EAA Sport Aviation - April 2012

HANDS ON

HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS

fuse the connector as close to its supply bus as
possible. A 12-volt power cord is routed to the
connector of your choice (cigarette lighter,
etc.). I installed a miniature power jack in the
rear of my cabin and wired the jack directly to
the aircraft bus with an inline fuse installed
right at the battery/master relay. Bundle the
wires to exit the slot in the top ABS board
cover. I recommend securing the top board
cover in two to four spots with some hot glue.
(This permits easy removal if necessary.) Do
this after you power up for testing.

Inside the cooler are the pump and hoses that cycle the chilled water.

TEST

For the initial power-up test I recommend
using a 12-volt bench power supply that
is current-limited to about 1 amp.
This will help preclude damage
in case something got assembled
wrong. Upon power-up you should
feel a small vibration in the pump
that will let you know it is running.
Check the fan airflow through
the radiator. Add enough water
to submerge the pump to check
the system flow and for leaks.
Please note there is a flow rate lever
adjustment on the side of the pump.
This should be kept in the wide-
open position.

APPLICATION AND USE Load the cooler with ice cubes and add about 1 inch of chilled water to submerge the pump. Mount the AC unit in your plane, connect to aircraft 12-volt power, and turn it on. The pump will circulate cold water through the radiator and return it back over the ice. The fan provides that welcome stream of cold air. Operating time is, of course, temperature-dependent, but you can expect up to an hour or more of cool air before melting all of the ice. I have found that filling the cooler case with ice cubes has been sufficient for my type of flying. It has been most comforting in getting me from the hangar, down the taxiway, and through a climb to cooler altitudes. I usually have sufficient remaining ice for the descent back into hotter air. On longer trips in more hot and humid environments, you may want to add a drain tube and bring along an ice refill.

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