To P or not to P, that is the question

[bjherron]

Jim,
No problem at all. We are based in Michigan. Today we flew from STL to ARB in MI. It was 90 - 95F at both airports. Passengers were sweating on takeoff and landing, but very comfortable at 17,500 where we were cruising with a ground speed of 215-220. Whole trip was just under 2 hours, something that few light twins can do.

The heat is my only complaint, and we're going to order one of those ice coolers next week to make things better. I haven't had the plane long enough to know how it is during winter, but I suspect it will be MUCH better.

For the CG, it's always near the forward edge. But then again I am 6'5 and my instructor is also 6'. Plus we are always flying with full tanks.

I spent a lot of time looking, it's hard to beat this without spending a lot more on the plane and gas.

[James Bennon]

BJ, keep us posted as to your purchase of a "cooler" for your P337G and how it performs. We also have a 73 P337G and have been considering the same purchase.

JB

[JimC]

It seems that a large winter Arctic Air setup weighs about the same (67lbs) as factory A/C. It can be removed when you want the space & weight in winter, but it also needs to be refilled.

For those of you considering the Arctic Air coolers - do you wish you had factory A/C?

http://www.arcticaircooler.com/

[Red Air Rambo]

You might want to price the Riley air conditioner...I don't know about the cost but it works great.

[edasmus]

My 2 cents on the Arctic Air (cooler) air conditioner... I purchased one of the larger ones at Oshkosh a few years ago. It works as advertised, which is to say it does a good job keeping the cabin cool.

The preparation work is the problem. Stopping at the gas station on the way to the airport to buy several large bags of ice, getting it all loaded, lifting 50+ pounds into a sweltering C337 cabin and securing it, and by now one is totally drenched in sweat. Not fun.

Realistically about 45 minutes to an hour of cool air is what you get with my unit. Which will get you up and down assuming it is turned off at altitude. If you have a multi-leg day, a re-load is necessary assuming you can get the ice at the airport you happen to be at and then you get to enjoy that preparation work once again.

I try very hard not to use my unit because of all this and actually have not used it in 2 or 3 years now. If I was really motivated for a particular flight and it was 95 plus degrees, I would probably use it but generally if it is that warm outside, I try to avoid flying. You may not have that option however, so the prep work may be worth it to you.

Good Luck,
Ed

[James Bennon]

Ed. Is there a reason that you don't pump the water out of your Arctic Air and leave the unit in the Plane?

I talked with the people form Arctic Air and they said that if you use block ice you can achieve a longer cooling period. For other purposes we have used frozen water in gallon milk jugs and am considering this if we purchase an Arctic Air unit.

JB

[edasmus]

I suppose not any real reason. I guess it seemed less messy to do the prep work outside the airplane. Otherwise, one would be on his knees dragging dripping bags of ice into the back of the airplane to load the cooler. My airplane is a 73G model with no baggage door. So that means unlatching and raising the bench seat to gain access to the back of the cabin to reach the unit. I do admit to being a bit of a "neat freak." I do not care for clutter in my airplane so if I am not to use the unit, then I do not want it sitting in the plane. It takes up a a fair amount of space back there and is an "eye sore."

Just keep in mind, that the unit requires preparation and that preparation is going to be accomplished one way or the other in 90+ degree heat. Once the work is done, the unit will work as advertised.

Ed