Sport Pilot Talk

Hotel Daze in Lock Haven, PA.
After a most successful, thorough and educational annual with Paul,
I'm weathered-in in Lock Haven. Yesterday was low ceilings above terrain.
High winds today, and a little first snow at my homebase.
Tomorrow should be a flying day.
Today is a day of rest.

designrs wrote:Hotel Daze in Lock Haven, PA.
After a most successful, thorough and educational annual with Paul,
I'm weathered-in in Lock Haven. Yesterday was low ceilings above terrain.
High winds today, and a little first snow at my homebase.
Tomorrow should be a flying day.
Today is a day of rest.

When my oldest son was younger, he would describe today was "Blowy."

Yes, in fact, it does blow!

Annual with Paul at AvSport Lock Haven:

Cold in Upstate NY!

designrs wrote:Cold in Upstate NY!

Nice picture! Does your plane have a winter shutter over the oil cooler for quick warm up?

I have a screw-on oil cooler restrictor plate, but I need to be even warmer and will be installing a thermostat. I pre-heat and still a thermostat would be helpful on warm-up. My biggest concern though is cooling on descent. Even a normal descent down to pattern can bring me down to 135 degrees… to say nothing about more aggressive descents from higher altitude.

My plane runs pretty cool. I use the restrictor below 55 degrees and I'm well within normal temps.
So now it's 32 degrees at the ground and the oil cooler restrictor plate is barely doing it's job.
Thinking about what I can do, especially in much cooler weather coming.

Additional oil cooler restrictor?
Metal tape on the radiator?

Hopefully an oil thermostat will do the job and I will not have to get into other methods.

designrs wrote:Metal tape on the radiator?

Just be sure you put that stuff on the right radiator (the oil cooler, not the water one). You want to warm your oil, not your heads!

Thanks. Thinking of putting metal tape over some of the holes in my oil-restrictor plate.
Or is that not a good idea? Possibility of creating a "hot spot"? Or no worries?

Most cold climate Rotax owners put a strip or two of metal tape on the radiator in the winter.

I have a thermostat and live down south so don't worry about taping.

designrs wrote:Metal tape on the radiator?

drseti wrote:Just be sure you put that stuff on the right radiator (the oil cooler, not the water one). You want to warm your oil, not your heads!

Excellent point!

Paul.

In your opinion, at what point (temp) would the oil cooler warrant the tape treatment?

Right now at 32F on the ground and -4C at altitude I'm seeing:
… 175 MAX at cruise
… 135 approaching pattern
… and I am very challenged to keep my temps above 120 on descents.

So all oil temps are low.
It seems to me I could use that oil cooler tape for all phases of flight in these temps,
and we will be seeing even lower temps in this area shortly!

If, in a power-off descent, the oil temp drops below 50C (122F or thereabouts), you need to do something to raise it. An oil thermostat should take care of it. Othwrwise, tape is warranted.

Bill, I can't say at what outside air temperature that will occur, as it's related to the aircraft's engine cowling design.

drseti wrote:If, in a power-off descent, the oil temp drops below 50C (122F or thereabouts), you need to do something to raise it. An oil thermostat should take care of it. Othwrwise, tape is warranted.

Bill, I can't say at what outside air temperature that will occur, as it's related to the aircraft's engine cowling design.

Paul,

My question was with regards to the oil temp, not OAT. You answered it in your first sentence.

It has been several days of very cold weather. I really miss flying. Looking forward to finishing up a few maintence issues & upgrades and flying to someplace warm!