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Vetterman Turndown Pipes -- Yes/No?

jjhoneck

Well Known Member
The floor of our RV-8A gets extremely hot, right where the exhauat pipes terminate.

Do these turndown pipes help keep the floor of the plane cooler?
 
Turn down pipes

It might help the floor temp, but another good reason for them is less floor vibration. I have flown RV-8s that have a Harley Davison like vibration on the floor from the exhaust beat. I recommend that you use the turn down pipes!
 
My -6 has the Vetterman 2-into-1 crossover pipes with the turndowns and I have never noticed the floor getting hot... but then I have a carpeted floor too which undoubtedly helps.

My friend's RV-8 has the 4-straight-pipe exhaust and while it doesn't have much of a turndown at the tips, and the front floorboard does get a bit warm in the summertime, but I wouldn't call it extremely hot. The 4-pipe exhaust runs and sounds really good too.
 
What I did

I have the 4 pipe Harley- Vetterman set-up on my -4..ALWAYS get complements on the sound. I have the angled turndowns, clocked with all facing a little inward. As others have said, drumming and heat can be an issue. I did test before floor improvements, barefoot, and it heats up pretty hot when at power. I made a heat shield blankets from RTV matting material (airliner stuff) that I bonded .032 aluminum to the top and glued to foot wells, so it really deadens floor drumming and no more hot floor. Same results from decent carpet...I just don't like carpet, so mine looks like a metal floor.
 
Definately

The exit space on an 8A is much tighter than that of the 8 or 4 due to the extra engine mount bracing for the nosewheel, forcing the pipes even closer to the ramp. Put the tips on and be done with it.

Randy
8A
 
Yes

Anything you can do to limit the noise/vibration would be good. This is a weak area in the design IMO, as the floor sub-space needs acoustic insulation and/or the ramp needs to be fab'd of heavier material. I have replaced many of the rivets in this are with Cherrymax in recent years, as well as added urethane foam though a drilled opening. It's stable now, but wish I'd known to reinforce and insulate when building.
 
If you ever get obsessive about drag reduction, angled exhaust flow (not parallel to freestream flow) does increase drag.

Charlie
 
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