planejim(at)bellsouth.net
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 Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:50 am Post subject: Cabin Vents |
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Listers,
Living and flying my 601HD in Georgia made me realize that "sticking a
pencil under the canopy seal" as Chris originally suggested just didn't get
it.I had not put any sort of vents in the plane when building - mistake!
My first quick and simple solution helped quite a bit. I made a simple
"scoop" that I mounted just inside the front of the cowling opening. To this
a attached a "scat tube" - same size as the cabin heat flange on the
firewall - and ran it to the cabin heat flange on the firewall after
disconnecting the duct from the heat muff. This provided a fairly decent
amount of cooling air into the cockpit, but I wasn't satisfied. Have to swap
it back for winter too!
Next I borrowed an idea from the RV folks. Since I have a joint between the
center section and outer wing panel on each side, I decided to install a
NACA scoop in the lower surface of the skin at the joint. I made my own
mould and layed up a fiberglass "scoop" for each side. To this I attached a
flexible plastic duct - my son in law scrounged it up for me - about 2" in
diameter. I routed the ducts - through lightening holes - into the cockpit
where I had mounted two of those "eyeball outlets" which can be aimed where
ever you want. The high pressure on the bottom of the wing provides a good
flow of air that can be shut off at the eyeball in winter. Drag is nil
because of the design of the NACA scoop. I did put a screen at the inlet of
the scoops to keep the bugs and critters out. Would have been easier to have
installed the NACA scoops on the fuselage side while building!!
Now if I just wasn't so lazy, I put together a "sun shade" like the Koger
one used on the RV's and some Zeniths.
I've' designed one and got all the materials to make it except the Gray
colored cloth like materal. That's been my excuse for not completing that
project.
Just thought I'd share with you what I've done. Sounds to me like a lot of
other good ideas out there. I just didn't want to put a hole on my canopy.
I've had to repair or replace too many over the years because of cracks. My
canopy on the 601HD has been flying for 545 hours over ten years without the
first crack YET! It is the side-to-side opening type.
Good building and flying guys and gals.
Jim Hoak
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