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Cold weather flying?

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n3480h1

n3480h1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2009
Messages
1,522
Location
Iowa
1. What is the coldest temps any of you have flown your Sonerai in?
2. Have any of you installed cabin heat/defrost?
2. Anyone installed carb heat - or experienced carb icing without it?

I'm not interested in trying to fly in weather that'll spin a bearing, but I don't want to park it for 6 months out of the year either.

Thanks for any feedback.

Tom
 
1. It was 23F on the day of my first flight. I quit flying below 40F now. Its had to land when you are shivering.

2. No cabin heat.

3. No carb heat, no issues yet.

I put it away from about the end of November till early April.
 
I just sold my VW powered Sonerai and I only have the "Suberai" left, but 49WE had an ingenious little cabin heater that worked very well. It had a ram air blower that provided cooling air to the single magneto on the positive pressure side and it had a muffin tin cooling fan on the negative side. The muffin tin was 12 volt and ducted to a Y valve that was dumped overboard. The other side of the Y was ducted to the cockpit. Combine that with an outflow break in the aft end of the fuselage and it made a very effective heater that you could actually temperature control. (The valve was located in the left cowl cheek, and the muffin fan was on top of the mag box, in front of the tank.) One note on it though, at first I had not worried about CO poisoning since it had nothing to do with the exhaust until I realised that a simple leak in any of the 4 exhaust/head connections might end up with CO in the cockpit. Best to have a detector.
 
I work outdoors yearround for FredEx at Indianapolis airport in temperatures from 100 F/100% humidity to -10 F/-40windchill and I stand out there looking into the sky like a dope everyday....don't be such a wimp! ::) Only kidding!
-Pete
 
But trying to land when its cold produces SIO's (shiver induced oscillations). ;)

Seriously though, I have had to go around because the landing was all wrong due to shivering.
 
Schmleff said:
But trying to land when its cold produces SIO's (shiver induced oscillations). ;)

Seriously though, I have had to go around because the landing was all wrong due to shivering.
Click to expand...
I have lived in Wisconsin thru to winter while in college.....I will not challenge the severity of SIO's! ;) Not much room to bundle up in thermals in a Sonerai either. Electric socks? :eek:
 
Funny stuff! ;D

Skywarrior 771, any pics available?

I guess if no one's had carb ice, I won't worry about it. I've seen it happen at 48 degrees in a Continental, but that's a lot different engine. But a little cabin heat would allow more air time.

Hey, thanks for the feedback and humor!

Tom (ordered the plans for SIIL tonight)
 
Tom,

What kind of carb do you intend to use? its not that the VW resists icing, its the carb type (slide bore, no venturi), and even that is arguable. This is a very important distinction.
 
though I haven't yet flown a sonerai, I've taken to wearing my electric heated motorcycle jacket when flying. 75Watts at 12V; toasty.
 
See, the bird I fly now, we pull that silly little knob in the corner of the panel, and despite an outside temp of -10, we enjoy a 85 degree cabin. Ah, i love cherokee 6's. But for my sonerai I am planning on using a straight tube around an exhuast pipe as found in firewall forward. I will use a CO2 detector in case we get a crack.

Andrew
 
Schmleff said:
Tom,

What kind of carb do you intend to use? its not that the VW resists icing, its the carb type (slide bore, no venturi), and even that is arguable. This is a very important distinction.
Click to expand...

Haven't decided yet, and I am open to suggestions. Yes, I was taught about the venturi style carbs way back in training for my private ticket, and the lesson stuck. I am interested in the VW kit from Gpas, but still researching options. A mid time C-85 appears to be more cost effective, especially with the long TBO. But not sure which way to go yet.

Feel free to offer a VW carb suggestion that has proven to be the most trouble free.

Thanks,
Tom
 
I don't know that any carb is truly trouble free, but it depends on what is important to you. If you an "ice resistant" carb, your looking at an Aerocarb or a Revflow. I have had good luck with both.

If a normal carb is what you are looking for, there is the Zenith, but must have carb heat. Lots of other choices out there.
 
Thanks Jeff. I'll keep the Revflow and Aerocarb in mind. I'll never formally race my Sonerai, so reliability is my main interest. And I'd rather not have to mess with carb heat if I can avoid it. Cabin heat design and fabrication I can handle (with CO detection).

Appreciate the help.

Tom
 
I've had carb ice on a couple of occasions with a Posa. Both times, I was up high, and a little throttle manipulation ;D combined with the inevitable warmer temperatures at lower altitude got rid of it.
That said, I've used the Posa and Zenith a lot, and have recently gone to the AeroCarb. It's the bomb. I know, it's a glorified Posa, but it's really well done. My front two cylinders used to run rich.. no more. Cylinder head temp dropped 50 degrees. The mixture control works. Idle mixture is spot on, too. I could sell these things.. :D
 
Hiya Pete..
Mouser blew up the alternator on the second flight of the season ??? a couple of days ago. Good thing we weren't 2 up. ;D
I installed a primer, finally, for easy cold starts. We'll get that demo ride in..some day..
 
Jeurgen is comming from Germany, and I am lobbying to get a couple of you guys to drop in to Bloomington for a Sonerai Day with EAA650. Let me know if your interested. I am on vacation all week and setting spar rivets. Cheers, Pete.
 
phzabriskie said:
Jeurgen is comming from Germany, and I am lobbying to get a couple of you guys to drop in to Bloomington for a Sonerai Day with EAA650. Let me know if your interested. I am on vacation all week and setting spar rivets. Cheers, Pete.
Click to expand...

That's a qualified maybe. Mouser's broke ;) After putting her back together, it'll take a few hours of flying around before I'm comfortable in going somewhere..
 
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