Engine heater

[PACERGUY]

The Cessna 180 had a valve that would dump fuel into the crankcase to dilute the oil before shut down for easier start up at colt temps. If predicted cold start up temp was -20 4 quarts of gas was added to the Crankcase. Caution not to over fill. This would evaporate off or blow out during the first two hours of flight. Back in the day before multi weight oil a slick way to get er done! One of my friends tried the old heat the oil on the stove at Rhon cabin on a below zero morning. He said it really did not help that much. Back in the day with big radials they would tarp the entire engine to the ground and set up a stove under the tarp oil in a remote tank would also be drained and heated prior to flight. One thing to pay attention to is the oil pressure with cold oil. Not just for low oil pressure but high also.
DENNY

[mmoyle]

Here’s an odd one. One of my buildings was originally built in 1933 or 1934 to service and heat the Ford Tri Motor airplane. Galvanized sheet metal interior, insulated with moss and tundra vegetation. It contains 2 bedrooms, a hallway and is attached to an old warehouse that was also converted to lodging. Two of the engine prop openings are still present. Where the left engine opening was is now a door way.

It’s the green building on the left side under Troy’s wing

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[DavidT]

Unfortunately this electric heater blew the circuit breaker in the hangar. Ouch!

These work great, throw a blanket over the cowl stick the 6 inch ducting up next to the carb heat box and in a couple hours the whole engine is top of yellow arc when its 20 degrees and snow on the ground outside

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[PA-16]

keep your power under your breaker limit. the hi setting is 1500 watts and the low setting is 750 watts, 110 volts / 1500 your at 14 amps.. add a hi watt hangar light and bam you pop... keep it on the low setting and you can have a light on and be ok. I run 2 of these on the low 750 watt setting but dont turn the light on and dont pop the breaker
https://www.acehardware.com/departme...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

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[smcnutt]

There's even mini heaters that are only 100w/200w so not much more than an incandescent light bulb. However I wonder how much airflow they have. Probably would work but obviously not as quickly.

https://www.amazon.com/Lasko-100-MyH...13557721&psc=1

I've thought about one of these inside the cabin as I've heard severe cold is also hard on the instruments. However, I've also determined that level of severe cold is also hard on the pilot so I usually skip flying at that point.

[dgapilot]

On my Twinkie I have pad heaters on both engines and HF moving blankets on the cowls. I got a cheap 500/800watt space heater from Amazon that I put on the floor on a piece of sheet metal under the panel set at the 500watt setting. Both engine pads are connected to one channel of a SwitcheOn and the space heater in the cabin is on the other channel. Night before flying I turn on the engine pads and leaving the house I turn on the cabin heater. Works great. I live an hour away from the hangar and when I get there the cabin is warm and both engines are warm. On and Off from the house so I don’t have to drive to the airport to turn it on or wait hours while I preheat once there.


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[Glen Geller]

For cabin interior all winter long (in hangar with electricity) I have one of these Ironwood Pacific Drywave 1000 Air Dryers sitting in front footwell, partially propped on the passenger rudder pedals:
https://a.co/d/9cjWVJW

It keeps the dew off the instruments and the cabin a reasonable temperature even if it's below freezing here in Oregon.

GG