NACA vent to cool tunnel

[Jesse23]

Anyone put a NACA vent, say in the middle of the tunnel (under the belly) just before the fuel valve to get some cooling in the tunnel? I fly mostly in FL, and even when I need heat up north, turning the control 1/4 way is plenty. Could even use nut plates or nut serts to secure the vent and have a bottom access panel to look up in there.

Maybe it wouldn’t be enough to be effective. I don’t really know.

 

[rmartingt]

Anyone put a NACA vent, say in the middle of the tunnel (under the belly) just before the fuel valve to get some cooling in the tunnel? I fly mostly in FL, and even when I need heat up north, turning the control 1/4 way is plenty. Could even use nut plates or nut serts to secure the vent and have a bottom access panel to look up in there.

Maybe it wouldn’t be enough to be effective. I don’t really know.

I'm not super familiar with the -10 but that sounds like it might be a good way to pull exhaust (and therefore carbon monoxide) into the cabin...

 

[Jesse23]

I'm not super familiar with the -10 but that sounds like it might be a good way to pull exhaust (and therefore carbon monoxide) into the cabin...

Good point. Thanks

 

[dmattmul]

I'm not super familiar with the -10 but that sounds like it might be a good way to pull exhaust (and therefore carbon monoxide) into the cabin...

This is a great point. I noticed some black soot on my transponder antenna which is mounted far aft and always thought that was "interesting". Thanks to a post by B Decker I looked at the rear tail cone and sure enough there was some black soot inside. Never enough to affect my CO monitor up front but definitely it had been sucking in black soot. Don't underestimate the negative suction an airframe can generate even with a tight fuselage seal.

 

[fixnflyguy]

I put a NACA inlet in the lower R/H wing skin of my RV-4 about 2 feet out from fuselage, AFT of the spar. Its ducted by 2" scat tubing from wing to the rear seat tunnel/stick well, and it produces a bunch of air for the rear seat pax. You may be able to do something similar, but I am not familiar enough with the -10 underfloor substructure.

 

[DanH]

It has never made sense to allow the airframe to heat, then try to insulate or cool it from the inside.

Even the most basic exterior insulation is a move toward isolating the airframe from the source. All the heat in that tunnel comes from the outside.

 

[Auburntsts]

IMO the hot tunnel issue got way overblown in the first place. A few builders back in the early days of the 10 had some issues and it kinda took on a life of its own but eventually most figured out that it was mostly a nothing burger and moved on. Does the tunnel, get warm -- yes. Would I put in a NACA vent to cool it-- absolutely not. YMMV.

 

[Jesse23]

Thanks, I should have thought about it for another minute prior to posting - not a smart idea

Thanks to all for an amazing venue!

 

[iwannarv]

Not planned to do this currently, but I had considered a blast tube from the upper rear baffle or fwd inlet baffle similar to other (mag cooling) blast tubes if needed.