Firewall blanket

[bstaley]

I know several of you have used the Koolmat fire barrier from ACS and I am trying to find out the best/easiest way to install with the 3M Fire barrier 2000 sealant. Is the sealant applied in a "snake" pattern and then the blanket installed or is it applied and then spread around evenly? And also, how thick? I haven't found any specifics anywhere. Thanks-Bill
PS-hope to be flying sometime next year!

 

[whodja]

I know several of you have used the Koolmat fire barrier from ACS and I am trying to find out the best/easiest way to install with the 3M Fire barrier 2000 sealant. Is the sealant applied in a "snake" pattern and then the blanket installed or is it applied and then spread around evenly? And also, how thick? I haven't found any specifics anywhere. Thanks-Bill
PS-hope to be flying sometime next year!

You can apply the bead in any pattern that you’d like and then spread it with a small groved trowel.

 

[Kyle Boatright]

Make sure you're picking the right product for your intended use. Koolmat is an insulator, not a fire barrier. A gasoline fed fire can reach temperatures well beyond what Koolmat is designed for.

 

[DanH]

I know several of you have used the Koolmat fire barrier from ACS and I am trying to find out the best/easiest way to install with the 3M Fire barrier 2000 sealant. Is the sealant applied in a "snake" pattern and then the blanket installed or is it applied and then spread around evenly? And also, how thick? I haven't found any specifics anywhere. Thanks-Bill
PS-hope to be flying sometime next year!

If your plan is to use the FireBarrier 2000+ as an adhesive, forget it. Although adhesive when cool, it will release from stainless when heated. That's why FireBarrier should always be installed with some mechanical advantage, like in a corner, under a plate, or inside a tube.

Firewall insulation must have mechanical attachment. Steel pop rivets are the usual choice.

Koolmat can be used as a hot side insulator under flame attack. Like firesleeve for hose, the operating principle is the formation of an insulating char over the fiberglass backing. The approach has limitations. Given flame attack, it's not as good as a stainless gas-tight reflector over a fiber insulator, nor as good as a comfort insulation at normal operating temperature.



Don't even think about placing it on the cabin side of the firewall. Remember, its response to high heat is to burn and char.

 

[howardtlcc]

Is a fire barrier really needed? Cessna and Piper never had that on their aircraft. Hopefully once you shut off the fuel firewall forward the fire goes out.

 

[DanH]

Is a fire barrier really needed? Cessna and Piper never had that on their aircraft.

Fires are statistically rare, so yes, chances are you'll never need it.

That said, I recall several Piper fatals involving fire transfer to the cabin. And we've seen some burned RVs too.

Hopefully once you shut off the fuel firewall forward the fire goes out.

That's what we're taught. Look up NTSB WPR19LA189. Perfect setup...cruise at 1500 ft, immediate descent into a hay field. Pilot still got burned.

Smart insulation doesn't create a fireproof airplane, but it can buy time.

 

[bstaley]

Is a fire barrier really needed? Cessna and Piper never had that on their aircraft. Hopefully once you shut off the fuel firewall forward the fire goes out.

We are installing the blanket to help mitigate heat radiating into the cabin.