Cold Starts

Is it worth lugging long extension cords to plug in the Tanis heaters for my
Baron if it's going to sit outside at 12 degrees for two to three hours
after a flight?

I have cowl plugs which may help a little, but is it really a problem? The
oil will be well circulated, and the battery is in good shape to crank the
engines.

Also, the POH says to keep the cowl flaps open during taxi and take off, but
when it's so cold outside does this still make sense? As long as the CHTs
remain within a reasonable range what difference should it make?

Thanks from Wisconsin, where its 2 degrees and clear.

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 13:18:35 GMT, "Viperdoc"
wrote:

Is it worth lugging long extension cords to plug in the Tanis heaters for my
Baron if it's going to sit outside at 12 degrees for two to three hours
after a flight?

I have cowl plugs which may help a little, but is it really a problem? The
oil will be well circulated, and the battery is in good shape to crank the
engines.

Also, the POH says to keep the cowl flaps open during taxi and take off, but
when it's so cold outside does this still make sense? As long as the CHTs
remain within a reasonable range what difference should it make?

Thanks from Wisconsin, where its 2 degrees and clear.

It is hard to say, as it will vary plane to plane. But in that kind
of cold, for my O-360, 3 hours is pushing it. A cowl cover in
addition to cowl plugs is the only way I can wait that long.

The Baron's engines would have more thermal mass than the O-360, so
perhaps you can go longer. OTOH, you don't mention cowl covers...

Without the covers, I'd bring the extensions for the Tanis.

-Nathan

So, for those of you with plug in heaters, how does that work out? I presume
that at your home airport, you are parked in your own unheated hangar or
near an outlet on the ramp. What about visiting other airports? Do you asked
to be parked near an outlet? Do they stretch a cord across the ramp for you?
Do they plug it into a service truck for a couple of hours before start?

-------------------------------
Travis

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 04:08:04 GMT, "Travis Marlatte"
wrote:

So, for those of you with plug in heaters, how does that work out? I presume
that at your home airport, you are parked in your own unheated hangar or
near an outlet on the ramp. What about visiting other airports? Do you asked
to be parked near an outlet? Do they stretch a cord across the ramp for you?
Do they plug it into a service truck for a couple of hours before start?

-------------------------------
Travis


If I cannot plug in, I obtain pre-heat in the usual manner -- i.e. the FBO
either has a gas fired unit; heated hangar or I make other arrangements.

Some folk will carry small generators; others will carry small "Red
Dragons".


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)

Most of the time, I've been able to arrange either to leave it plugged in, or
more often have the fBO move it and plug it a few hours before I intend to
depart. I keep an extension cord in the plane all winter. You never know when
a short stop might turn into a longer one than intended, and the weight of the
extension cord is not all that much.

Travis Marlatte wrote:

So, for those of you with plug in heaters, how does that work out? I presume
that at your home airport, you are parked in your own unheated hangar or
near an outlet on the ramp. What about visiting other airports? Do you asked
to be parked near an outlet? Do they stretch a cord across the ramp for you?
Do they plug it into a service truck for a couple of hours before start?

-------------------------------
Travis

--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1759

Aluminum shrinks and expands more than steel. At some temperature around
10 degrees the case will have shrunk onto the crank and cam to the
point where you have zero bearing clearance!

Rip

Viperdoc wrote:

Is it worth lugging long extension cords to plug in the Tanis heaters for my
Baron if it's going to sit outside at 12 degrees for two to three hours
after a flight?

I have cowl plugs which may help a little, but is it really a problem? The
oil will be well circulated, and the battery is in good shape to crank the
engines.

Also, the POH says to keep the cowl flaps open during taxi and take off, but
when it's so cold outside does this still make sense? As long as the CHTs
remain within a reasonable range what difference should it make?

Thanks from Wisconsin, where its 2 degrees and clear.

In article ,
"Viperdoc" wrote:

Is it worth lugging long extension cords to plug in the Tanis heaters for my
Baron if it's going to sit outside at 12 degrees for two to three hours
after a flight?

What is an engine worth? g IF you have a cowl blanket and IF the
engine oil will stay warm for that length of time then it shouldn't be a
problem. I would plug it in if it was my airplane.

Also, the POH says to keep the cowl flaps open during taxi and take off, but
when it's so cold outside does this still make sense? As long as the CHTs
remain within a reasonable range what difference should it make?

CHTs might be okay but other areas of the engine compartment may be
heating up. I used to fly a B-17 and B-24, we always had the cowlflaps
open on the ground because if they were closed it was possible to heat
damage the sparkplug wires. Big difference in engines I know. If the
POH says leave them open I would. If you've preheated properly the
engine will come up to temp quickly and you'll need them open. Also,
with a change in procedure it would be easy to goof and leave them
closed during takeoff and climb which could really cook things.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

I started my engines this morning at -4 F... No preheat never do No
problems; though it did take 6 blades each, before they fired - mucho cold
senor... Use 15W50... I get oil pressure indication in less than ten
seconds... That's the way this airplane has been treated ever since
semisynthetic, multiviscosity, oils came out.... Engines go to TBO
routinely...
denny
"Dale" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Viperdoc" wrote:

Is it worth lugging long extension cords to plug in the Tanis heaters
for my
Baron if it's going to sit outside at 12 degrees for two to three hours
after a flight?

What is an engine worth? g IF you have a cowl blanket and IF the
engine oil will stay warm for that length of time then it shouldn't be a
problem. I would plug it in if it was my airplane.

Also, the POH says to keep the cowl flaps open during taxi and take off,
but
when it's so cold outside does this still make sense? As long as the
CHTs
remain within a reasonable range what difference should it make?

CHTs might be okay but other areas of the engine compartment may be
heating up. I used to fly a B-17 and B-24, we always had the cowlflaps
open on the ground because if they were closed it was possible to heat
damage the sparkplug wires. Big difference in engines I know. If the
POH says leave them open I would. If you've preheated properly the
engine will come up to temp quickly and you'll need them open. Also,
with a change in procedure it would be easy to goof and leave them
closed during takeoff and climb which could really cook things.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

In article ,
"Dennis O'Connor" wrote:

I started my engines this morning at -4 F... No preheat never do No
problems; though it did take 6 blades each, before they fired - mucho cold
senor... Use 15W50... I get oil pressure indication in less than ten
seconds... That's the way this airplane has been treated ever since
semisynthetic, multiviscosity, oils came out.... Engines go to TBO
routinely...
denny

Wow. To each his own. I would never start at those temps without
preheat, and I also used 15W50. I've also tried to pour it when it's
cold. G If it works for you, great.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

I started my engines this morning at -4 F... No preheat never do

Wow. Pretty cavalier attitude with two engines worth close to $20K apiece.

I've found that for periods of four hours or less, the engine will stay
pretty warm with our dark blue cowl cover on -- especially in a bright sun.

For longer periods, plugging in is essential. A couple of weeks ago, while
staying at Lake Lawn Lodge (in Lake Delevan, WI) the oil temperature was 34
degrees at start-up -- even after being plugged in overnight, WITH the cowl
cover on!

The outside temperature was -10, and the wind was howling.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"