Recirculate cockpit air to keep feet warm?

As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold. So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit? A small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move sun-warmed air towards the feet. Has that been tried? Does it help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny weather than they are in my current glider. As long as I was pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West wind in the afternoon. As soon as I turned around to the East the cockpit temperature plunged.

On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 9:53:19 PM UTC-8, wrote:
As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold. So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit? A small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move sun-warmed air towards the feet. Has that been tried? Does it help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny weather than they are in my current glider. As long as I was pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West wind in the afternoon. As soon as I turned around to the East the cockpit temperature plunged.

It's not sun warmed air at play. It's sun warmed legs/feet.

I've had electric insoles and they were worthless.Â* I've also used
chemical heaters and they worked somewhat, but it was uncomfortable
having something wedged inside my shoe.Â* Now we use insulated booties
which fit over sneakers and hold in the body's own heat. I've flown many
hours in wave and my feat stayed toasty regardless of the sun or lack
thereof.Â* On one trip where it was exceptionally cold, I opened a
chemical heater at altitude and stuck it inside my jacket to help keep
my core warm.

These look quite bulky, but they're soft and fit into my pedal area.Â* It
is a Stemme, however so there's a bit of extra room.Â* I have a friend
who flies an HpH 304CZ and he wears them every time in the winter months.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

On 12/26/2018 12:01 AM, Darryl Ramm wrote:
On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 9:53:19 PM UTC-8, wrote:
As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold. So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit? A small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move sun-warmed air towards the feet. Has that been tried? Does it help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny weather than they are in my current glider. As long as I was pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West wind in the afternoon. As soon as I turned around to the East the cockpit temperature plunged.
It's not sun warmed air at play. It's sun warmed legs/feet.

--
Dan, 5J

Oh, and look at the test video included with the ad for the boot
insulators.Â* It's quite impressive!Â* I had not noticed it before.

On 12/26/2018 8:19 AM, Dan Marotta wrote:
I've had electric insoles and they were worthless.Â* I've also used
chemical heaters and they worked somewhat, but it was uncomfortable
having something wedged inside my shoe.Â* Now we use insulated booties
which fit over sneakers and hold in the body's own heat. I've flown
many hours in wave and my feat stayed toasty regardless of the sun or
lack thereof.Â* On one trip where it was exceptionally cold, I opened a
chemical heater at altitude and stuck it inside my jacket to help keep
my core warm.

These look quite bulky, but they're soft and fit into my pedal area.Â*
It is a Stemme, however so there's a bit of extra room.Â* I have a
friend who flies an HpH 304CZ and he wears them every time in the
winter months.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


On 12/26/2018 12:01 AM, Darryl Ramm wrote:
On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 9:53:19 PM UTC-8,
wrote:
As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit
stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold.Â*
So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping
distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred
to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit?Â* A
small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical
instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move
sun-warmed air towards the feet.Â* Has that been tried?Â* Does it
help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated
insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward
over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny
weather than they are in my current glider.Â* As long as I was
pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West
wind in the afternoon.Â* As soon as I turned around to the East the
cockpit temperature plunged.
It's not sun warmed air at play. It's sun warmed legs/feet.


--
Dan, 5J

On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 11:53:19 PM UTC-6, wrote:
As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold. So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit? A small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move sun-warmed air towards the feet. Has that been tried? Does it help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny weather than they are in my current glider. As long as I was pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West wind in the afternoon. As soon as I turned around to the East the cockpit temperature plunged.

Have been flying now for 5 years with these Gerbing insoles and the recommended temp controller, also from Gerbing.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...caAvYwEALw_wcB
I run them on a dedicated 12V LiFePo4 battery. After 2 hours at altitude when the feet get cold I turn the unit on and dial the controller back to a setting that I tested prior to keep my feet toasty but not hot. I know of at least 4 pilots who also use these with no issues.
Herb

On Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at 8:16:20 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 11:53:19 PM UTC-6, wrote:
As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold. So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit? A small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move sun-warmed air towards the feet. Has that been tried? Does it help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny weather than they are in my current glider. As long as I was pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West wind in the afternoon. As soon as I turned around to the East the cockpit temperature plunged.

Have been flying now for 5 years with these Gerbing insoles and the recommended temp controller, also from Gerbing.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...caAvYwEALw_wcB
I run them on a dedicated 12V LiFePo4 battery. After 2 hours at altitude when the feet get cold I turn the unit on and dial the controller back to a setting that I tested prior to keep my feet toasty but not hot. I know of at least 4 pilots who also use these with no issues.
Herb

The Gerbing line seems to be the industry standard. They work well.
The cheap stuff gets bad reviews.
Don't do as one USAF Test Pilot School pilot tried, chemical warmers inside a pressure suit, unless you enjoy burns.
Jim

An extra layer of insulation from the knees to the ankles is beneficial

https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Winter...+for+men&psc=1

Wear under your trouser legs to get maximum benefit.

When our legs get cold, we feel it first in our feet.

On Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at 5:16:20 PM UTC+1, wrote:
On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 11:53:19 PM UTC-6, wrote:
As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold. So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit? A small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move sun-warmed air towards the feet. Has that been tried? Does it help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny weather than they are in my current glider. As long as I was pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West wind in the afternoon. As soon as I turned around to the East the cockpit temperature plunged.

Have been flying now for 5 years with these Gerbing insoles and the recommended temp controller, also from Gerbing.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...caAvYwEALw_wcB
I run them on a dedicated 12V LiFePo4 battery. After 2 hours at altitude when the feet get cold I turn the unit on and dial the controller back to a setting that I tested prior to keep my feet toasty but not hot. I know of at least 4 pilots who also use these with no issues.
Herb

An alternative to these insoles are heated socks. I bought a pair years ago from a hunting supply catalog. The advantage is that they warm your feet all around up to your ankles rather than grilling just the bottom of your feet. They run on 4.5VDC. I built a 12V-to-4.5V converter using a fast switching power supply with a simple on-off rocker switch for temperature control.. Worked well and did not drain the battery too badly.

Uli
'AS'

On Thursday, December 27, 2018 at 7:10:25 PM UTC-5, AS wrote:
On Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at 5:16:20 PM UTC+1, wrote:
On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 11:53:19 PM UTC-6, wrote:
As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold. So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit? A small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move sun-warmed air towards the feet. Has that been tried? Does it help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny weather than they are in my current glider. As long as I was pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West wind in the afternoon. As soon as I turned around to the East the cockpit temperature plunged.

Have been flying now for 5 years with these Gerbing insoles and the recommended temp controller, also from Gerbing.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...caAvYwEALw_wcB
I run them on a dedicated 12V LiFePo4 battery. After 2 hours at altitude when the feet get cold I turn the unit on and dial the controller back to a setting that I tested prior to keep my feet toasty but not hot. I know of at least 4 pilots who also use these with no issues.
Herb

An alternative to these insoles are heated socks. I bought a pair years ago from a hunting supply catalog. The advantage is that they warm your feet all around up to your ankles rather than grilling just the bottom of your feet. They run on 4.5VDC. I built a 12V-to-4.5V converter using a fast switching power supply with a simple on-off rocker switch for temperature control. Worked well and did not drain the battery too badly.

Uli
'AS'

Uli: if those socks are designed to work with 3 alkaline cells, nominally 4..5V, they probably would be quite happy with 5V too (like fresh alkalines). (Or you can put a regular silicon diode into the supply line to reduce the 5V to about 4.3.) So you can use a cheap 12V to 5V converter (designed for USB jack charging).

A cheap voltage converter is likely to be very noisy in the RF
spectrum.Â* I tried one for charging a pda and it continually broke
squelch on my radio.

And, as to the original topic of circulating cockpit air, I don't think
that would be of much use and the air in the cockpit is cold. You feel
warm due to infrared heating from the sun.Â* I've felt quite warm in the
sunlight, seen my breath condense in front of me, and been very cold the
instant I flew under a lennie.

Dan

On 12/28/2018 6:45 PM, wrote:
On Thursday, December 27, 2018 at 7:10:25 PM UTC-5, AS wrote:
On Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at 5:16:20 PM UTC+1, wrote:
On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 11:53:19 PM UTC-6, wrote:
As we know, flying in wave with the sun shining, much of the cockpit stays reasonably warm, but the feet, down in the shade, get cold. So, as I'm here at home on a cold night with a fan helping distribute the heat from the wood stove to another room, it occurred to me that something like that may be possible in the cockpit? A small fan (using a fraction of the electric power that the typical instrument panel uses), perhaps with a short duct, could move sun-warmed air towards the feet. Has that been tried? Does it help? Would it use more electrical power than electrically heated insoles?

Back when I flew an HP-14 which had a canopy that extended forward over the rudder pedals, my feet were much warmer in cold but sunny weather than they are in my current glider. As long as I was pointed towards the sun, that is - typically pointed into a West wind in the afternoon. As soon as I turned around to the East the cockpit temperature plunged.
Have been flying now for 5 years with these Gerbing insoles and the recommended temp controller, also from Gerbing.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...caAvYwEALw_wcB
I run them on a dedicated 12V LiFePo4 battery. After 2 hours at altitude when the feet get cold I turn the unit on and dial the controller back to a setting that I tested prior to keep my feet toasty but not hot. I know of at least 4 pilots who also use these with no issues.
Herb
An alternative to these insoles are heated socks. I bought a pair years ago from a hunting supply catalog. The advantage is that they warm your feet all around up to your ankles rather than grilling just the bottom of your feet. They run on 4.5VDC. I built a 12V-to-4.5V converter using a fast switching power supply with a simple on-off rocker switch for temperature control. Worked well and did not drain the battery too badly.

Uli
'AS'
Uli: if those socks are designed to work with 3 alkaline cells, nominally 4.5V, they probably would be quite happy with 5V too (like fresh alkalines). (Or you can put a regular silicon diode into the supply line to reduce the 5V to about 4.3.) So you can use a cheap 12V to 5V converter (designed for USB jack charging).

--
Dan, 5J