Heating for winter

Mike G

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2005
Messages
1,917
Location
Lillebonne France
Aircraft
Owned Magni M16 now ELA 07
Total Flight Time
550FW + 500 gyro
Has any of the owners (or manufacturers) of the Magni, MT03, ELA open gyros tried to fit a heater?
I was wondering if we could use the 912 carb heat system around the exhaust of a 914, with a little fan from a car scrap yard we could blow hot air into the cockpit.

Mike G
 
You could route a hose from your tailpipe to your one piece flight suit.

Just try not to inhale too many exhaust fumes !

Ahh...maybe just go with the electric clothing !
 
Why??

Why??

MT03s can be fitted with additional electrical sockets. Electrically heated gloves and suit keeps you toasty warm - no need for all that complicated plumbing!
 
Look at something like this, they offer electric clothing that you can plug into a 12 volt socket or can be used with rechargeable batteries.

http://www.gerbing.com/
 
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I fly a Magni with an electrical suit- 12 volt motorcycle. I wear insulated underwear, pants, t-shirt with sweat shirt over it, then the electical jacket, overalls over that with another larger coat over that. I wear gloves with the hot packs in them, in my shoes I put a hot pack (glove warmer) on the top of my foot all the way to my toes between 2 pairs of insulated socks. A face mask under my headset/helmet. This works well down to about 10 degrees. Its not as bad as it sounds, and you will stay pretty toasty.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I'd thought of electric clothes but the 914 generator is limited to 20 amps, 2 jacket liners alone would draw 13 amps, add to that the fuel pumps, Flydat, trim motor and lights and I'd be close to the limit.

Also I fly wearing cotton clothes overalls and a jacket for working in the Refinery (I work for an Oil company so I get issued with them) and they fire proof, I have spare sets (different sizes) for my passengers so I don't really want to change.

Mike G
 
You might want to try just the battery powered socks and gloves then, I thing they are available at most outdoors/hunting stores.
 
I have electrically heated over-pants and an electrically heated jacket, both from Gerbing. The past two winters I didn't need them; it never got below 0°C (32 °F) when I was flying. What I wear is: long underwear, a pair of old leather pants, a thin turtle neck sweater and a heavier sweater, a good quality Northface jacket. Warm socks and a pair of hiking boots. Skiing gloves.

This attire is good down to about freezing temps for up to 1 hour of flying, I found. After that, the cold seeps in through the jacket and gloves. Wearing the heated jacket instead of the second sweater and a pair of heated gloves fixes that. At the expense of feeling slightly more bulked up.

-- Chris.
 
I haven't tried it in the air but I have a thinsulate undersuit for my diving dry suite which I reckon would be pretty effective. If I can dive in the Irish Sea for an hour or so in January and February and still stay warm, I reckon it will do nicely under my flying suit should the weather get even colder.
 
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