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vmenkal(at)mac.com
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 Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:16 pm Post subject: Cold WX Ops |
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Hi Ken. Your question was well timed as an 'ol Yukon trapper/ pilot
who plans to build a 750 and myself (701 half done) just had a long
jaw about this topic around the shop wood stove. Our discussion was
more based on how to warm up our engines when we overnight in the bush
or at a strip without power but some of these topics may (or may not)
be relevant for your application.
A lot of planes in the north are equipped with electric pre-heat units
from engine manufacturers. Basically electric resistance heaters
mounted on cylinder heads. Boring, expensive and not very useful on
remote strips or bush flying (unless you find a "current bush"
More important, these heaters do not heat up oil in a dry sump engine
(need extra heater on oil tank).
An engine blanket (the pilots sleeping bag or coat) thrown over the
engine for shorter stops keeps sufficient heat in the engine for 3 to
12 hours (temp dependent of course) to allow starting and greatly
improves the efficiency of any heating devices.
Bush pilot favourite - drain oil when engine is still warm into a
billy can. Keep in cabin (or in your sleeping bag - honest) until
ready to fly again or reheat billy can over fire or stove.
My favorite - use semi-synthetic arctic grade oil. Shell
literally spent millions developing extreme cold climate lubricants
for use by the oil and gas industry in the arctic but the products
have never seemed to catch on with general public or other
industries. My local bulk POL plant has been great in providing
extreme cold weather lubricants that meet or exceed manufacturers
warranty requirements. I simply send Shell oil specifications to the
engine or vehicle manufacturer and they approve their use. For
example I have been using semi-synthetic 0W-40 for about 20 years in
all my vehicles including high compression (diesel) and high
performance, high compression (turbo subaru) with excellent results.
My turbo subaru starts at temperatures down to minus 40 without
external heat sources. Icing on the cake is that the semi-synthetic
oil is half the price of full synthetic.
Please note that I have not sent the shell specs to Rotax for
approvals yet.
The last option is probably the best (IMHO) which I plan to use in
conjunction with semi-synthetic arctic grade oil.
Espar makes micro turbine diesel and gasoline heaters for transport
trucks, boats and heavy equipment. These units are awesome (had
one on my sailboat). Not much larger than the size of two paper
back novels. The smallest unit (5 lbs weight installed) draws 8
watts on low and 34 watts on high with a 12VDC source and burns 0.1
liters per hour on low and 0.28 liters per on high. Output on high
is 2200 watts (about 1.5 times a normal household electric heater).
Although it burns diesel a one liter tank provides 4 hours continuous
operation. They have a gasoline version but the smallest one
weighs about 20 lbs.
The reason why we both like the Espar heater because it can be easily
plumbed into the cabin air heating ducts and will heat the engine,
fluids and most important - the cabin and will run for days on the
aircraft battery. My friend also showed me how to start an O-200 by
hand for backup in the bush (batteries also lose their efficiency in
the cold).
I believe another manufacturer is Webasto.
We are working on a cell phone activated remote control so we can sit
in the airport cafe drinking hot tea or snug in our beds while our
plane seat cushions get nice and toasty.
If you are interested, I can keep you posted on the results of
enquiries to Shell and Rotax.
Warmest regards
Vic
701 tail/wings complete
Whitehorse, Yukon Canada
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ricklach
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 127
Location: Kernville, Calif.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:15 am Post subject: Re: Cold WX Ops |
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Hi Vic,
This is an old solution to the Arctic cold I found while living in Alaska. It’s not new, I just copied other pilots that had to spend nights at strips with no power. They would use old Plumbers torches. The ones used in the 20’s and 30’s. I found mine in a second hand store. They will burn anything, auto gas, av-gas, Jet fuel etc. They even start frozen wood for a camp fire when it’s 40 below. Free up frozen brakes and free up frozen skies if you’re careful. You will also need a three or four foot piece of exhaust tubing so you can leave the torch on the ground and run the exhaust pipe up the engine cowling from the bottom and worm up the engine compartment. It gets everything, engine, cylinders, oil system and so on. If you have an engine blanket it warms up even faster. You can even worm up the cabin, just stick the pipe in the door for a few minutes. It’s a very useful survival tool for the North Country.
Rick
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701Driver
N35 26.700, W118 16.743 |
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bobkat
Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 143
Location: Bismarck, ND
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| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 4:27 am Post subject: Re: Cold WX Ops |
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Great suggestions that I probably will be able to use in cold ND! For preflight I've used an engine cover (and old Kennon from a 172) and attatched a 4 inch rubber flex tube to a ceramic heater which I shove under the cowling and hook up the heater to a timer set to come on 2 or 3 hours before I plan to fly. If the battery is not in front of the firewall and won't also get heated by the heater (on my Kitfox) I wired in a small 12 volt battery charger with a float feature and hook it up to the heater and timer too.
I doubt a charger will be necessary for the 701 as the battery is in front of the firewall and will get heated along with the engine.
Most of our rural airports have 120 volt plug ins which are great for keeping planes warm while enjoying the $100.00 hamburger or breakfast! Harder to find an "electric bush" out on the ice of some lake when we ice fish!
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blarson(at)meridianhouse.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:16 am Post subject: Cold WX Ops |
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Another 701 in North Dakota! Where are you located? I'm 30 miles north
of Fargo.
bobkat wrote:
| Quote: |
Great suggestions that I probably will be able to use in cold ND! For preflight I've used an engine cover (and old Kennon from a 172) and attatched a 4 inch rubber flex tube to a ceramic heater which I shove under the cowling and hook up the heater to a timer set to come on 2 or 3 hours before I plan to fly. If the battery is not in front of the firewall and won't also get heated by the heater (on my Kitfox) I wired in a small 12 volt battery charger with a float feature and hook it up to the heater and timer too.
I doubt a charger will be necessary for the 701 as the battery is in front of the firewall and will get heated along with the engine.
Most of our rural airports have 120 volt plug ins which are great for keeping planes warm while enjoying the $100.00 hamburger or breakfast! Harder to find an "electric bush" out on the ice of some lake when we ice fish!
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p 10080#210080
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bobkat
Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 143
Location: Bismarck, ND
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| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:33 am Post subject: Cold WX Ops |
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Bismarck, ND! There's another one 20 miles from Grand Forks and one in
Hawley, Minn, though I haven't seen them! I've got about 25 hours on the
test flight program so far. Nice little plane, although slower than my
Kitfox!
---
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