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foka4

Well Known Member
The sub-zero Iowa temps this week have me contemplating the cabin heat system in my RV project. Has anyone come up with a combination of seals, vents, insulation and cabin heat that makes for comfortable flying year-round?

My temperature-sensitive wife and I would like to use the RV for year-round travel, so some extra consideration is warranted in coming up with effective environmental controls.

I know a lot of info has been posted on using heated seats, etc., but in my mind those are remedial measures. First and foremost, I'd like to set up the aircraft systems to maximize passenger comfort, front and rear. Has anyone actually created such a thing in an RV4?

My RV is a "restoration" project with a fresh firewall and instrument panel, so now is the time to get things right.

Thanks,

M
 
Hi Matt....

...It seems that both the -8 and the -4 have back seat heat problems and if you search "Kahuna", Michael Stewart, for info on how he piped heat to the back seat for his wife, you could do something similar.

Some guys don't want to cut a hole in the spar web, for good reasons but I think that if you run the idea by Van's, they'd give you a reasonable answer.
Routing plumbing becomes an issue here.

Best,
 
Pierre/foka4, I did run the idea by VANS and this is the answer back in 05!

" > Needless to say this has gone around the entire office as well as
> Phlogiston and the eventual consensus here is this:
>
> It is OK to put the 2" duct through the spar, but if you want to do it
> that way you will have to cut the hole yourself. We don't have exact
> dimensions for the appropriate place, you have to determine it by
> measurement to ensure that you miss seat ribs etc. The position is
> roughly defined on dwg 40, but there are no dimensions. Also, there
> is some doubt that you could fit a 2" tube as well as the foot
> recesses for the passenger (optional in the 4)."

For that reason I have electric seats which work a treat.
 
Spar web hole

The builder of my aircraft cut a hole in the spar webs, so I guess that's an option for me.

I'm tentatively planning on taking advantage of it and running some scat back there.

M
 
I think it's equally important where the outlet is. If the outlets are leaks through the wings and so on, the back seat will not get much heat. If the leaks are sealed, and an outlet is placed low and aft, the back seat will also get some heat.
 
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