Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

[SkyvanDelta]

Curious if any of the race planes have air conditioning that works well to chill the cockpit?

Which planes have the hottest cockpits and which have the coolest cockpits?

[Dave65882]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

Not sure, but I do know Rod's other bearcat in the Thai markings has it.

[flyride]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

Only the jets which are pressurized.

[race9]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

Some of the stock sport planes probably do. I know that the Mustangs do not, unless it was added. They just have a vent. In the Ghost, Jimmy wears a cool suit, so he doesn't get too hot.

[spacegrrrl]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

I thought some unlimited pilots used a "cool suit". I'm sure they have been at least tried in Strega.

Spacegrrrl

[BKB]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

Tiger wore a cool suit. Kind of primitave but I guess it works.
He had a cool cap he wore under his helmet. Basically the cool suit is a vest with lines in it that some sort of coolant (i.e. icewater) is pumped through.I've seen Steven with the tubing hanging out of his suit so I would assume he is using it too.
I remember Bruce Lockwood saying when he was flying Dago that he would train for the heat by running around Mojave.
Also remember him saying to cockpit was like a furnace!
Just look at the heat strip on one of the polished Mustangs.
Add some super exotic fuel mix and 130" hg and you're riding in a flame thrower.
Worked on a tow rig on the ramp a couple of years.I found the best way to get in the good graces of a race pilot was the simple gift of a bottle of cold water. Even the T-6 guys looked pretty toreback when they got back on the ground.

[JET1]

ding ding ding spacegrrrl is winnar!

I thought some unlimited pilots used a "cool suit". I'm sure they have been at least tried in Strega.

Spacegrrrl

as far as unlimiteds go...Steve wears tigers coolcap system and it works pretty well. up to 90%of your body heat is lost through your head so the system makes sense.
REAL race planes (JET POWERED) have AC

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

A couple more questions.

1. Do the pilots wear a cooling suit when they are ferrying the plane from place to place or do they only wear the cooling suit when they are racing?

2. How do they cool the inside of the cockpit if they don't have a cooling suit system? A fan, a vent, multiple vents...? Does a vent create a problem?

3. Is heat buildup inside the cockpit a problem only in the high strung racers or is it present in all then unlimited planes, ie stock Sea Fury, Bearcat, Mustang...?

4. How well does the AC work in the Jets? What is considered a comfortable temperature inside when underway?

5. If you are not racing, how does one stay cool inside a cockpit of an airplane that has a large glass canopy overhead like a Mustang?

[airtj]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

In GA airplanes like Cessnas, Pipers, Mooneys, they have vents that you can open to let the cooler air in. Some GA airplanes have air conditioning in them but you can only run them in certain conditions, like taxing and in cruise, the AC takes power away from the engine. Hope this helps.

[Race5]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

A couple more questions.

1. Do the pilots wear a cooling suit when they are ferrying the plane from place to place or do they only wear the cooling suit when they are racing?

2. How do they cool the inside of the cockpit if they don't have a cooling suit system? A fan, a vent, multiple vents...? Does a vent create a problem?

3. Is heat buildup inside the cockpit a problem only in the high strung racers or is it present in all then unlimited planes, ie stock Sea Fury, Bearcat, Mustang...?

4. How well does the AC work in the Jets? What is considered a comfortable temperature inside when underway?

5. If you are not racing, how does one stay cool inside a cockpit of an airplane that has a large glass canopy overhead like a Mustang?

The simple answer is you don't stay cool in a Mustang or any other Warbird. They are all hot, all the time. That counts in racing, or cruising around. Man up and fly the dang thing. AC is the least of a warbird pilots concern. They are not meant for everybody. If you want comfort, buy a Lear jet.

[Scotty G]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

Any airplane with a bubble canopy is hot.

Any airplane with a recip engine in front transfers some amount of heat rearward into the cockpit.

Some of the jets, like the L-39, have air conditioning. Hot engine bleed air runs to a pack that changes it into cool air for air conditioning and pressurization. Life in these airplanes is good.

Tiger, and now Steven Hinton Jr., wear flight suits with coolant lines in them. They hook into the little cooling system that circulates cool fluid through the suits. This is because the cockpits of racers like Dago, Voodoo, and Strega are sealed. Other drivers just deal with it.

Even in the Lancair, I tape over the air vents so no air comes onboard the airplane to create drag. After a race, when I open the canopy, it's like somebody poured a bucket of ice water on me. I try to imagine what that's like in an airplane like Dago or Rare Bear where it *really* gets hot.

[Race 22 mech]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

We seal up the T-6 where there is no air flow at all. If there is air moving in the cockpit, maybe good for the pilot, but bad for speed.

As for the heat, hydrate before and deal with it; it gets very hot.

Chip

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

Is it a issue of safety to have no vents and no incoming air into the cockpit, for example in case there is fire or smoke, so it won't enter the cockpit... or is preventing incoming air strictly an issue of reducing drag?

Are bladed fans used in the racing planes to put a breeze on the pilots face?

Is there any breeze on the pilots face when racing from vents/fans...?

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

Sorry, but I have a few more questions. Thankyou for your responses. I owe all of you a cold beer.

Any airplane with a bubble canopy is hot.

Any airplane with a recip engine in front transfers some amount of heat rearward into the cockpit.

Some of the jets, like the L-39, have air conditioning. Hot engine bleed air runs to a pack that changes it into cool air for air conditioning and pressurization. Life in these airplanes is good.

Tiger, and now Steven Hinton Jr., wear flight suits with coolant lines in them. They hook into the little cooling system that circulates cool fluid through the suits. This is because the cockpits of racers like Dago, Voodoo, and Strega are sealed. Other drivers just deal with it.

Even in the Lancair, I tape over the air vents so no air comes onboard the airplane to create drag. After a race, when I open the canopy, it's like somebody poured a bucket of ice water on me. I try to imagine what that's like in an airplane like Dago or Rare Bear where it *really* gets hot.

Does a water cooled Merlin motor from a Mustang produce more/less heat for the pilot when compared to an air cooled Sea Fury/Bearcat...?

Why does the AC in the jets take hot air and cool it? Would it be more efficient to grab outside air (which may be cooler), and cool it?

Is Strega and the Ghost the only planes that uses the cool suit at Reno? Why aren't more pilots using cool suits? Are the other pilots able to tolerate the heat for short periods of time or is it they don't want another contraption (cool suit) to fool with? How many minutes is it from start up, sealing the cockpit, take off, race the course and land before they can open the cockpit and get some cooler air?

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: Do any of the race planes have air conditioning?

The simple answer is you don't stay cool in a Mustang or any other Warbird. They are all hot, all the time. That counts in racing, or cruising around. Man up and fly the dang thing. AC is the least of a warbird pilots concern. They are not meant for everybody. If you want comfort, buy a Lear jet.

In what countries/areas were the Mustangs and other hot cockpit warbirds used, where the air temps and humidity were the highest, in a war type situation? Were they exposed to high temps/humidity that make a hot Reno day look cool in comparison?

How about your typical modern day jet fighter, ie F15, F16, F18...Do they have really good air conditioning systems that work to chill the air?