"Matt Barrow" wrote in message
...

Gee...then why did Edison bother to invent the light bulb

He hated his sister Sylvania, who made a fortune in the candle business.

and why in hell did we develop central heating?

Probably for reasons that have nothing to do with aviation oil and cold
days.

Ever put your hand on a hot light bulb? Given a nice cover, I would think
the bulb would do a great job of keeping the engine cozy during those
long
winter nights....

Have you even put your hand on a hot engine housing?

Matt, think about what you are saying, please. Oil doesn't have to be at
_engine operating_ temperature to ensure that when the engine starts, it
starts to do its job quicker than if it where thickened by low temperature.
No commercial engine heater brings oil to anywhere near normal flight
operating temps. They just warm it up to something approaching room
temperature so it will flow easier when the engine starts. The only reason
you buy a commercial engine/sump heater is because you want the process to
go faster, but you can accomplish the same goal by imparting the same energy
to the engine compartment, just a little bit at a time, overnight, with a
cozy blanket over it to keep all those happy, excited, bouncing molecules in
one place.

...and to answer your question, yes, hundreds of times in the last 30 years
or so since I started flying. Goes with the territory.

Juan