Cabin Heaters Anyone?

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av8rps
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Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by av8rps »

The Highlander I purchased has a "Toucan" exhaust system on it, along with the heat muff and marine blower for use as a cabin heater. So I thought for sure I would be set for heat this winter when I will fly my Highlander on wheels skis. But someone I know recently told me those heaters are a joke. But his experience was minimal. So I'm wondering if anyone has any cold winter experience with that heater they could share?

I have a heater-core type heater in my Kitfox, and considering the core is just a small oil cooler, it does make pretty good heat. So if I have to I will install one like it in my Highlander. But I really don't want to add the weight if I don't need to.

Any Highlander ski flyers out there?
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Johnny C!
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by Johnny C! »

I am installing my Toucan now. I
purchased the heat muffs, so I'll
be somewhat miffed, if they don't
muff that well... :?

John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.

I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.

Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
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scubarider2
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by scubarider2 »

My heater keeps me VERY toastie! 8)
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KevinC
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by KevinC »

I have the 4->1 exhaust and a small heat muff and I can tell you that it keeps my right little toe warm.

k
av8rps
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by av8rps »

scubarider2 wrote:My heater keeps me VERY toastie! 8)
Is that heater still available? It seems to me I've seen that one before but can't remember the brand. I assume it is a heater core with a built in fan enclosed in a case as one unit?
av8rps
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by av8rps »

KevinC wrote:I have the 4->1 exhaust and a small heat muff and I can tell you that it keeps my right little toe warm.

k
If you haven't already, try stuffing your heat muff with stainless steel scouring pads. Many times the air moves too fast through the heat muff, not allowing it to get hot enough. So by the time it gets to the cabin it is only luke warm. The scouring pads will slow down the air and allow it to still be hot when it gets to the cabin.

A buddy of mine didn't believe that would work until I was finally able to convince him to try it on his 912. After installing the scouring pads he now has a heater that will almost melt his boots :D
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Gary H
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by Gary H »

Mine didn't work all that well. Won't buy another one.
Will fly for food!!
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Johnny C!
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by Johnny C! »

Gary H wrote:Mine didn't work all that well. Won't buy another one.
Gary,
Did you buy an electric?

I was wondering if I could send
my muffs back for a refund, but
with the scouring pad nugget, I
would rather use them for the
reduced weight & electrical draw.

John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.

I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.

Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
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Gil T
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by Gil T »

100_1654.JPG
100_1656.JPG
100_1652.JPG
Heater 003 (1024x768).jpg
005 (1024x768).jpg
I have a Toucan heater system in my Highlander and I'm very satisfied with it. You have to realize to begin with that you're never going to make a Highlander toasty warm with all of the Lexan, air leaks and a tube fuselage wrapped in fabric which has zero insulating value to it. As long as I can keep my feet warm the rest of me feels okay. As a matter of fact as you can see from the picture of the bottom of the firewall I installed a couple of heat diffusers just behind the heater inlets so it wouldn't melt my feet. These are made from thin aluminum I picked up at the hardware store. Its a little tight if you have big feet so the pieces are flexible if you get to stomping your feet on the firewall. I take the heater muffs off in the spring and haven't installed them yet this year since its been above 115 degrees for 16 days this month. When it starts getting a little nippy I start waring ski pants and get a roll of 1/4 x 1 weather stripping see where all the air is coming in and there's a lot of it. By the time it starts to get warm in the spring the stuff is coming off and its time to have some air leaks cooling you anyway. I spent 15 years flying in Alaska and you learn real quick to dress for the worst or be prepared for it cause it will be visiting you at some point in your travels.

Gil T.

P.S. I do ware more than just the ski pants.
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scubarider2
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by scubarider2 »

Not sure if my heater is still on the market. Yes, it has a fan and an internal core using the antifreeze. It will blow you right out of the plane in these north georgia mountain winters. I bought it on barnstormers several years ago. Took a little rigging but I got it in there just fine. :mrgreen:
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av8rps
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by av8rps »

Gil T wrote:I have a Toucan heater system in my Highlander and I'm very satisfied with it....snip, snip.
Gil T.
Gil,

Thank you for the good input and the great photos of your heater set up. It is very encouraging info. My Highlander only has one heat muff on one side, so I should probably start with adding one to the other side.

I've also been thinking about trying to make the heat muff work more conventionally by pressurizing the heat muff with outside air verses relying on sucking the hot air out, as I believe it is doing currently. Or maybe just finding a way to allow more air to get sucked through by making bigger vents and possibly putting some scouring pads in the muff also. Anyhow, it sounds like the system is worth working with. So thank you again for the great input.
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Gil T
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by Gil T »

100_1653.JPG
(I've also been thinking about trying to make the heat muff work more conventionally by pressurizing the heat muff with outside air verses relying on sucking the hot air out)

Here' a picture of the front of the heat muff. As you can see the air comes in the front and exits at the hose connection. The back of the heat muff is blocked by a metal ring so all the heated air has only one way to go which is through the hose and either goes into the cabin or is deflected down and exits the bottom of the cowl or a combination of the two ways. It is already pressurized. I don't know if it would be a good idea of blocking the air path with steel wool to slow it down. That air going around the muffler needs to get out. Just my thoughts on it.

Gil T.
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BeeMan
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by BeeMan »

Hit some of that steel wool with a few sparks to see what happens before you put it in your muff. Steel wool will burn readily in the right conditions. :oops: Be safe!
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Johnny C!
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by Johnny C! »

I think it would need to be the
course stainless steel type pads,
not fine steel wool...

John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.

I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.

Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
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Gil T
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Re: Cabin Heaters Anyone?

Post by Gil T »

After reading my last reply about the steel wool issue, it looks like I may have been advocating its use but I was trying to comment on something that was said about it before and my fingers were working on the keyboard before my brain got engaged.

So I will give you my ideas on it.
1-Since the heat coming through the muffs is enough to go barefoot with it wide open you don't any restriction to warm it any more than it already is.
2-You can regulate the flow with the pull handle.
3-A lot of heat is contained within the heat muffs and you want it to get out, either overboard or to the cabin.
4-Anything, such as steel wool installed in the muff could come loose and end up in the cabin through the ducting.
5-There's enough heat in the engine compartment without trying to restrict its escape.

Bottom line is I don't think its a practical, safe solution to any modification of the heat muff heater installation.

Gil T
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