Cold out there

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drseti
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Re: Cold out there

Post by drseti »

I've now modified my manuscript slightly, to include some of the safety suggestions you all so kindly offered. Thanks for your collective wisdom and input!
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
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FastEddieB
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Re: Cold out there

Post by FastEddieB »

I generally start thinking about preheat below freezing.

It's not a hard and fast line. To keep it in perspective, we think little of starting our cars to get to the airport all winter at practically any temperature, thanks to multi-weight oils, to no apparent ill effect, and our ROTAX engines with multi-weight oil are not fundamentally different in design.

In any case, about a month ago I was planning a morning departure to Peach State, and the forecast was for about 22º F in the morning. The night before, I grabbed a bathroom heater and a blanket and headed to the airport. Came up with this arrangement:

Image

I added a 100w trouble lamp for good measure.

I was literally at the airport gate when the bad feelings about the setup overcame me.

First, the heater had a big label on the cord saying "DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED".

Second, my fuel cap with vent was just adjacent - it's the round, white "plug" just barely visible in the photo.

Finally, just a general feeling of dread and foreboding led me to turn around and unplug the whole mess. I had a clear image of a hangar fire and a melted airplane and me saying, "I had a feeling..."

In the morning, I just headed to the airport an hour early and plugged things is while I pre-flighted and puttered. For more even heating I aimed some lamps at the "rear" of the engine (your front).

Image

In any case, the engine was warm to the touch in an hour and started right up.

As an aside, I have a Red Dragon propane engine heater I bought used when I had my Cirrus. I set it up once on the Sky Arrow, but have never been 100% comfortable with the propane set-up. Need to work on that - it would be a better solution.
Fast Eddie B.
Sky Arrow 600 E-LSA • N467SA
CFI, CFII, CFIME
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Merlinspop
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Re: Cold out there

Post by Merlinspop »

Would one of these jobbies be more efficient that a light bulb?

http://www.petco.com/product/5003/Zoo-M ... tters.aspx

Available at the airplane pre-heater section of a pet shop near you.
- Bruce
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FastEddieB
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Re: Cold out there

Post by FastEddieB »

Here's the Red Dragon:

Image

Image

If anyone feels like visiting me in Copperhill to help me get used to its functioning, I'll buy lunch!
Fast Eddie B.
Sky Arrow 600 E-LSA • N467SA
CFI, CFII, CFIME
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CharlieTango
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Re: Cold out there

Post by CharlieTango »

This is my first winter with a Tanis pre-heater that I leave plugged in all the time. Winter starting no longer kicks and I mostly don't need my choke. I upgraded to the Tanis and recommend it.
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deltafox
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Re: Cold out there

Post by deltafox »

Reference: http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All- ... 0314epilot

"According to research cited by Peter Tanis (of Tanis Aircraft Services, Inc.), 20 degrees Fahrenheit should be the minimum engine temperature to prevent engine damage at startup. Keeping the engine above 40 degrees Fahrenheit is easier on the battery during starts, reducing startup times and the associated wear. And, if you try to keep your engine above 60 degrees Fahrenheit before starting, you will generally see additional benefits in reduced engine stress and cylinder wear, and more efficient run-up times."
Dave
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drseti
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Re: Cold out there

Post by drseti »

Rotax recommends above +5 C for starting. That's +40 F, below which mine just won't start. :(
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
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snaproll
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Re: Cold out there

Post by snaproll »

drseti wrote:Rotax recommends above +5 C for starting. That's +40 F, below which mine just won't start. :(
Paul,
Gone are the days when you drained your oil and took it home to keep it warm. Have a great day.. Don :)
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designrs
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Re: Cold out there

Post by designrs »

General Cold Weather Ops from AOPA:

http://www.aopa.org/Pilot-Resources/Saf ... Operations

Does Rotax have an oil breather tube?
I'm confused by the oil drain vs. hearing that the Rotax uses a sealed oil system.
roger lee
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Re: Cold out there

Post by roger lee »

The only engine breather on a Rotax is the vent tube off the neck of the oil tank. That should never get clogged or blocked.

The Tanix engine heater is one of the best out there. They designed one just for the Rotax engine and did not try and make something work that went to a wet sump engine like Reiff.

I have installed over a dozen Tanis heaters and I would highly recommend them for a Rotax engine. It is well worth the investment for your engine if you live in cold country. The Tanis heat soaks the entire engine and not just 1-2 outside skin areas. Other heaters only do the oil and a little surface heating. You want warm temps as far into the interior of the engine and its cylinders as possible.
Roger Lee
Tucson, Az.
LSRM-A, Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC
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designrs
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Re: Cold out there

Post by designrs »

Tanis preheat system for Rotax 912/914 series engines. Kit contains heating elements for each cylinder, crankcase, and oil sump:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/e ... tanis3.php
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designrs
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Re: Cold out there

Post by designrs »

Hmm... Tanis looks like a nice kit.
It makes that cellular switch look like a cheep option:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/ep/ ... -13474.php

Wonder how many hours you would have to run Paul's heat gun / blower to equal the core heating of the Tanis?
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drseti
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Re: Cold out there

Post by drseti »

Tannis is certainly a good system. Just remember that if installing it on an SLSA, you need an LoA from the aircraft manufacturer. (Same goes for the Reiff.)
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
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MrMorden
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Re: Cold out there

Post by MrMorden »

The other day it was about 40°F, cold enough that preheating is warranted. I don't have a preheater on my airplane.

I wedged a hair dryer at the bottom of the cowling blowing in warm air (checked to make sure the air was not too hot and the dryer didn't get hot against any parts). After 30-45min I opened the oil check door and the entire engine bay was toasty warm inside. I would think that would do the trick. Some have also used incandescent drop lights in the engine bay, but that seems like it would be slower to me, and might not circulate the warmth over the entire engine.
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
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drseti
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Re: Cold out there

Post by drseti »

Andy, my published system is essentially a hair dryer on steroids. 30 to 45 minutes works for me. I have my students turn on the blower before they preflight, and off after we've briefed the lesson.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
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