ryoder Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 I care more about comfort than speed or avionics so this upgrade is on my wish list. http://www.arcticaircooler.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=80 Any experience with this unit? It claims to use around 19 amps at the low end and 27 at the high end. Yeah it costs 4k but it is portable and can be taken out in the winter or prior to sale. I haven't talked to the company about it yet but it seems to require minimal installation. I imagine the a&p would run a 12 volt line to the back and then do someone with the ducting. Not sure what. Quote
DAVIDWH Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 Looks freo, sure would work well. For June, July and August I use the larger ice unit, then it becomes a hanger queen in the fall winter and spring months. Larger ice unit works well. Smaller unit, save your money. Not sure about the comfort factor hauling ice, but other than that, as John Candy once said in the movie, "Jamaican Bobsled Team," " We got Cool Runnins man ". Or maybe, it was a team member with that quote, not really sure. Best, DH Quote
Marauder Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 That's a lot of amps and your heaviest usage will be on the ground with an engine at close to idle. Be curious to hear if a Mooney owner ever bought one. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote
DaV8or Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 That's a lot of amps and your heaviest usage will be on the ground with an engine at close to idle. Be curious to hear if a Mooney owner ever bought one. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk If you have an alternator, you'll be fine. Maybe just keep the RPMs up a little. I think it would be the same load as running one, or two halogen landing lights. How do you secure this thing in the baggage area? How does the exhaust get out of the plane? I would love to see an install on a Mooney. I suspect it may need at least a field approval with the wiring and ducting. Quote
carusoam Posted July 25, 2014 Report Posted July 25, 2014 I'm going with CB#1, no.... There are two manufacturers of the ice units that are here and can explain in technical detail how and why it works... There are too many other minor upgrades vying for the 4 AMU.... It will get the most use when the engine is at it's lowest output (ground maneuvering). A compressor based system sounds like a good idea if you are a working CFI stuck in the TPAs... It goes unused at altitude Installation seems to require a sheet metal adjustment for a radiator. Nobody likes cutting holes in there plane to use a radiator that will slow them down(a bit). Usually an access panel absorbs the abuse... Useful load is affected by permanent installs. Being a frugal speed junky, I'm comfortable at altitude, at full speed and at full MGTW(sort of)... There are a handful of Os supplied with an AC system from the factory. One owner had maintenance challenges with it. He was in the Houston area. Solving those challenges, it seems like a good idea... On further review... Ask the company how they dump the hot air it generates overboard. It looks like they dump out the back of the unit until you provide hoses and baffling... The unit generates more heat than it cools. That heat needs to go outside easily.... The picture doesn't tell the story. Don't buy until the answers are clear... I thought those 12v electric devices were to pre-cool the plane before leaving the hangar or tie down...plug it into the Chevy. Cool hose enters the vent window. Hot air is left outside with the compressor and everything else. They make it difficult to understand without much explanation... It just can't work the way they picture it. Thinking out loud....., -a- Quote
ryoder Posted July 27, 2014 Author Report Posted July 27, 2014 There are installation instructions available online probably on aircraftspruce or amazon. I read them. They mention that the unit comes with the hose to remove hot air and that you are supposed to rout it into the tailcone or into some kind of vented inspection plate. I like the vented inspection plate idea if that is legal. Yes getting rid of hot air is the most important part of the equation and is one nice thing about using ice. Quote
1964-M20E Posted July 28, 2014 Report Posted July 28, 2014 I’ve looked at these before quite interesting. Based on the description of the operation of the unit it is taking inside air and using it to cool the condenser then exhausting it out. Therefore it is drawing in as much air for cooling the condenser as it is most likely putting out from the evaporator. I would want to test drive one for a while before I purchase it since to bring in that much warm air to cool as well as the inside heat load I think it would be challenging to have this unit cool the cabin with 7,000BTUs but of course this is just gut feeling engineering. Is suspect that the manufacturer has done a little more than my effort. I’ve even looked at some marine type systems but the challenge is where do you mount the radiator for the water cooled condenser and have it “temporary” and by the way they are not any cheaper than this unit. Quote
WheelBuster Posted July 28, 2014 Report Posted July 28, 2014 I’ve looked at these before quite interesting. Based on the description of the operation of the unit it is taking inside air and using it to cool the condenser then exhausting it out. Therefore it is drawing in as much air for cooling the condenser as it is most likely putting out from the evaporator. I would want to test drive one for a while before I purchase it since to bring in that much warm air to cool as well as the inside heat load I think it would be challenging to have this unit cool the cabin with 7,000BTUs but of course this is just gut feeling engineering. Is suspect that the manufacturer has done a little more than my effort. I’ve even looked at some marine type systems but the challenge is where do you mount the radiator for the water cooled condenser and have it “temporary” and by the way they are not any cheaper than this unit. The marine units pump raw water through constantly to keep cool - they are not running air over a radiator to cool contained air. The most common issue on a marine unit is it not blowing cool air due to a clog in the intake, line, or filter. No idea how you could make it work with a radiator trying to keep it cool enough, and storing enough water in addition to the weight of the unit may be way more than these aircraft units add in weight. Quote
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