Thorp Air Command - T18.net

With the cold weather we've been having in the Seattle area it has made it uncomfortable flying as my heat system doesn't supply enough of the warm stuff. I have been trying to plug all the holes where the cold air is coming in but it hasn't helped much. I decided that if I can't keep the air from coming in I would try to keep it from going out, there is a lot of air flow out along the canopy rail, so much that in the summer my shirt sleeve gets sucked out. So, on Thursday before our lunch outing, see related post "We fly for food", I tired an experiment, I hung a "curtain" along the canopy rail to slow the flow of air out of the airplane.



This was a temporary setup, it is made from "duck cloth" a light canvas type of material and held in place with tape. The results, we were very comfortable on this trip even with OAT of 30 deg F. My wife, who is always cold, said it made a big difference, I would call this one a success. Now to make it "pretty" and easily removable for the summer, I like all of the air flow in the summer.

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Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA

Bruce: I know they make small diameter closed cell foam pipe insulation (down to 3/8" diameter) . Cut a short length , wrap it in some warm and fuzzy cloth and velcro it to the lower canopy frame tube ? Airflow should suck it into the opening ? If that doesn't work take one of Frasers Mankini's and stuff it in the crack ! Boo Ya!

RB

i put heated seats in mine and it works great. Just another option to try. You can do both seats for $40.00.

Rich,
I can think of a few other places to stuff the "mankini" none which can be mentioned in a family forum. There's not enough material in one to keep it in the gap, it would be sucked out immediately.

Scott,
I thought about the heated seats but plugging the gap along the canopy rail is easier, no wires to run, and cheaper, oops less expensive (NOTE nothing related to aviation is "cheap"), $1.25 for the cloth and $5.00 for sticky backed velcro. Not sure how well the sticky velcro will stick to cloth so I might have to have it stiched.

The forecast for Wed & Thur in Seattle is showing the "golden orb" so we might be able to test it out.

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Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA

heated seats sounds like a chance to score...some points.

Tell me more. Mind you I don't need them, my passion for the T-18 keeps me warm but i'm always looking for more points

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http://www.dixiefriedfabrication.com/

Go to ebay, search for "seat heater", any where from $32 on up for a pair of seats.

enjoy

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Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA