slowflyin

beautiful!

I did my transition training for my Bravo with Bob Cabe and he had me land there at the end of the day. Felt like graduation! Very exciting. The departure to bring my new to me Bravo home was just as hair raising.

+1 for the "Big Pull"

I would agree- LOP= cooler temps and cleaner ops!

Not scary or critical at all. Appreciate your thoughts. I'm a Savvy customer and a fan of Mike Busch for years. 700+ hours of LOP ops with excellent results but always looking to learn more.

Less than 14 GPH I felt some roughness. That being said, I really don't have great data as my last flights have been over DC and BWI. Pretty busy airspace and not a lot of time to fiddle. I essentially exercised the "Big Pull" directly to 14.2. Overall I was very impressed considering stock injectors. I will be documenting how far off peak each jug is and the over all spread first chance I get.

FWIW I've had my Bravo for a little over a year. Mainly from reading this site I didn't even try LOP peak ops until last week. To my surprise on the last three flights I pulled the mixture back from 18-18.5 to 14.2 GPH (75% power) and she ran smooth and happy. CHTs dropped by 20 down into the 340-360 range and TIT stayed below my personal redline of 1650. (No more than 1625 being ops normal) These flights were short 90 minute hops so I was around 12 or 13 thousand. She lost around 7-8 knots. I'm excited to try it in the teens where I normally fly. If I can save 4 GPH and lose only 4% on the dial I'll be pleased. Just another tool in the box!

It's very frustrating but not unusual for industrial items to be available only via a quote. I'd ask for a formal quote from any vendor under consideration. Scope them all the same then you can compare. I don't remember BAF being slow to provide one. My memory says I paid around 3K per fan plus another 800 for the installation kit. Not cheap by any measure. I heat my facilities so I like to think I've saved some on the utilities.

Garmin advised the unit pulls the date from satellite feed to determine what's old or new. That being said, I always update in the hangar and I've never had a date problem.

We have two spaces: 70' W x45' D (20' ceiling) with one 14' Basic 6 BAF- This fan is more than adequate considering the space. Air Flow can be felt throughout the space. 70' W x90' D (20' ceiling) with two 14' Basic 6 BAF - These fans are more than adequate considering the space. They are placed side by side in the front of the hangar because that's where my guys work. Essentially these two fans work the same size space as the one fan in the first hangar. I probably would of bought only one for this hangar but I moved these from a leased location when I built my own facilities. Again, I repurposed these fans. If I had bought them new for these facilities I would have bought two. One for each hangar. That would have allowed for larger fans on the same budget. Larger allows for a more subtle breeze across the entire area. I'd ask BAF folks. They can probably recommend the proper size. PM if you need any assistance.

I've been running Big Ass Fans for about 5 years and have no issues. Zero failures and no maintenance.

I've had it vary significantly for the complete break in. However, most times within the first couple of hours the rings will seat. Albeit not completely but enough to reduce most of the blow by. If you have engine monitoring you'll see the temps change a substantial amount. My preference is to continue the initial break in flight uninterrupted until I see the rings seat on any new jugs. Usually a race track above the field for a couple of hours. With a new engine or a complete top end it's interesting to watch them domino one after the other. That being said, the complete break in as indicated by normal temps and stabilized oil consumption can take much longer. Not sure what the average would be but if memory serves it think around 10-15 hours. I've heard some take much longer. Steel vs chrome.....

I use the B Kool as well. Agree the B Kool folks are tops! From my experience the B Kool is a great portable unit. Easy to handle and transport. I mainly use it in the back seat of our companies Skyhawk and it does a great job. Take it out; fill it with ice; and put it back in. Easy day! The B Kool was my first unit and I used it a ton. Works best from right behind the front seats. That being said, I prefer the AA 52 qt. in my Mooney. I leave it in the baggage compartment and bring the Ice to it. The lid opens wide making it easy to add ice. It stays in all summer. I purchased two duct extensions that reach to within about a foot of the front passengers head rest. This setup works best for my situation. It provides ease of use, more cooling time, and more cooling. Also, I can still utilize the back seats. Not so much in the Bravo but many times with my F.

In my 1970 F I had power in the luggage compartment. My IA ran power directly to the battery with an in-line fuse and an Anderson connector. I really liked the setup because I could run it while I was preflighting resulting in a nice cool entry. A few minutes didn’t put a dent in the battery. Once in the hangar I would plug my trickle charger into the same connector.. In the Bravo I run it off the cigarette lighter without any issues. Apples to Oranges as the Bravo is 28 Volt. Not sure the what size breaker but the amperage would be half. At annual I’ll be installing the setup my F had.

I’ve owned various sizes and without hesitation get 52 with dual blowers. I leave it in the AC all summer feed and water through the luggage door. Used it my F model as well.

Flew into Midway last month as well. 300 OVC and they worked me into the ILS conga line with everyone else. Aside from the usual "keep you speed up" no issues. Used Atlantic and they were great.

Did the same but I found they don't stay in sync very long. Not an issue for as I think the randomness actually makes the AC more visible.

I'd venture to guess it's the shower of sparks. My F had the same issue. When the engine sometimes starts after you release the starter it's telling you the SOS is failing-weak..... Try this link. http://donmaxwell.com/shower-of-sparks/

+1 for Bob Cabe. Excellent experience last year transitioning to my Bravo.

Air does exit the breather. Initially, very moist air is pushed out. Actually, I'm sure dry air from the pump is mixing with the moist air but after a very short time the humidity levels are very low within the engine. You end up with dry air pumping in and dry air coming out. I tried it both ways and after measuring the internal moisture levels I couldn't see any difference. In practice the levels dropped quicker through the oil filler tube. I assume the air exchange was quicker with zero backpressure. For clarification, I measured moisture coming out the breather tube and by inserting a sensor through the filler neck as deep as it would go. In the end I determined the unit was pumping a very large volume (over time) of very dry air into the engine.

Mine is a 94 model and I can confirm the 102 with patience. Earlier this year I drained the entire system and started with zero. Added unusable…….. I fly with a JPI w/fuel flow and have installed the Cies sending units. Between the two I've become more comfortable fully utilizing the ACs capabilities. My last AC was an F model with 64 gallons and honestly fuel calcs were a no brainer. The Bravo requires more attention but I've found it to be an extremely capable long range AC. Note; with my AC the wing gauges are accurate on the ground and the panel gauges are accurate in the air.

I use the black max on several different airframes and always place the tube and rubber stopper in the dip stick hole. Using the cc vent results in an oily mess. Humidistat shows excellent results.

I purchased one of these several years ago. Works as advertised. When I first got it I tested it buy measuring humidity levels in the crankcase after shutdown. Often it would return 90% relative humidity. Upon turning the unit on levels would drop very quickly. The next morning they would be well below the ambient. I'll see if I can find my notes but if memory serves me it was around 15% RH during the summer with ambient in VA being around 80%. I have had to have it repaired a couple of times over the last four or five years. The manufacturer has always been able to accommodate.

Thanks Don! As far as opening it seems about 45 degrees would be the max angle? With the aggressive slope of the windshield anything more puts it pretty far aft.

Don, I've just received my HUD and I'm prepping for install. As we have the same size panel and glare shield I thought I'd pick your brain. Any after thoughts regarding the location of yours. I notice it's off center to the right slightly. Was that to clear obstructions underneath or just your preferred location? Any other comments would be appreciated. I prefer to cut only one hole in my glare shield.