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RV-7 Defog fans

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DOUGPFLYRV(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:46 pm Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

Someone requested photos of defog fans. Not much to see. Attached to glare  

shield...no ducts, just cabin air sucked under panel.

 

DO NOT ARCHIVE

jim jewell

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 82
Location: Kelowna B.C. Canada

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:35 pm Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

I installed two small (2-1/4") computer fans on the glare shield of my 

slider equipped 6a.

I mounted the fans on approximately 3-1/2" x 3" rectangles of .032 aluminium 

sheet material. The squares have small tabs bent on the front edge that slip 

into and under the slightly smaller dimensioned glare shield fan openings. A 

6-32 plate nut at the rear edge of the opening allows the fans to be held in 

place with one screw each. Remove screw, tilt up the fan and lift it out. A 

short wire with an insulated spade connection allows for disconnection. Some 

screen material over the fan opening makes them look good and should keep 

junk out of the fans. A small switch on the panel handles the small current 

required

As described below no ducting etc. needed. This aircraft has yet to fly so 

actual defog performance is as yet an unknown.



Pictures available on request.



I think this would be somewhat harder to do with the tip up canopy.



Jim in Kelowna

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Someone requested photos of defog fans. Not much to see. Attached to glare

 shield...no ducts, just cabin air sucked under panel.

_________________
"I never make mistreaks"

Gerald Richardson

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 7
Location: Medicine Hat, Alberta

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:17 pm Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

--

_________________
RV6A

highflight1(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:23 am Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

Using a defogger is something I've given thought to, but am not sure how

necessary it really is.



I'd like to hear from frequent flyers who have NO defogging installed and

get some reports about them ever wishing they had them.



Vern W.

alexpeterson(at)earthlink
Guest

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:44 am Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 Using a defogger is something I've given thought to, but am 

 not sure how necessary it really is.

 

 I'd like to hear from frequent flyers who have NO defogging 

 installed and get some reports about them ever wishing they had them.

 

 Vern W.


	


Vern, I am not sure why you only wanted those without fans to answer...mine

doesn't have fans until I turn them on:

)  The need depends upon the

temperature and whether or not there are two people on board.  If the OAT is

at or below about 10F, and the ground ops time is more than 5 minutes, you

will have a frosted up windscreen.  Noticably faster with two on board.  It

will clear up after several minutes in flight.  There have been takeoffs

that I would not have been able to make without the fans. Both fans are

directed at the pilot's side, and the copilot's side has been completely

obscured.  So, the necessity is totally dependent upon the OAT that you plan

to taxi in.  Another option is to keep the canopy cracked open while

taxiing, something I've not found comfortable at all.  Most GA pilots do not

fly when the temps are in the 10F and below range, based upon my

observations.



Alex Peterson

RV6-A N66AP 714 hours

Maple Grove, MN

ronlee(at)pcisys.net
Guest

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:27 am Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

At 05:17 AM 2/17/2006, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  



Using a defogger is something I've given thought to, but am not sure how

necessary it really is.


	


800 hours in three years and no need for it.



Caveat:  I live in a dry climate.



Ron Lee



Do not archive

Knicholas2(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:41 am Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

I put 2 computer cooling fans in my RV9A.  Here in the damp Seattle area it 

does help to defrost the windshield.  Another great benefit is that it draws 

warm air off the radio stack to keep the radios cool.  I run the fans all the 

time for the radio cooling.



Kim Nicholas

Auburn, WA

RV9A  77 hours!

Al.Herron(at)Aerojet.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:16 pm Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

I've placed a similar fan to circulate air around my avionics stacks to try

to provide a little cooling.  I've yet to wire up and test the avionics, and

I'm concerned about electrical noise from the fan motor.  Does anyone have

any experience with a similar setup?



Al Herron

WPAerial(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:34 pm Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

i put two computer cooling fans in to defog. 



no noise.



 but they were a waste of time. don't really need them. a soft towel works 

better. after you get going the fog is gone.



Jerry wilken

rv6a 

n699wp





do not archive

rv6n6r(at)comcast.net
Guest

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:11 pm Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

 	  Quote: 	
		   > I'd like to hear from frequent flyers who have NO defogging

 > installed and get some reports about them ever wishing they had them.


	


Okay that's me.



I built a "defroster vent" into the glareshield with a duct routed to it.

The tube goes down and just kind of hangs there next to where the heat inlet

is thru the firewall. Seemed like a good idea at the time but in fact it

doesn't do a damn thing. In the winter I get fogged plexi fairly often and

sometimes it stays fogged once I get flying unless I open the cold air

vents.



I keep meaning to either 1) plumb the SCAT tube so the heat inlet blows more

directly into the glareshield duct or 2) put a fan in there. But 5 years and

750 hrs after first flight I can't seem to get around to it... too many

other fun things to do (like go flying!)



Randall Henderson

RV-6

highflight1(at)GMAIL.COM
Guest

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 5:19 am Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

Thanks Randall, that kind of says it all. If you've been "meaning" to

install a defog system, but haven't in over 750 hours of flying, then I

think when it comes right down to it, a defogger simply that much of an

importance.



A soft rag tucked into a side pocket seems to be plenty good for the purpose

for those times when called for.

Vern W.

On 2/18/06, randall <rv6n6r(at)comcast.net> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

 

 Okay that's me.

 I keep meaning to either 1) plumb the SCAT tube so the heat inlet blows

 more

 directly into the glareshield duct or 2) put a fan in there. But 5 years

 and

 750 hrs after first flight I can't seem to get around to it... too many

 other fun things to do (like go flying!)



 Randall Henderson

 RV-6

alexpeterson(at)earthlink
Guest

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 10:20 am Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 Thanks Randall, that kind of says it all. If you've been 

 "meaning" to install a defog system, but haven't in over 750 

 hours of flying, then I think when it comes right down to it, 

 a defogger simply that much of an importance.

 

 A soft rag tucked into a side pocket seems to be plenty good 

 for the purpose for those times when called for.

 

 

 Vern W.


	


Vern, there are people who don't ever use the heaters in their cars either,

as they live in warm climates.  To repeat my previous post, if you taxi in

OAT's at or below about 10F, you will either need to leave the canopy

cracked open or have some sort of defrost system.  A rag will not clear

frost.  Everything depends on the temperatures where you live or plan to

fly.



Alex Peterson

RV6-A N66AP 712 hours

Maple Grove, MN

stein(at)steinair.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 10:55 am Post subject: RV-7 Defog fans

Ditto what alex said.  Up here in the frozen north (where it's currently a

whopping FOUR degrees outside) a defroster is a MUST.  You'll quickly find

that in temperatures like this that the light "film" that people think of on

their windshields up here becomes literally a layer of frost and ice that

really sucks to try and scrape off (not wipe, but scrape).  I hate having

the canopy craked with it's 10 degrees out (but sometimes just have to) so

my little muffin fans at least keep an open circle in front of the pilot and

co-pilot...although some days my little "portholes of defrosted window"

aren't very large until the plane gets moving!



Just my 2 cents...but then again everyone laughs at my "winterization kit"

which consits of varying widths (currently 2 strips) of duct tape across my

air inlets 



Cheers,

Stein.



[quote]--

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