The heat in my bird works well when the EGT is at 50*ROP and the OAT is 30* or more.
I fly all year regardless of OAT but it does get cold in the cabin when the OAT is less then 30* never mind when it is 0*. Even at 0* the vents in front and back are blowing hot air but not much umph behind it.

Now, i don't really mind but it would be nice to have it warmer in there in the middle of winter. My wife really minds it, no she kinda hates it.

Even if it is 0* outside my oil temp and CHT will run right in the middle.

how is the interior temp in your aircraft when it is 25* or less outside?

I need some suggestions on how to make this airplane cabin warmer.

Do any of you use alternative or AUX. heat while flying?
Thanks Peter

There are ways grass hopper give me a call...

Hottshot wrote:There are ways grass hopper give me a call...

What is this a singles chatroom? I'm interested too. (in the cockpit heat)

A friend replaced the gasoline cabin heater in his twin with an electric blanket.

The Cessna 170 has (had) a cold weather kit that partially closed off the upper cowl openings, and the air intake for the oil sump/cooler. Now many of us use the appropriately colored duct tape to do the same thing. Cessna didn't necessarily design these to improve cabin heating, but rather to keep oil temps in a good operating range for your engine to be happy - the stock plates actually blocked the air intake scoop providing positive pressure for the cabin heating system, and so many owners have modified the plates somewhat to prevent that interference. I fly at temps regularly falling below MINUS 20F, and I consider this to be a survival item It is enough to keep the oil temps in the normal range, and hot air flowing out of the heat vents, though at below zero OATs all it functions to do is keep it above zero in the cabin Important to monitor your temps because if it warms up for a day you need to peel some tape.

Equally important is to check your door seals for air leaks, once I did a little work on mine things improved noticeably.

Peter,

First, what type of aircraft? Engine model?

There can be several reasons for poor cabin heat. Some are basically crappy designs, but there are usually ways to improve that situation.

I assume you have a Maule. I've only flown M-7s in winter, and a little in an M-6. They seemed to have pretty decent heat, but it also wasn't very cold out.

If your engine temps are normal, then take a look at potential air leaks. In two places:

One, try to get any cabin air leaks sealed up if at all possible. Cold air whistling around a poorly sealing door can defeat even a really good cabin heater. Seal up fresh air vents if they're leaking, etc.

Two, take a close look at the heat shroud around your muffler. This will probably require removing the cowling to get a really good view. What you're looking for here is leaks where the HOT air inside that heat shroud can escape. You may have to ask your mechanic to help you seal up that shroud to stop those leaks. This can be done for larger gaps by riveting fitted pieces of stainless to the shroud or by use of some high temp sealants.

Next, look at the cabin heat valve, and make certain that it is CLOSING all the way. The cabin heat valve on most light aircraft are a valve, which either dumps the heated air coming off the muffler shroud overboard (thus allowing cool air moving through the shroud to cool the muffler) OR it directs that hot air into the cabin, when you open the cabin heat control. If that valve isn't closing all the way when you select cabin heat HOT, then a substantial amount of heated air will get dumped over the side, instead of into the cabin. This is easily adjusted.

If none of that works, then more flow may be the next thing you need to tackle. If your heat shroud air inlet isn't out in front of the plane (many newer airplanes have to have ice protected inlets, which often reduce flow to almost nothing) it may be time to ask the mechanic about putting a ram air inlet in the nose cowl.

Basically, with most airplanes, simply tightening up all the various parts of the heating system, and sealing a few gaps in both the heat system and the cabin makes a LOT more comfortable cabin environment.

MTV

If you are flying a M5, I would suggest wool clothing. Lots and lots of wool clothing.

Good news is Carbon Monoxide is not a huge problem due to the excellent air circulation. ( For the humor impaired this is a joke.)

TD

quicksilver wrote:

Hottshot wrote:There are ways grass hopper give me a call...

What is this a singles chatroom? I'm interested too. (in the cockpit heat)

I just hate to type that much.... If you want the info (veryeasy Imight ad) than please give me a call. It will take you 5 min to fix the problem. and it will take me 20 to type it out......

Hottshot wrote:

quicksilver wrote:

Hottshot wrote:There are ways grass hopper give me a call...

What is this a singles chatroom? I'm interested too. (in the cockpit heat)

I just hate to type that much.... If you want the info (veryeasy Imight ad) than please give me a call. It will take you 5 min to fix the problem. and it will take me 20 to type it out......

What about if 10 different people call you? Next thing you know, random BCPers are sucking up your whole day with questions, and you'll start saying "just go read the website!"

After 5 million lines of code, my fingers have more stamina than my mouth (yeah yeah slow pitch.) I hate talking.

My bad you guys, i just figured everyone would notice the signiture thing at the bottom of my post. i love reading everyones signiture.

Airplane: 2004 M-7 235c Engine: Lyc. IO-540 235 horse

TomD wrote

If you are flying a M5, I would suggest wool clothing. Lots and lots of wool clothing.

It's funny you say that because when its 10* outside or so i wear military issue Swiss Army pants,100% wool that is twice as thick as any pair of jeans, i love em and so warm. wool socks 2, with a polypropelene undershirt.

BobWhite wrote:

A friend replaced the gasoline cabin heater in his twin with an electric blanket.

I was thinking about getting an electric blanket and finding an adaptor so i can plug it in to the Aux. power so my wife could cover up with it, but i am afraid it may overload something. has anyone ever tried this??

MTV: My annual needs to be done this month, i will note your suggestions on paper and have him check it out, at least the more complicated ones. I'm not much of a mechinic, but i am going to do an owner assist annual this year to learn more. if anyone else has any cool(warm) ideas please share them. I figure this is a good thread considering winter flying is upon us all. Peter

once&futr_alaskaflyer: I not sure if Maule has anything like those plates for there cowling??? But thanks for the pictures!!looks cool.
Like you said, i just use duct tape on the vents that blow air on to the oil cooler and that works great. My oil temp will run in the middle of the gauge when my boogers are freezing in my nose and my eyes blink with less authority do to frost on my two little windows.
Minus 20*, shit, i have alot of respect for you boys up in Alaska!!

My simple approach, to cold Wx flying, having flown a sieve of an old J5 to Alaska late one April is to dress ready to go down. Then any heater is a bonus. I do not know what the actual temps. were but all the lakes were still frozen over and snow covered about 90% of the land. Most rivers were oozing along if not actually flowing. Every time we would get in we would duct tape the door shut from the inside.

Motorcitymaule wrote:once&futr_alaskaflyer: I not sure if Maule has anything like those plates for there cowling??? But thanks for the pictures!!looks cool.
Like you said, i just use duct tape on the vents that blow air on to the oil cooler and that works great. My oil temp will run in the middle of the gauge when my boogers are freezing in my nose and my eyes blink with less authority do to frost on my two little windows.
Minus 20*, shit, i have alot of respect for you boys up in Alaska!!

Standard issue military cold weather flight suit, nomex spun fleece jacket over the top of that, winter military issue pilot mukluks or Steger leather mukluks, gloves, good door seals and a hardy love of aviation

But hell, our state sport up here is to ride a sled behind a bunch of farting dogs at minus forty, so flying is no big deal The real secret is, you will be so cold after removing the wing covers, tailfeather covers, cowl cover, engine preheater, cabin heater and preflighting and fueling the plane that any amount of cabin heat will feel like a dry sauna in comparison no matter how inefficient it is

Also, if you preheat your cabin you are ahead of the game a little. When I turn on my engine preheater the night before I have a little ceramic heater in the cabin too. If the interior of your plane is below freezing before you start the engine, the cabin heat will never catch up no matter what you do. If your interior coverings and bulkheads are radiating something in the 40F range or better, your cabin heater may at least be able to maintain that temp over the long haul.

Just take some fashion cues from Wild Bill Hopson.

1SeventyZ wrote:Just take some fashion cues from Wild Bill Hopson.

Well Zane, except for the sporty helmet and goggles that pretty much looks like me flying in January. Unfortunately the winter-weight military flight suit isn't quite as svelte and sporty-looking as the standard warm weather one. Think elastic banding

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:Well Zane, except for the sporty helmet and goggles that pretty much looks like me flying in January. Unfortunately the winter-weight military flight suit isn't quite as svelte and sporty-looking as the standard warm weather one. Think elastic banding

So you're saying this is you in the winter?

Ah, sweet Jesus, if I ever start wearing ski suits I'm hanging up my Solomons.

No, unlike flying, I am still style conscious while skiing

By the way, by posting that photo I hope you are not claiming to have actually skied at Val d’Isere.

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:By the way, by posting that photo I hope you are not claiming to have actually skied at Val d’Isere.

So this one time, me and Jean-Claude Killy were riding the lift together....

Just kidding. Have you been?

No, no...in fact I am impressed that you could glean that from the photo. I just found it on TGR, in a thread mocking goofy ski suits. That woman's tiger suit kills me!

Zane: That picture is great but totally awful. looks like some of the folks that come to Durango to ski from Texas. I mean absolutely no offense to our BCP buds down in Texas but some of the shit they wear while sking is simply toooo funny. Sometimes it seems like folks just got done with a morning duck hunt and decided to go sking, but i wont say anything in fear of being mistaking for a mallard

Once&future_akpilot: Your making me cold just reading your post, i think i'm gonna get some wood from the yard and light the stove up I think my cold weather threashold is about 0*.

1SeventyZ wrote:

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:By the way, by posting that photo I hope you are not claiming to have actually skied at Val d’Isere.

So this one time, me and Jean-Claude Killy were riding the lift together....

Just kidding. Have you been?

No, no...in fact I am impressed that you could glean that from the photo. I just found it on TGR, in a thread mocking goofy ski suits. That woman's tiger suit kills me!

In a former and much-less-responsible-life I worked summers, skied winters and starved (or drank my dinners )