Passenger air vents

[Tim213]

Just wondering how many of you 4 place builders incorporated air vents for the rear passengers. If you did, did you just run scat back to an eyeball vent or something similar? Any opinions for or against are welcome. Thanks

[JimParker256]

I'm building a Patrol, but will probably be using the round "tilt-out" vents in the window, with the opening close to the front of the window where it will be well-supported. Had that type of vent in the OH-58A helicopter I flew in the Army, and they worked very well, and didn't seem to "freeze us out" in the winter too badly.

[Archer39J]

What about a NACA duct outboard of the fuel tank, say bay 6? It looks like there could be room to run a scat tube behind the fuel tank, though I haven't touched my wing yet so I'm not positive there's space after everything is installed. This would be to eyeball vents to the rear pax.

[rodsmith]

You would have interference with the aileron cable trying to route it out of the wing root rib.

[Archer39J]

Figured there was a reason...

[rodsmith]

Just wondering how many of you 4 place builders incorporated air vents for the rear passengers. If you did, did you just run scat back to an eyeball vent or something similar? Any opinions for or against are welcome. Thanks

Bob doesn't want a NACA cut out in the wing root area, although some have done it. The only easy solution I see is what Jim is doing, the round window vents. Someone mentioned using the same vents mounted in the skylight.

[jaredyates]

I'd choose the side window over the skylight for rainwater concerns.

[Battson]

I couldn't think where to run the duct, there's not many options for getting it past the rear spar area. There's flap linkages on the outside and the structure is too thin to run it inside the cabin "walls".

Sadly, the round window vents did not work well, on the Bearhawk I flew with them installed. The builder remarked he would rather have left them out. Just one data point though.

[JimParker256]

Battson, was that a Patrol, or a 4-place?

[Battson]

4 place Bearhawk

[Ed.Meyer]

We used these on our Patrol: http://www.javronaviation.com/Piper-Window-Vent/
They are in left side windows front and back and work good. Seal tight when it is cold out.

[Bdflies]

A testament to the concept that great minds think alike! I used the same vents as Ed, on my Patrol - front and back. I agree that they work very well and do, in fact, seal tight.

Bill

[Peter Bishton]

Ed and Bill do these vents have similar impact or effect on bringing in nice cool air as the circular ones in a Citabria ? I am doing some training in a Citabria and the circular vents you can rotate are quite erectile. Peter

[Peter Bishton]

Sorry that was supposed to read quite effective - typo

[Bdflies]

Yes, they do a good job. I flew last summer -in Louisiana- with these and had no complaints.

No dysfunction here!

Bill

[Archer39J]

So looking more closely at the plans (and my wing) it seems there is room between the aft fuel tank false spar and flap torque tube to fit at least a 2" dia air hose. I'm thinking about snaking a hose from a NACA scoop in bay 5 or 6. What would be really nice would be to split a single scoop to front and rear vents, but I'm not sure if there would be enough flow at that point. I'd really like to avoid having to cut a hole in the leading edge of my wing...

[Luke68]

I was thinking of doing the same thing but Mark Goldberg talked me out of it, he said they didn’t work very well when installed on the bottom of the wing. I plan on using the vents mentioned by Ed Meyer.

[Archer39J]

I was thinking of doing the same thing but Mark Goldberg talked me out of it, he said they didn’t work very well when installed on the bottom of the wing. I plan on using the vents mentioned by Ed Meyer.

That's disappointing, I'd be curious to hear from those went ahead and put them in their wing roots. Ideally I'd rather keep air inlets off the windows.

I was helping replace some wing skins on a PA-28 and saw how they did this. The LE cutout just pressurizes the whole compartment behind it and they pull front and rear air from that. Works really well in flight.