Lancair Live!

I'm looking for ways to cool down my cabin, especially during ground ops and while on climbout and approach. My IV-P has no cabin fan or A/C. We currently use a fan clamped on to the instrument panel glareshield and a small portable A/C unit like this one https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Air-Con ... 0D8JJN51G/, but both are insufficient on the hotter days.

Aside from installing a ship-powered A/C, which Brad quoted me as costing at least $20k, what do you all use to keep the cabin comfortable?

The problem is with the pressurization system. It uses the hot air from the turbo chargers to pressurize the cabin, which makes it really difficult to keep the cabin cool. The only thing that I could suggest would not be to pressurize the cabin until you start going above 10,000 feet. Likewise once you’re coming down and below 12,000 feet I would turn off the pressurization or run it to sea level. And then you need to make sure that your fresh air ducts are bringing in as much as possible.


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Thanks George. On your comment to turn off pressurization, what's your workflow to do so? I usually push in the pressurization knob in the cockpit as slowly as I can but usually end up with some ear popping.

I suggest you spend the $20k. It is well worth it!!!!

Call John Strain with Flightline A/C. 541-330-5466, john@flightlineac.com.

He will quote you the system and then you will need to find a build shop like Brad Simmons to install.

Good luck !!

... George

I fly routinely in 115-118 Arizona summer weather and I use the B-Kool. I taxi with the door down, vents closed, and locked and turn it off around 10,500. I turn it back on during the descent. 20 lbs of ice.

https://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotSto ... pnEALw_wcB

DavidMandel wrote:Thanks George. On your comment to turn off pressurization, what's your workflow to do so? I usually push in the pressurization knob in the cockpit as slowly as I can but usually end up with some ear popping.

I have never done it as I have only instructed in the IV and only own an ES. I just remember from previous discussions on this topic by other IV-P owners.


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David,

My a/c compressor went belly up. While I am sourcing replacement parts, including the evaporator, I've been using something similar to the B-Cool as a stop gap. It kept us cool from Ocean City Md to Wisconsin. Ground temps were upper 80's. For a long term solution you have to be comfortable with picking up a 10-20 pound bag of ice on the way to the airport and dumping the water after landing.

IMHO the built in a/c is the way to go.

Ken