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Thread: Heater

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    NW
    Posts
    219

    Default Heater

    The heater option for the kit seems simple in it self. Plumbed to the cooling system of the engine. A radiator which has one or two computer fans to blow cockpit air through the fins which are vectored downward toward you feet. An angled piece of aluminum points the heat to either side of the center of the foot box area. It has no valve to shut off the coolant flow. The flow of heat is only regulated by the fans.

    Yesterday my purchase from Kitplane Parts arrived and I proceeded to try to understand if this was a better system or substandard of the kit option.

    This heater has a shutoff valve which stops the flow of coolant to the heater radiator. - Good
    It has a box which houses the fan and traps the heat which is then projected out of tubes to the dash (Defroster). - Good to defrost the windshield.
    Two vents which would heat the foot box area like the kit heater option. -Same as the other.
    And two other outlets to place tubes on which can be routed to the under dash side. These you can point directly at you to heat your body with heated air. -Warm your hands.
    I am still not 100% on this install though as the size of the radiator seems about half the size of the kit option. - maybe poor output for all those vents.

    I will pick up my kit in about 6 weeks so I have plenty of time to decide. On trying to decide though, I was confused about the actual sizes I was looking at. Kitfox doesn't actually have a BTU rate for their heater. This one does which is about 12000 BTUs. I guess I was trying to compare apples to oranges.
    My concern is the actual output of this small radiator. I do like all the other options it has though.
    Any input on how well these heaters perform would be great of just advice on which might be more effective in a plane?
    I have a heater like this in my kit cobra. It works great to warm the body and hands. Another option I really don't see on these planes are seat heaters. Some cobra guys totally pass on the heater and just use seat heaters. They are correct. The seat heater in an open cockpit keeps you mighty warm. Both keep you perfect down in 30 degree weather in the cobra.

    Here is a couple of pictures of both.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Starfox

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    White Bear Lake, MN
    Posts
    38

    Default Re: Heater

    Have you watched the homebuilt help video on heaters? They use ram air instead of a fan. If I had it to do over i would go that way. my fan takes somewhere between 5 and 10 A and is noisy as heck. If I had it to do over I would go this route.

    https://youtu.be/FesT9qMjfNg

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    NW
    Posts
    219

    Default Re: Heater

    This method using ram air sounds very light weight and efficient. Placing a heater core in the oncoming flow of air from the outside. Only concern is if the moisture (a leak in the radiator core) combined with a flow of air from the outside were to happen. This would instantly fog the windows and it would be like flying with a hood on. Not sure if this would not happen anyway with almost any heater leaking and the doors open. I like the idea of using ram pressure to push the air through the core. Seems like if you could combine the two systems somehow your plane would lose weight.
    Starfox

  4. #4
    Senior Member 109JB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Morris, IL
    Posts
    484

    Default Re: Heater

    The benefit of the fan approach is that it is recirculated air being heated. With the outside air you need enough temp rise to go from oat to desired cabin temp.
    John Brannen
    Morris, IL
    Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
    Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
    Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
    Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (project)
    Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
    Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    NW
    Posts
    219

    Default Re: Heater

    Anybody use these seat heaters in their Kitfox?

    Rather light and I have something similar in my Cobra and they put out a large amount of heat.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Starfox

  6. #6
    Senior Member Kitfox Pilot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Spring Garden Illinois
    Posts
    859

    Default Re: Heater

    Those would be nice in any airplane in the winter if they don't pull to much amperage.
    Harlan and Susan Payne
    Sold Piper Archer
    Flying FarmFox STI Kitfox N61HP
    Rotax 915is, Airmaster prop
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5A...oCVUP15G0uB-Yw

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