Heated Pitot, Is is worth it?

[N787R]

I have flown for about 25 years and rarely I turned pitot heat on. I always avoid icing conditions.
Now that I am building my own and equiping it for IFR flight, I am not sure if heated pitot will be in my equipment list.
Whats your opinion?

Regards

B

[Kevin Horton]

If you will fly IFR above the freezing level, then you should have pitot heat. If you will always stay below the freezing level, then you don't need it. Pitot tubes are likely a more efficient ice collector than the wing, due to the smaller radius at the leading edge of the pitot tube. So, you could be collecting ice on the pitot tube when nothing can be seen collecting on the wing.

Even if you plan to avoid icing conditions, once you stick your head in a cloud above the freezing level, you never know what you will find.

[Bob Axsom]

I tookoff from Palm Springs one night and flying through Banning Pass in the dark of night between the mountains, IFR, in the clouds in my Archer II the pitot froze and the airspeed dropped to zero. There was no panic at all. The sound, attitude and altitude were plenty adequate to maintain confident control until the pitot heat cleared the airspeed problem. In the RV-6A I may not be so confident but I suspect the sensation would be similar. I have never had the experience in it. I have never waited so long before turning on the pitot heat since that night.

Bob Axsom

[atreff]

Behnam,

I am building a full IFR RV with ER Tanks for long distance travel. I fly approx 200 hrs/yr on business in a store bought plane which has pitot heat. I turn it on every time I enter clouds, even if the air temp is above freezing. Why? If I stumble into a thunderstorm accidentally, I could be in a hurt locker, especially if my pitot/stat system is inop. Also, I try to do everything the same way when I fly IMC. So, in the goo, it's Pitot heat and carb heat on. I used to not pull the carb heat and then one trip from Ottawa, Canada to Boston, I was in the clag with moderate rain over northern Vermont, and suddenly the O-360 starts dying on me. Carb heat on, and it took aboutr 3 very loooooong minutes to clear. But you asked me about pitot heat. Sorry.

Pitot heat-easy to install, run one wire out in the wing, a switch and a fuse/CB and you're done. I too never intentionally go out in icing conditions. But, to me that one extra circuit installed is insurance. I went with a Piper type pitot/static mast so both are heated, as I had my static port freeze twice in the winter in the Northeast.

Say you're flying in the clear above an overcast in your RV and you need to suddenly get down-rough engine, sick passenger, worse headwinds than anticipated so you'r burning more fuel and now it's later than expected and you have to shoot an approach to an airport with temps close to freezing. None of us plan these scenarios, but sometimes in a pilot's lfe they arise. Flipping on the pitot heat will assure that at least your airspeed and altimeter will be valid even if your airframe ices up on the approach.

Just my 2 cents.

Art in Asheville, NC (the icy mountains)

[L.Adamson]

When I purchased mine, in the late 90's, it was "cheap". About $300 total for the heated pitot & mount. And it's good looking too!

But now the same model is $1800+, which does not include the mount.

So for me, it was definately worth it. But I'd never spend the money for the new price; although I know you can get cheaper ones.

L.Adamson

[Kevin Horton]

Originally Posted by atreff

I went with a Piper type pitot/static mast so both are heated, as I had my static port freeze twice in the winter in the Northeast.

Art - Where was the static port on the aircraft that you had it freeze over?

[atreff]

Kevin,

Good to hear from you again. I"ll call when I'm up in YOW again. The frozen static port was on a '66 mooney, and the port is back in the tail. AC was on tie down, not a hangar, and it was Connecticut where visible humitidy is pretty common in the winter months.

After that occurrence, during the preflight (this will sound gross) I would suck on the static ports...surprising how much water I got out. Yes, Mooney installed a drain, but it was not effective. Now I understand why bizjets have heated static ports.


Art

[Kevin Horton]

I wonder if moisture was freezing in the static line, or if the port itself was somehow freezing over. I'm betting on the first option, as I have a hard time imagining how ice could collect on a rear fuselage mounted port. Moisture freezing in the static line is a risk no matter whether the static port is heated or not. I think Van's recommendation to run the static lines up from the ports to the top of the bulkhead should help ensure that no moisture collects in the static system. Time will tell.

Be sure to do a good check of the static system position error, as there is a significant probability of errors with your non-standard static system. If you end up with errors, you could try putting tapered shims under the pitot mast to change the angle that it leans fore and aft, which will change the pressure seen at the static port. It may take several tries to find the optimum shim taper.

I'm hoping you'll fly the RV-8 up here once you get it flying. I'm looking forward to seeing how the fastback mod turned out.

[craigvince]

Does anyone have any good leads on buying heated pitot tubes?

[lucky333]

..at OSH a couple of years ago, for about $400 including the bracket. I'm not a fan of Chinese anything but it looks well made and gets hot when power is applied. Looks like what's used on a Cessna. The heater is a cartridge element that unscrews for replacement. Model number 12-AN-5812.

Haven't flown it yet.. Their gauges don't get good reviews. Hopefully, its pretty hard to screw up a tube..

Link

John