Factory A/C Removal

[V1VRV2]

I was contemplating removing the A/C in an Ovation I am considering buying. My thoughts are since the A/C can only be used in cruise flight it’s pretty much pointless. The plane will be kept in a hangar which will keep the plane cool. I’ll regain some useful load and eliminate maintenance costs. I know weight and balance will have to be redone. Has anyone removed the A/C? Is it costly? How much useful load did you regain? Thanks!

[mike_elliott]

Just now, V1VRV2 said:

I was contemplating removing the A/C in an Ovation I am considering buying. My thoughts are since the A/C can only be used in cruise flight it’s pretty much pointless. The plane will be kept in a hangar which will keep the plane cool. I’ll regain some useful load and eliminate maintenance costs. I know weight and balance will have to be redone. Has anyone removed the A/C? Is it costly? How much useful load did you regain? Thanks!

There is an SB to allow for it to be used full time, I believe. I am surprised this hasnt been done to your future contemplation already

[RLCarter]

AirCon is more for ground ops. in my opinion

[Greg Ellis]

I would also think it was more for ground operations.  When in cruise flight at a high altitude (In an Ovation you are probably cruising above 10,000 into the teens) it is already nice and cool outside so no need for the A/C.  Although, here in Texas last weekend I went for a flight and it was 90 degrees at 4000 feet.  Could have used something then.

[RLCarter]

9 minutes ago, Greg Ellis said:

Although, here in Texas last weekend I went for a flight and it was 90 degrees at 4000 feet.  Could have used something then.

Still 14° cooler than on the ground....

[Schllc]

I live in south florida and wouldn’t want to do without ac. 
Anyone who says it’s not useful doesn’t live here...

if you have short hops, air work, training or getting under weather it’s indispensable. 

[Kelly Aerospace]

This is Walter Dodge with Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems.  we have an all electric A/C STC for the Ovation that not only has no flight restrictions for take off and landing but it works great on taxi and take off.  It also can be plugged in to a 50 amp GPU and you can precool your aircraft.  55 pounds.

 

Walter 

[carusoam]

Hey Walter!

Your timing is impeccable... 

thanks for the answers regarding AC.

Best regards,

-a-

[carusoam]

V1,

expect the limitations for the mechanically driven AC units are for T/O reasons only...

This way when you do your T/O calculations, they match your reality, no matter how much power your AC is trying to sap....

 

The whole purpose for AC... is 90% while on the ground, and 10% while climbing to altitude.... 

PP thoughts only,

-a-

[buddy]

As far as I know there are NO flight restrictions on the use of my factory A/C, 2005 M20R. I live in Florida and think it’s great, taxi, take off, landing and at low altitudes.

[McMooney]

hehe you can send it to me,  ac on the ground here in Texas would be AMAZING

[mike_elliott]

16 minutes ago, Kelly Aerospace said:

This is Walter Dodge with Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems.  we have an all electric A/C STC for the Ovation that not only has no flight restrictions for take off and landing but it works great on taxi and take off.  It also can be plugged in to a 50 amp GPU and you can precool your aircraft.  55 pounds.

 

Walter 

I have flown behind Kelly Aerospace AC on a few new Ultra Mooneys that had Walter install them vs the factory AC. The Kelly Aerospace AC ROCKS! great unit that delivers!

(Walter, you can send that rib rub to me anytime now :))

 

[ArtVandelay]

How much does the AC system weigh?


Tom

[EricJ]

I live in AZ and carry a B-Kool when it is hot out.   It only gets used on the ground and at low altitude.   Usually descending through about 3000-4000 ft it'll start getting warm and get turned on, and I'm usually on the ground not long after that.   So the amount of time it's actually on is not very much on a typical flight.   While the B-Kool is a little bit of a pita (but not too much), it does mean I don't have the weight or complexity of an a/c system for most of the year when I don't need it.

[LANCECASPER]

7 hours ago, V1VRV2 said:

I was contemplating removing the A/C in an Ovation I am considering buying. My thoughts are since the A/C can only be used in cruise flight it’s pretty much pointless. The plane will be kept in a hangar which will keep the plane cool. I’ll regain some useful load and eliminate maintenance costs. I know weight and balance will have to be redone. Has anyone removed the A/C? Is it costly? How much useful load did you regain? Thanks!

Who said it couldn't be used during taxi and climb?  On the Ovation I had I left it off for take-off.

[V1VRV2]

I found a log book entry that the AC must be placarded for use in cruise only. 

 

[V1VRV2]

Double Post

 

[LANCECASPER]

38 minutes ago, V1VRV2 said:

I found a log book entry that the AC must be placarded for use in cruise only. 

 

Mine did not have that limitation anywhere in the logs (I still have a digital copy). It was a 2000 Ovation 2, which was upgraded to 310hp while I owned it.

[Niko182]

Itll cost a lot to remove it. Id recommend against removing it and finding one without it. I considered the same thing a whe back and ended up passing on the aircraft.

[kmyfm20s]

6 hours ago, Kelly Aerospace said:

This is Walter Dodge with Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems.  we have an all electric A/C STC for the Ovation that not only has no flight restrictions for take off and landing but it works great on taxi and take off.  It also can be plugged in to a 50 amp GPU and you can precool your aircraft.  55 pounds.

 

Walter 

Can this unit be taken in and out of the plane when needed for seasonal use? Freeing up useful load would be nice in the winter time.

[kmyfm20s]

55 minutes ago, V1VRV2 said:

I found a log book entry that the AC must be placarded for use in cruise only. 

 

My Eagle had a placard for it to be turned off for take off and climb but no mention of ground ops and cruise. When it got the 310hp STC it could be used full time with no limitations.

[V1VRV2]

Can someone reference “TC2A3”?

[kmyfm20s]

8 hours ago, RLCarter said:

AirCon is more for ground ops. in my opinion

For sure the ground ops is when you want and use A/C the most. I usually turn off the air conditioner between 6000’ to 8000’. Today when I took off it was 109 out and had the A/C on up at 8500’ and kept it on which is isn’t the norm. The more humid the air the better it A/c works. Sometimes when it is really hot and dry out the air coming out of the ducts doesn’t feel all that cold but like today at 109 I could taxi with the doors shut and not sweat. Really nice for commuting in my works clothes! 

[kortopates]

Can someone reference “TC2A3”?

Type Certificate 2A3 - short for referring you to the TCDS for all the details. I'd check there because I'd bet the limitation is only for takeoff as mentioned above.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[V1VRV2]

Found this on Avweb in an article on the Ovation...

”Air-conditioned Ovations were required to be equipped with a placard specifying the system’s use during cruise operations alone, or owners were to disable the system entirely, under AD 99-11-07. That action responded to what the FAA called “dangerous levels of carbon monoxide during taxi, climb and descent operations.”

Which led me to the AD... https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/AOCADSearch/A6B3F7EC2F325C6486256A640057D7EA?OpenDocument