equipment to provide suitable fresh water.