rpigeek

rpigeek

Member
Anyone add additional vents? I was debating drilling the canopy and fabricating something. I have a Kroger shade and likely will add some static clings. But I doubt that will be enough for 100F days in California.
 
rpigeek said:
Anyone add additional vents? I was debating drilling the canopy and fabricating something. I have a Kroger shade and likely will add some static clings. But I doubt that will be enough for 100F days in California.
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I would like to put a rotating Cessna type vent in the canopy, but haven’t been brave enough to do it. I saw a Sonic that had done it and had cracks from it.
 
On a long trip by myself that was supposed to be hot, I put a piece of scat tube on the passenger vent and directed it up towards my head and IPad. Hockey, but worked great.
 
rpigeek said:
Anyone add additional vents? I was debating drilling the canopy and fabricating something. I have a Kroger shade and likely will add some static clings. But I doubt that will be enough for 100F days in California.
Click to expand...
I, too, have been looking into where they could go. One method I have considered is a couple NACA ducts in the aluminum cover over the avionics bay (between the canopy and the cowling; I forget the term for this piece) and scat tube to the top of the center section of the panel with vents where the "RV-12iS" sticker is located. The problem, of course is rain. Perhaps a drain line could run off a low point of the scat tube to the underside of the fuselage. Another idea is a duplicate side vent to the existing but lower and more forward nearer the rudder pedal. The opening mechanism could have a tab on it making it easy to open and close with the foot. I just haven't been brave enough to cut openings into any aluminum; once done it's done.
 
When I was building, I was told by the local RV veterans, "Don't worry about it, a RV climbs quick enough to get to the cooler levels".
My wife has the vents closed on most our flights. It doesn't take much to get to the 50 degree heights even here in Florida.
 
MarkW said:
"Don't worry about it, a RV climbs quick enough to get to the cooler levels".
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That's fair, but often in the west we end with 20 knots headwind and in the -12 that's a lot to tradeoff for cooling. In a -7 I'm more willing to trade off that headwind.
 
Amadeus said:
The problem, of course is rain. Perhaps a drain line could run off a low point of the scat tube to the underside of the fuselage.
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I don't think I'd choose that. The prior owner had water ingress and took out all his avionics, which was good for me as he went to G3X after it happened...
 
In 10 years / 1,450 hours of flying my RV-12 in admittedly somewhat benign Northern California weather (100+ F degrees seems common these days), I have found the two adjustable side vents to be effective and adequate. I would be very leery of cutting any additional holes in the $$$$ canopy. The Kroger is a necessity and the static clings are often useful.
 
The wife, puppy , and I have 1500 hrs on our -12, based in HOT summers So Cal. We fly very frequently to lunch, when local only climbing to 3-4000’. On longer flights we climb up into the cooler air. It really hasn’t been a problem with heat once we are moving.
 
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