Sound proofing

[apatti]

All,

I am considering purchasing some of the sound proofing material ACS sales. The plan is to install it on the cabin side of the firewall, the cooling ramp, and the area between the forward belly skin and the sub-floor.

I'd appreciate comments from those who have used it or flown in RV's that have used it. Does it seem to help with noise reduction? What about heat transfer from the engine compartment? What thickness? I am thinking about purchasing the 1" thick material.

Thanks,

 

[Rupester]

Sound Stop

Funniest thing ... I talked to Joe at Vans last Friday about the SoundEx insulation and sound-stop idea ... most specifically on the firewall to reduce heat to the cabin in the hot summer season. Joe recommended against it ... said a) you'll not have a cooling problem in the summer, the ventilation is excellent, b) if anything, you'll wish you had some of that firewall warmth in the winter, c) RV's tend to be loud and the best investment is a good ANR headset, and d) it all adds weight that will reduce performance. As you can see, I'm having second thoughts about it.

Rupester
N319TE, 9A QB fuse

 

[Ironflight]

Tony,

Take this for what it's worth, as I haven't tried to use any soundproofing methods, so I can't give you any performance data, but I decided not to bother based on years of flying a Yankee. Quite frankly, no matter what you might do, with that huge canopy, they are going to be LOUD! And in an -8, half the cockpit is the canopy (or at least it seems like it....). What I remember from the acoustic courses I took way back when, it takes very small cracks and leaks in soundproofing to transmit significant sound levels, so unless you really build a good soundproof box, you're probably not going to accomplish much - and like I said, half your box is going to be the canopy, and you can't very well soundproof that. AS was said above good headsets can save you a lot of work and weight.

As far as heat, I agree that the ventilation once you're airborne is plenty - I have never felt "cooked" in my feet or legs from firewall heat - and you sure would like more in the winter or up high!

 

[Pirkka]

This has been discussed before so also so try search a bit. However eventually you will notice that better soundproofing is highly relative to the mass of the damping material so for a most excellent soundproofing for a firewall you will built a brick wall there (preferably lead wall)...

If you want to keep you plane light, the ANR headset is the only option.

It's attempting to put "a little" proofing but after ANR, is it really worth it anyway? I'll myself will fight against this in the future.