cold weather ops

[astjp2]

Where are some of you out there getting engine and prop covers? What are you using to preheat if you have no electric? Just curious. Tim

[Guest]

Re: cold weather ops

I believe mine are Kennon prop covers.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: cold weather ops

Hi #465 , one trick is to drain the hot oil ( using a Quik drain of course) and take it home, bring it back out hot. Another is to use a propane gun type heater and drive the fan with 12 V from your car or use an inverter to 110 v . I assume your car makes it near to your airplane. Another is to use a solar powered battery system in the hangar and use a heated oil immersion dip stick.
OR a fellow here at 2D1 would arrive in his car, pull in front of the ship , wind down the passenger window, insert a plywood board to fit the window frame with two big round heating ducts leading directly into the cowl openings in front, leave the heater on full blast, exit the car, do the pre-flight, come into office for coffee , shoot the breeze a bit, go out pour in warm oil, disconnect stuff and fly away.
Up in the north country they use a big engine blanket and build a fire under the engine in a big can, whewwww they have bigger you knwo waht than I do!!@

[Dick Smith]

Re: cold weather ops

Tim, I just bought a set of wing covers from:

http://www.alaskawingcovers.com/

Already had a set of tailcovers from them. The wing covers fit really good.

Re: heat sources away from electric power:

[pete]

Re: cold weather ops

I use a couple of deep cycle batteries with an inverter to run a tanis heater. I get about 3 1/2 hours runtime. Plan to build one of the "stove pipe" types to use with a camping stove to carry along. Alaska Wing Covers.
Pete

[pipsqueak]

Re: cold weather ops

Hello, I have the Alaska wing covers and engine cover. I have been using them for about five years and really like them. The have held up good. You can get them with a 4" strip of mesh that runs the length of the wing to keep thim from balooning when it is real windy. I also use a Northern companion heater, but I think you could build one for a fraction of the cost.

Barney

[Jim Hartley]

Re: cold weather ops

I purchased the prop and spinner covers from Cunningham. I carry a couple of single burner camp stoves(one for back up)and a length of three inch stove pipe. The heat coming out of the end of the pipe at 0 degrees is too hot to hold your hand for more than a few seconds...just right for placement under the oil sump. The stove will run for an hour plus at full bore if I remember right...? Have to test again and commit to a written note...LOL! I also carry a Sport cat. Important to have redundancy especially when just yourself out in the middle of no-where.

Electric is the heat source of choice and I Sure like my 1000 watt Honda generator along with a 900 watt "Little Buddy"
interior car heater and the 100 watt pad siliconed to the oil sump. For a quick heat I use them simultaneously and keep an eye on the electric heater in case of a melt down and fire. If I am not in a hurry and it is 0 degrees or colder I let the generator with the pad go for a few hours. I am not to fond of below zero flying though so I stick to spring flying in daylight hours unless we do a fly-in or the like...right Dick?

Jim

Barney is right about the mesh just a few inches aft of the leading edge. They do stop the balloning.

Where are some of you out there getting engine and prop covers? What are you using to preheat if you have no electric? Just curious. Tim

[Dick Smith]

Re: cold weather ops

Jim, here is a pix taken with your plane setup to preheat with the single burner Coleman, as you described. Like you said, when it gets below 0 degrees F., it's not quite as much fun. It's not too bad if your properly set up and have the time to do it right...I'm always surprised by how long it takes, from setup to put away. Dick

[Dick Smith]

Re: cold weather ops

Every time I think I've got it rough due to winter conditions...I look at this pix of an old Alaskan pilot and his equipment...!
How would you like to get this setup stuck in overflow...by yourself?? Dick

[jstall]

Re: cold weather ops

Here in Oklahoma it doesn't get bitter cold very often and doesn't stay below freezing for days on end. However it does get cold and we do have wx in the teens and even ones from time to time. When it gets that cold it really isn't much fun to fly anyway as the a/c heater really isn't sufficient to keep one warm at OAT= 0 TO +20, eventhough the little cart is much better than some of the other counterparts in its class. I use a 200 watt bulb in the lower cowl laying on the oil tank and leave it on, I'm out of the wind in a
hanger, this proceedure will keep the temps inside of the cowl at 50 F in a
hanger that is 25 F, oil and all the other is the same,

Once you get out and start running, however, the oil temps and the rest of engine are going to be way too cold, without a tank muff. A good winterization kit would be a great thing for someone to fabricate and sell.

JS

[murphy]

Re: cold weather ops

Gents,
78F today in sunny L.A. (lower Alabama) looks like a lot of fun but a lot of work up in that cold country. Love the pictures from Alaska it keeps me dreaming of someday flying my TCraft up one day.
Mike