|
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Keith, when I put the skis on the Colt I would just go fly, as you say winter flying is nice, clear view and smooth air and with skis you have a lot more options for off airport landings..? Before all the Ego days I have seen Cessnas and Pipers with aluminum pieces screwed to the cowling to limit airflow into the engine.? Farmer John
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Oh Joe,? going to Texas is cheating :)? ? You and I have similar feelings about when to fly etc.? ? What type of tape do you use on the cowl openings?? ?As I mentioned,? I used to tape up the Tripacer openings but used duct tape.? ?I really don't want to do that with the Tailwind as it leaves residue.? I am considering the blue painters tape.? Do you think it would stand up to the speeds?
?
Farmer John--? How much clearance did you have between the prop and and nosewheel ski?? Ski flying is really nice if you have a nice smooth surface.? Kind of rough if any little drifts etc.? I am NOT considering putting skis on the Tailwind although it probably would be fine.
?
Keith
|
Keith,
I use duct tape for the Super Cub.? I actually have red and white duct tape to match the colors on the nose bowl!! ?:) ?The residue comes right off by using the tape¡¯s own adhesive to pull the little bit of residue off after removing the tape.? I take it off immediately after each flight.? If you leave it on too long the residue is harder to remove.
I don¡¯t think the painter¡¯s tape has enough staying power for the speed of a Tailwind.? Might not even hold up to the Super Cub.
And as for ski flying, I have two sets of skis for the Super Cub, but since moving to Oshkosh I can¡¯t use them because it is too far across pavement to get to any useable snow for ski operations.? Used to do a lot of ski flying when I had the cranberry marsh.? Having one¡¯s own airstrip makes all the difference.? And of course skis wouldn¡¯t do much good down in TX!! ?(It ain¡¯t cheating if you are getting away with it!!)
Joe
Oh Joe,? going to Texas is cheating :)? ? You and I have similar feelings about when to fly etc.? ? What type of tape do you use on the cowl openings?? ?As I mentioned,? I used to tape up the Tripacer openings but used duct tape.? ?I really don't want to do that with the Tailwind as it leaves residue.? I am considering the blue painters tape.? Do you think it would stand up to the speeds?
?
Farmer John--? How much clearance did you have between the prop and and nosewheel ski?? Ski flying is really nice if you have a nice smooth surface.? Kind of rough if any little drifts etc.? I am NOT considering putting skis on the Tailwind although it probably would be fine.
?
Keith
|
I flew my Tailwind at -10 F after preheating with no problems though the Dynon screens were black for 5 minutes till the cabin warmed up inside.
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
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Show quoted text
-------- Original message -------- From: "Joe Norris via groups.io" <joepilot13@...> Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt <jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- From: "Joe Norris via groups.io" <joepilot13@...> Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Your post caused me to flash back to what was probably the coldest I have ever been in an airplane.? I worked for Sonex Aircraft LLC back in the days when they still had the "Light Plane Expo" in Sebring, FL.? John (Monnett, Sonex founder and president) decided that he wanted to take an airplane down to Sebring for the event rather than just setting up a booth.? Foolishly, not fully considering the fact that the Sebring event is in JANUARY, I volunteered to fly the airplane to Florida rather than having to disassemble and trailer the plane down.? (There might have been alcohol involved in that conversation.)
So, here I am, ready to start out for Sebring in the uninsulated, unheated Sonex Aerobatic prototype (which was powered by the prototype AeroVee turbo engine).? Did I mention that this was in JANUARY?? It was cold.? I mean COLD.? I think it was about 10 degrees, but felt even colder in the wind and snow flurries that morning.? I thought I had enough clothes on, and I planned on the nice bubble canopy of the Sonex acting as a bit of a solar heater for me.? Well, the sun went behind a high overcast, and I didn't have enough clothes on!
My first fuel stop was Bloomington, IL.? I was numb.? I fueled up the airplane, then sat in the FBO for about half an hour to soak up some of their glorious heat.? But not wanting to let the airplane cool off too much, I finally forced myself to get back in the air.? I ended up landing at Marion IL for my overnight stop.? They had a heated hangar I could put the airplane in, and as soon as we got the airplane into the hangar and I realized I was done flying for the day, I started shaking uncontrollably.? I had to sit down for about 10 minutes before I could stand and walk.? Can you say hypothermia??? When I got to the hotel I just turned the heater up as far as it would go and sat right in front of it until the shaking finally stopped.
The next morning it was a balmy 20 degrees when I left Marion, but I was heading south so I gradually got into warmer air and survived the trip (after spending two days in Selma AL to wait out the weather).? Man, I hope I am never that cold again!? It was brutal!!? We were smart enough to just leave the airplane in FL after Sebring, so we rented a hangar at Lakeland and I flew the airplane over there after the Sebring event and didn't fly it back to WI until after Sun N Fun.
I am not a fan of cold!!
joe
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:42?AM Tailwind14855 via <Tailwind14855= [email protected]> wrote:
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt < jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Joe,
Sounds pretty chilly!!? ?Oh the silly things we do in pursuit of this aviation experience!
|
Some thought to the engine installed: Over the years, small Continental engines could start to run lean in cold temperatures, due to the evaporated fuel mixed with air having to flow up to the intake port on each cylinder.? The tubes could get cold enough to condense out the gas, leaving only a lean fuel-air mix left to run the engine.? A lot depends on the cowling design, etc.? My first engine installation in my W-10 was a Continental O-200, which had no problems due to relatively tight cowling and exhaust pipes nearby.? Here in Pennsylvania I flew it a couple times, no problem down to about 0 degrees?F.? The Lycoming O-320 now installed makes lots of heat inside the cowl, and the intakes tubes are bathed in warm oil. My Taylorcraft with Continenatl A-65 could actually wind way down to near shutoff in high cruise, unless carburetor heat was applied, or I installed a wrap on the intake tubes, restricted the air inlet in the front cowling, and also put a wrap on the oil tank to preserve some heat, or all the above.? Perhaps some thought should also be given to survival in cold temps if an off-airport landing or accident. But usually nowadays I don't care to get cold, with frozen-shut hangar doors, snow removal, cold pre-flight exercises etc., so no longer much of a problem, I go when it is warmer.
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 11:42?AM Tailwind14855 via <Tailwind14855= [email protected]> wrote:
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt < jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
I too am not a fan of the cold! I use to camp during the winter but anymore I just don't like it! In my Champ, with no real heat, I didn't mind the mid 40s on a sunny day. It's probably about the same in the tailwind, it has much better heat, O-320, but I'd rather not be outside in the winter. We're looking at moving south eventually, and/or become snowbirds lol.
James Wells - in OH with a lot of snow.
Some thought to the engine installed: Over the years, small Continental engines could start to run lean in cold temperatures, due to the evaporated fuel mixed with air having to flow up to the intake port on each cylinder.? The tubes could get cold enough to condense out the gas, leaving only a lean fuel-air mix left to run the engine.? A lot depends on the cowling design, etc.? My first engine installation in my W-10 was a Continental O-200, which had no problems due to relatively tight cowling and exhaust pipes nearby.? Here in Pennsylvania I flew it a couple times, no problem down to about 0 degrees?F.? The Lycoming O-320 now installed makes lots of heat inside the cowl, and the intakes tubes are bathed in warm oil. My Taylorcraft with Continenatl A-65 could actually wind way down to near shutoff in high cruise, unless carburetor heat was applied, or I installed a wrap on the intake tubes, restricted the air inlet in the front cowling, and also put a wrap on the oil tank to preserve some heat, or all the above.? Perhaps some thought should also be given to survival in cold temps if an off-airport landing or accident. But usually nowadays I don't care to get cold, with frozen-shut hangar doors, snow removal, cold pre-flight exercises etc., so no longer much of a problem, I go when it is warmer.
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 11:42?AM Tailwind14855 via <Tailwind14855= [email protected]> wrote:
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt < jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Great story! ? The day before I was to set off from Long Island to drive to Texas for the start of the spring semester at the university of Texas at Austin, the heater core in my 67 Chevelle sprung a leak.? I disconnected the hoses at the engine block and drive down with no heat (or defroster).? Before long I was driving the 1600 miles in my sleeping bag and the car had a clutch! ? I had to either scrape the frost from my breath off of the inside of the windows or drive with the windows open.? What a dumb ass I was but at least I have a good story to tell. ?lol.?
Your post caused me to flash back to what was probably the coldest I have ever been in an airplane.? I worked for Sonex Aircraft LLC back in the days when they still had the "Light Plane Expo" in Sebring, FL.? John (Monnett, Sonex founder and president) decided that he wanted to take an airplane down to Sebring for the event rather than just setting up a booth.? Foolishly, not fully considering the fact that the Sebring event is in JANUARY, I volunteered to fly the airplane to Florida rather than having to disassemble and trailer the plane down.? (There might have been alcohol involved in that conversation.)
So, here I am, ready to start out for Sebring in the uninsulated, unheated Sonex Aerobatic prototype (which was powered by the prototype AeroVee turbo engine).? Did I mention that this was in JANUARY?? It was cold.? I mean COLD.? I think it was about 10 degrees, but felt even colder in the wind and snow flurries that morning.? I thought I had enough clothes on, and I planned on the nice bubble canopy of the Sonex acting as a bit of a solar heater for me.? Well, the sun went behind a high overcast, and I didn't have enough clothes on!
My first fuel stop was Bloomington, IL.? I was numb.? I fueled up the airplane, then sat in the FBO for about half an hour to soak up some of their glorious heat.? But not wanting to let the airplane cool off too much, I finally forced myself to get back in the air.? I ended up landing at Marion IL for my overnight stop.? They had a heated hangar I could put the airplane in, and as soon as we got the airplane into the hangar and I realized I was done flying for the day, I started shaking uncontrollably.? I had to sit down for about 10 minutes before I could stand and walk.? Can you say hypothermia??? When I got to the hotel I just turned the heater up as far as it would go and sat right in front of it until the shaking finally stopped.
The next morning it was a balmy 20 degrees when I left Marion, but I was heading south so I gradually got into warmer air and survived the trip (after spending two days in Selma AL to wait out the weather).? Man, I hope I am never that cold again!? It was brutal!!? We were smart enough to just leave the airplane in FL after Sebring, so we rented a hangar at Lakeland and I flew the airplane over there after the Sebring event and didn't fly it back to WI until after Sun N Fun.
I am not a fan of cold!!
joe
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:42?AM Tailwind14855 via <Tailwind14855= [email protected]> wrote:
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt < jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Some of the craziest, stupidest, wildest things that we do, we do because it ends up making a good story afterward.? Or at least that is what I have come to use as the excuse!
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 4:18?PM Christian Bobka via <blamebobka= [email protected]> wrote: Great story! ? The day before I was to set off from Long Island to drive to Texas for the start of the spring semester at the university of Texas at Austin, the heater core in my 67 Chevelle sprung a leak.? I disconnected the hoses at the engine block and drive down with no heat (or defroster).? Before long I was driving the 1600 miles in my sleeping bag and the car had a clutch! ? I had to either scrape the frost from my breath off of the inside of the windows or drive with the windows open.? What a dumb ass I was but at least I have a good story to tell. ?lol.? Your post caused me to flash back to what was probably the coldest I have ever been in an airplane.? I worked for Sonex Aircraft LLC back in the days when they still had the "Light Plane Expo" in Sebring, FL.? John (Monnett, Sonex founder and president) decided that he wanted to take an airplane down to Sebring for the event rather than just setting up a booth.? Foolishly, not fully considering the fact that the Sebring event is in JANUARY, I volunteered to fly the airplane to Florida rather than having to disassemble and trailer the plane down.? (There might have been alcohol involved in that conversation.)
So, here I am, ready to start out for Sebring in the uninsulated, unheated Sonex Aerobatic prototype (which was powered by the prototype AeroVee turbo engine).? Did I mention that this was in JANUARY?? It was cold.? I mean COLD.? I think it was about 10 degrees, but felt even colder in the wind and snow flurries that morning.? I thought I had enough clothes on, and I planned on the nice bubble canopy of the Sonex acting as a bit of a solar heater for me.? Well, the sun went behind a high overcast, and I didn't have enough clothes on!
My first fuel stop was Bloomington, IL.? I was numb.? I fueled up the airplane, then sat in the FBO for about half an hour to soak up some of their glorious heat.? But not wanting to let the airplane cool off too much, I finally forced myself to get back in the air.? I ended up landing at Marion IL for my overnight stop.? They had a heated hangar I could put the airplane in, and as soon as we got the airplane into the hangar and I realized I was done flying for the day, I started shaking uncontrollably.? I had to sit down for about 10 minutes before I could stand and walk.? Can you say hypothermia??? When I got to the hotel I just turned the heater up as far as it would go and sat right in front of it until the shaking finally stopped.
The next morning it was a balmy 20 degrees when I left Marion, but I was heading south so I gradually got into warmer air and survived the trip (after spending two days in Selma AL to wait out the weather).? Man, I hope I am never that cold again!? It was brutal!!? We were smart enough to just leave the airplane in FL after Sebring, so we rented a hangar at Lakeland and I flew the airplane over there after the Sebring event and didn't fly it back to WI until after Sun N Fun.
I am not a fan of cold!!
joe
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:42?AM Tailwind14855 via <Tailwind14855= [email protected]> wrote:
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt < jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Well if nothing else it's easy to find the air leaks!
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM, Joe Norris via groups.io <joepilot13@...> wrote: Some of the craziest, stupidest, wildest things that we do, we do because it ends up making a good story afterward.? Or at least that is what I have come to use as the excuse! On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 4:18?PM Christian Bobka via <blamebobka= [email protected]> wrote: Great story! ? The day before I was to set off from Long Island to drive to Texas for the start of the spring semester at the university of Texas at Austin, the heater core in my 67 Chevelle sprung a leak.? I disconnected the hoses at the engine block and drive down with no heat (or defroster).? Before long I was driving the 1600 miles in my sleeping bag and the car had a clutch! ? I had to either scrape the frost from my breath off of the inside of the windows or drive with the windows open.? What a dumb ass I was but at least I have a good story to tell. ?lol.? Your post caused me to flash back to what was probably the coldest I have ever been in an airplane.? I worked for Sonex Aircraft LLC back in the days when they still had the "Light Plane Expo" in Sebring, FL.? John (Monnett, Sonex founder and president) decided that he wanted to take an airplane down to Sebring for the event rather than just setting up a booth.? Foolishly, not fully considering the fact that the Sebring event is in JANUARY, I volunteered to fly the airplane to Florida rather than having to disassemble and trailer the plane down.? (There might have been alcohol involved in that conversation.)
So, here I am, ready to start out for Sebring in the uninsulated, unheated Sonex Aerobatic prototype (which was powered by the prototype AeroVee turbo engine).? Did I mention that this was in JANUARY?? It was cold.? I mean COLD.? I think it was about 10 degrees, but felt even colder in the wind and snow flurries that morning.? I thought I had enough clothes on, and I planned on the nice bubble canopy of the Sonex acting as a bit of a solar heater for me.? Well, the sun went behind a high overcast, and I didn't have enough clothes on!
My first fuel stop was Bloomington, IL.? I was numb.? I fueled up the airplane, then sat in the FBO for about half an hour to soak up some of their glorious heat.? But not wanting to let the airplane cool off too much, I finally forced myself to get back in the air.? I ended up landing at Marion IL for my overnight stop.? They had a heated hangar I could put the airplane in, and as soon as we got the airplane into the hangar and I realized I was done flying for the day, I started shaking uncontrollably.? I had to sit down for about 10 minutes before I could stand and walk.? Can you say hypothermia??? When I got to the hotel I just turned the heater up as far as it would go and sat right in front of it until the shaking finally stopped.
The next morning it was a balmy 20 degrees when I left Marion, but I was heading south so I gradually got into warmer air and survived the trip (after spending two days in Selma AL to wait out the weather).? Man, I hope I am never that cold again!? It was brutal!!? We were smart enough to just leave the airplane in FL after Sebring, so we rented a hangar at Lakeland and I flew the airplane over there after the Sebring event and didn't fly it back to WI until after Sun N Fun.
I am not a fan of cold!!
joe
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:42?AM Tailwind14855 via <Tailwind14855= [email protected]> wrote:
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt < jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
leaky heater, In the Ole days a spoon or two of pepper would stop a leak, too much would stop the heater and radiator.? Farmer John
Well if nothing else it's easy to find the air leaks!
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM, Joe Norris via Some of the craziest, stupidest, wildest things that we do, we do because it ends up making a good story afterward.? Or at least that is what I have come to use as the excuse! On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 4:18?PM Christian Bobka via <blamebobka= [email protected]> wrote: Great story! ? The day before I was to set off from Long Island to drive to Texas for the start of the spring semester at the university of Texas at Austin, the heater core in my 67 Chevelle sprung a leak.? I disconnected the hoses at the engine block and drive down with no heat (or defroster).? Before long I was driving the 1600 miles in my sleeping bag and the car had a clutch! ? I had to either scrape the frost from my breath off of the inside of the windows or drive with the windows open.? What a dumb ass I was but at least I have a good story to tell. ?lol.? Your post caused me to flash back to what was probably the coldest I have ever been in an airplane.? I worked for Sonex Aircraft LLC back in the days when they still had the "Light Plane Expo" in Sebring, FL.? John (Monnett, Sonex founder and president) decided that he wanted to take an airplane down to Sebring for the event rather than just setting up a booth.? Foolishly, not fully considering the fact that the Sebring event is in JANUARY, I volunteered to fly the airplane to Florida rather than having to disassemble and trailer the plane down.? (There might have been alcohol involved in that conversation.)
So, here I am, ready to start out for Sebring in the uninsulated, unheated Sonex Aerobatic prototype (which was powered by the prototype AeroVee turbo engine).? Did I mention that this was in JANUARY?? It was cold.? I mean COLD.? I think it was about 10 degrees, but felt even colder in the wind and snow flurries that morning.? I thought I had enough clothes on, and I planned on the nice bubble canopy of the Sonex acting as a bit of a solar heater for me.? Well, the sun went behind a high overcast, and I didn't have enough clothes on!
My first fuel stop was Bloomington, IL.? I was numb.? I fueled up the airplane, then sat in the FBO for about half an hour to soak up some of their glorious heat.? But not wanting to let the airplane cool off too much, I finally forced myself to get back in the air.? I ended up landing at Marion IL for my overnight stop.? They had a heated hangar I could put the airplane in, and as soon as we got the airplane into the hangar and I realized I was done flying for the day, I started shaking uncontrollably.? I had to sit down for about 10 minutes before I could stand and walk.? Can you say hypothermia??? When I got to the hotel I just turned the heater up as far as it would go and sat right in front of it until the shaking finally stopped.
The next morning it was a balmy 20 degrees when I left Marion, but I was heading south so I gradually got into warmer air and survived the trip (after spending two days in Selma AL to wait out the weather).? Man, I hope I am never that cold again!? It was brutal!!? We were smart enough to just leave the airplane in FL after Sebring, so we rented a hangar at Lakeland and I flew the airplane over there after the Sebring event and didn't fly it back to WI until after Sun N Fun.
I am not a fan of cold!!
joe
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:42?AM Tailwind14855 via <Tailwind14855= [email protected]> wrote:
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt < jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
?
I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
?
Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
|
Keith, tape is not a good idea on the cowl, if it comes loose will be ingested?and may become a fire hazard.? Whatever you use besure it is well secured.? Farmer John
leaky heater, In the Ole days a spoon or two of pepper would stop a leak, too much would stop the heater and radiator.? Farmer John
Well if nothing else it's easy to find the air leaks!
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM, Joe Norris via Some of the craziest, stupidest, wildest things that we do, we do because it ends up making a good story afterward.? Or at least that is what I have come to use as the excuse! On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 4:18?PM Christian Bobka via <blamebobka= [email protected]> wrote: Great story! ? The day before I was to set off from Long Island to drive to Texas for the start of the spring semester at the university of Texas at Austin, the heater core in my 67 Chevelle sprung a leak.? I disconnected the hoses at the engine block and drive down with no heat (or defroster).? Before long I was driving the 1600 miles in my sleeping bag and the car had a clutch! ? I had to either scrape the frost from my breath off of the inside of the windows or drive with the windows open.? What a dumb ass I was but at least I have a good story to tell. ?lol.? Your post caused me to flash back to what was probably the coldest I have ever been in an airplane.? I worked for Sonex Aircraft LLC back in the days when they still had the "Light Plane Expo" in Sebring, FL.? John (Monnett, Sonex founder and president) decided that he wanted to take an airplane down to Sebring for the event rather than just setting up a booth.? Foolishly, not fully considering the fact that the Sebring event is in JANUARY, I volunteered to fly the airplane to Florida rather than having to disassemble and trailer the plane down.? (There might have been alcohol involved in that conversation.)
So, here I am, ready to start out for Sebring in the uninsulated, unheated Sonex Aerobatic prototype (which was powered by the prototype AeroVee turbo engine).? Did I mention that this was in JANUARY?? It was cold.? I mean COLD.? I think it was about 10 degrees, but felt even colder in the wind and snow flurries that morning.? I thought I had enough clothes on, and I planned on the nice bubble canopy of the Sonex acting as a bit of a solar heater for me.? Well, the sun went behind a high overcast, and I didn't have enough clothes on!
My first fuel stop was Bloomington, IL.? I was numb.? I fueled up the airplane, then sat in the FBO for about half an hour to soak up some of their glorious heat.? But not wanting to let the airplane cool off too much, I finally forced myself to get back in the air.? I ended up landing at Marion IL for my overnight stop.? They had a heated hangar I could put the airplane in, and as soon as we got the airplane into the hangar and I realized I was done flying for the day, I started shaking uncontrollably.? I had to sit down for about 10 minutes before I could stand and walk.? Can you say hypothermia??? When I got to the hotel I just turned the heater up as far as it would go and sat right in front of it until the shaking finally stopped.
The next morning it was a balmy 20 degrees when I left Marion, but I was heading south so I gradually got into warmer air and survived the trip (after spending two days in Selma AL to wait out the weather).? Man, I hope I am never that cold again!? It was brutal!!? We were smart enough to just leave the airplane in FL after Sebring, so we rented a hangar at Lakeland and I flew the airplane over there after the Sebring event and didn't fly it back to WI until after Sun N Fun.
I am not a fan of cold!!
joe
On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 10:42?AM Tailwind14855 via <Tailwind14855= [email protected]> wrote:
Two different ways to go for oil temp. Regulate the flow of oil with a fuel shutoff valve connected to a control. Or regulate the flow of air either into or out of the cooler with an airflow valve.? My cowl flap is stuck in the mid position, no power to servo. As a result my CHT runs a bit high on takeoff and a bit low in cruise. It takes at least 20 minutes to get my oil to 180, even at 50 degrees ambient.? I really like the cowl flap. Useful even in the hot weather at higher altitudes. I miss the ski flying even though I don't like the cold. I flew an open cockpit one of a kind homebuilt at 10F. A short flight, well prepared. I left Syracuse area with the Pitts, 10F for takeoff. Stopped for the night in Jacksonville area, 40F there. The next year I was prepared with snowmobile suit and battery powered electric socks. NO HEAT in the Pitts.
On Monday, January 6, 2025 at 08:27:48 AM MST, Jim Schmidt < jim47ex@...> wrote:
You guys are way more resilient than I am. 35 to 40 and Sunny are my temps. I only put one heat exchanger on my exhaust sytem when I built my RV6. Food for thought for you Tailwind? builders. If you are going to fly in Winter in the north you? will want more heat. Sun helps a lot with the RV canopy.
-------- Original message -------- Date: 1/6/25 8:02 AM (GMT-06:00) Subject: Re: [TailwindForum] At what cold weather temp do you stop flying?
Keith,
Interesting that you should post your question today, as the Polar Vortex has just swept into Texas.? Jeri and I spend winters in TX to avoid this cold BS!? It is 24 degrees here in Fredericksburg TX this morning, so I figure most of the native Texans are frozen solid.? Jeri and I finally put our long sleeve shirts on.? Anyway, to the point of your question....
My answer is "it depends".? If I am just wanting to go out flying for fun, I usually use 20 degrees F as my cutoff.? It's not that the airplane really would care, but I just don't enjoy the cold and getting the airplane out and back in just lets heat out of the hangar.? So I just say the heck with it if it is below 20.? However, if I have a "mission" that needs accomplishing, I will just do what I have to do.? The Super Cub has a pretty good heater, at least for the front seat, and if I tape up enough of the cowl inlets I can keep the oil temp up to around 160 or so, so I will do what I need to do.? Haven't had the Tailwind long enough to know if the cabin heat is worth a darn or not, and if I play my cards right I will never have to find out!?
I remember that I had to take a friend to pick up an airplane one time when it was about -20F, but the Piper Pacer I had at the time had an excellent heater so away we went.? He wasn't so warm on the way home in his new-to-him Skybolt though.? But that kind of mission is pretty rare for me, so I doubt I would have much reason to fly if it is that cold outside.? 20 is plenty cold enough for me!
Hope everyone has a great 2025!!
Joe
Hello All,
I am curious as to how cold it gets before you stop flying.? ? I have a really good heater in my plane and I think I have flown it down to about zero F but unless I have a specific mission,? I normally don't fly when it gets below about10 degrees F.? What do you do?? ?This is not really a post about how to start your cold engine or about preheating as I am going to assume we all preheat when it gets cold.? ? It has been cold in Wisconsin the last week or so.? I flew last Thursday and it was about 18 degrees F and all was fine other than oil temps only got to about 160 degrees.? CHTs were around the 300 degree mark.? ?
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I have contemplated using some blue "painters tape" to partially cover the cowl inlets (would remove after each flight)? but have resisted putting any tape on my cowl.? ?I used to use duct tape on my Tripacer and have flown it to -15 F with no problems.
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Just curious.? ?Winter flying can be very enjoyable.? Let's all have a great 2025!!
Keith
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After reading all these responses I probably shouldn¡¯t mention the New Years Eve flight I did at sunset in Chandler - wearing shorts and a t shirt.
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That said, Mojave does get into the teens at times but that does not prevent me from flying. ?wind - that¡¯s a different story.
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Sometime around 1974, we flew the C195 to just NW of MPLS for Christmas. When we were due to depart, it was -30F.? Yuo need to prop the radial engine through before starting - Dad and I both hung on the prop blade and could not move it.? We pointed a kerosene torpedo type heater at the engine via a trap, turned on the Southwind gasoline heater in the cabin to warm the 5 gallons of oil under the panel, and replaced the frozen/shattered battery. About 2 hours later we were able to start the engine and get into the air. That was one short takeoff roll. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and it was well above freezing when we got back to KLAW.
On Tuesday, January 7th, 2025 at 9:31 AM, Michael Robinson via groups.io <toobuilder1@...> wrote:
After reading all these responses I probably shouldn¡¯t mention the New Years Eve flight I did at sunset in Chandler - wearing shorts and a t shirt.
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That said, Mojave does get into the teens at times but that does not prevent me from flying. ?wind - that¡¯s a different story.
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Syracuse to Ottawa charter in a Navaho. Cold in Syracuse but minus 45 in Ottawa. All day on the ground in Ottawa, airplane in heated hangar. Clear sky, no wind.? Overnight with Twin Comanche in Watertown NY. Minus 30 or colder. Fuel selector/drain frozen. Fixed that, took off, no heat. About an hour to Pittsfield MA with no heat and inadequate clothing.? I did Grand Forks overnights for a year. Minus 40 a lot but company car was plugged into block heater at hotel. I would jump in the car with just a sweater on to go to the store. Instant heat.? ?Beech 18 is interesting. The warmest the engines ever get in really cold weather is the middle of the yellow arc.?
On Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 04:02:49 PM MST, Don Norris via groups.io <danorrisfly@...> wrote:
Sometime around 1974, we flew the C195 to just NW of MPLS for Christmas. When we were due to depart, it was -30F.? Yuo need to prop the radial engine through before starting - Dad and I both hung on the prop blade and could not move it.? We pointed a kerosene torpedo type heater at the engine via a trap, turned on the Southwind gasoline heater in the cabin to warm the 5 gallons of oil under the panel, and replaced the frozen/shattered battery. About 2 hours later we were able to start the engine and get into the air. That was one short takeoff roll. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and it was well above freezing when we got back to KLAW.
On Tuesday, January 7th, 2025 at 9:31 AM, Michael Robinson via groups.io <toobuilder1@...> wrote:
After reading all these responses I probably shouldn¡¯t mention the New Years Eve flight I did at sunset in Chandler - wearing shorts and a t shirt.
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That said, Mojave does get into the teens at times but that does not prevent me from flying. ?wind - that¡¯s a different story.
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Keith Klos
Joe Norris
Paul Nuss