HEATING, VENTILATING & DEFROST-
ING
Cockpit heating
is provided by fresh intake
air which is routed over an air-to-air heat exchanger
which is heated by the exhaust gases. A simple valve
routes the air either overboard or into the cabin. Since
the exhaust gases are toxic and of high pressure, they
tend to leak into the fresh air side of the exchanger. It
is imperative that this system be checked regularly to
preclude introduction of these exhaust gases into the
cabin. These gases contain carbon monoxide which
significantly reduces the bloods ability to carry O
2
,
which seriously degrades judgments, night vision, etc.
Defrosting
is accomplished by routing some or
all of the warmed air to the windshield if the warm air
plumbing is equipped with this arrangement.
Ventilation
is obtained from a flush mounted air
intake scoop which directs the outside air into the cabin.
During ground operation the door can be left open until
takeoff. The door must never be opened in flight, all
latches must remain locked.
PITOT PRESSURE SYSTEM
The Lancair should be fitted with a standard
heated pitot probe typically located on the lower, out
-
board side of the right wing. If your flights have the po-
tential of below freezing temperatures, IMC conditions
or precipitation, the heated type should be installed and
a check made of its operation prior to flight.
This check can be made during preflight by
turning the master switch on, the pilot heater power
on for a few seconds (less than 10 typically) and then
feeling the probe for warmth. The preflight should also
check that the probe opening has not become home for a
wasp and that any cover has been removed.
NOTE
Probe heater power should never be left on
except in flight. Over heating and loss of the element
will occur.
STATIC PRESSURE SYSTEM
Static Port Location
The static port is located on the left side of the
fuselage near the baggage door. If the aircraft has been
outdoors for some time the preflight should check for
cleanliness. (It should be flush, round and square with
the fuselage and be a sharp edged hole.) If a static drain
exists and the plane has been exposed to rain the drain
should be checked to preclude water in the system which
will introduce error into the altimeter and airspeed sys
-
tem.
VACUUM SYSTEM
The vacuum system is powered by
a vacuum
pump driven by the engine. Its operation is vital to gyro
instruments and is indicated by a suction gauge. The
gauge can be one which indicates the suction value, or a
small indicator with a red or green flag. Either is accept-
able, however the gauge may provide an indication of
gradually decreasing pump capability and thus provide
some warning of failure.
