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Aircraft cooling system

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Jedi Knight
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A while back I saw an advertisment on the back of some pilots magazine that used a cooler full of ice and a fan for small aircraft on the ground to reduce heat in the cabin. I would love to see how these work to see if I couldn't make one myself. The post office trucks we drive are not air conditioned and it got brutal today. Any help would be greatly appreciated. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
I don't now where I read this but, someone makes a portable 12v air conditioner that can be plugged into a cigarette lighter. I think it's a company that makes those 12 volt coolers/warmers. Might be worth looking into. PJ
 
Back before A/C was so common we'd take a large wood or metal box, drill air holes in one end and install an old car heater blower in a hole at the other end.

To use - Lift the lid, dump in as much dry ice as it would hold, close the lid and turn on the fan to enjoy a cooler room.

Should work well in your USPS truck too. Won't get really cool, but should feel more comfortable for you.
 
Do a Google search for 12 volt Air Conditioner

Don
 
donbmw said:
Do a Google search for 12 volt Air Conditioner

Don
Click to expand...
I did that. Came up with 2 places that have the sort of thing I'm looking for. One was $300+, the other was $39.95. I looked at the design of the $39 one and I think I can copy it( or rig something up). I took a 12v blower motor and mounted it to a sheet of plywood cut to the size of a cooler. Then I put 2 vents at the other end. I'll put some frozen water bottles in it and see if that works (hey, I've got all of $7.76 in it). /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
We used to have a swamp-cooler like that in a Beech Bonanza. There was an airscoop on top of the airplane that forced air into the vents in the ceiling. In the summer you could pour ice cold water into the scoop, which in collect in a large metal container in the fuselage. A fiber mesh sat in the water, wicking cold water up and into the airflow. Between the cool water temps and evaporative cooling, the air was inevitably cooled. It was better than nothing, but thats about it. They made them for cars too.

If you can't find a real a/c unit that will work, look around for something like a cool collar. They're filled with some kind of water absorbing bead that sucks up ice water. Soak it in cold water for awhile then put it around your neck. They actually work. For more 'endurance' get a small cooler, throw some water and ice-packs in, along with a couple additional "collars" - then swap a couple out during the day.
 
aerog said:
We used to have a swamp-cooler like that in a Beech Bonanza.
Click to expand...

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Now your going back a couple of years!
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ooo... I always liked the unique V-Tails of the Bonanza /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
We call 'em V-tailed Doctor Killers.

But I guess they need a new name since Beech came out with the Anti-Tail-Fall-Off Mod.
 
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