Anuj,
I love the AC, and run it from startup to shutdown.
I also teach in both of my airplanes, and can’t imagine your landings ever being any “firmer” than some of mine. Seems to me if the landing is hard enough to break the AC, there will likely be other parts you will be collecting off the runway.
Stay cool!
-john
I’m working on it!! Gotta sell more cheese! [Y]
I didn’t have a/c when I bought my 2004 G2 SR22.
After a summer here in Texas, I quickly discovered that I would not go flying except early morning. Even then, it was not comfortable. There was no fan. I would have sweat running down my face, arms and back within 10 minutes - and I don’t sweat normally. The SR22 has such large windows that the sun turns it into an oven.
Then I put in a keith a/c and that made all the difference. I use it 10 months out of the year. The fan alone is good enough if the temperature is 85 or less.
Like Steve, I would not own a plane without a/c - at least here in Texas.
One comment about taking off with the a/c on. If the rubber washers on the a/c pulley become worn out, it can cause a mag failure. The sudden shock of the compressor going online can strip the nylon teeth on the mag. At least this is a theory about some dual mag failures on takeoff. Just something to consider…
Tony,
Thanks for posting the flyer!
Best, Charlie
Hey Tony, speaking to that, I sent you an e mail about just that. If it would be better to call let me know. I sent it to your E Mail on your card.
We want some cheese!! [H]
Uh, Wally, there is no such thing as a Cirrus without a parachute.
My point was the A/C would be too, if I were spec’ing the plane from scratch. But thanks anyway Gordon! [:)]
Did you mean the possibility of the compressor going offline? If you’re referring to the orange grommets, they are inspected with each oil change. Does their being worn out lead to the compressor going offline?
Yes I am talking about the grommets on the a/c pulley. Good that you are getting them inspected frequently. If these get worn, it is metal to metal contact. This rough contact could be the cause of stripped mag teeth.
I don’t think the compressor cycles on and off - as it does not have a temperature control (like a car). So when it is turned on, it runs continuously. The compressor will go offline when switched off or the R134a gets too low. So this is probably not a factor in mag damage.
jeff,
im so sorry! I was sure that I responded… I will take a look at my work emails And resend Aged cheddar an Gouda if I recall correctly. I recommended some smoked cheese as well to make some oh-so-good Mac and cheese!
did you get the A/C shaft fixed?
sorry, thread creep. [:$]
Tony, I’ll check my spam filter and see. You may have very well responded and I missed it.
looking forward to to trying a bunch of stuff.
Yes my shaft is fixed. Gonna go up next week and try it out. We think the AC may have been overcharged slightly. I’ve never had any trouble with it before and ran it all the time even on take off. 180 hours and no problem.
Then we put on the Orange gromets and new shaft and it broke after two flights. No hard landings, nothing unusual. When we replaced the broken shaft they noticed a unacceptable RPM drop but the compressor turns fine. They recharged it again and I assume it’s better. I’ll have to ask as I’ve not heard if they think that will be a fix. Still worth it as I love my cool air and my wife insists on it working.
i will be in touch.
Exactly what I bought a little over a year ago, love it !
I was very glad to not have A/C in either of my Cirri. Didn’t want the weight or the maintenance headaches (and there have been many). I live in coastal central CA, so obviously not needed at home base, but I traveled all over the country and rarely missed A/C, even in Las Vegas. If I was based in the hot and humid southern central or east I might have had a different opinion, but I personally did not want or need it.
Nope, my mistake. I know you weren’t advocating leaving the A/C compressor or fan running prior to engine shutdown. I still don’t like shutting down the engine before turning off the avionics, even though that is what is recommended according to the shutdown flow.
Anuj
John,
I know you can make smooth landings with your eyes closed, but understand that students might test the A/C compressor shaft more. I’ll probably start being more liberal with A/C usage. The high today was 95F so it certainly makes sense to use it!
Anuj
Me too, but five years ago.
Tyler, I upgraded to dual GTNs for WAAS and added the DFC-90 for envelope protection. I really like my current setup. The radios are quick and smart. The autopilot has been solid.
If you go with Avidyne, I would recommend going for the warranty, either the low price or high price, just for peace of mind. Even with the warranty cost, the Avidyne setup is inexpensive. The PFD screen layout gives you all the info you need in an easy to read format.
Best of luck with your search.
Switching the airflow to internal circulation will increase the cooling much more than in a car, IMHO.
In my first post, I referred to some tough guys who would not see the need for A/C, and I’d say Las Vegas puts you in that tough guy catagory. I’m too much of a pansy, I need the A/C. [:)]
Until just before takeoff and after clearing the runway, I keep the A/C set to recirculation. On the ground, it doesn’t cool well enough for me otherwise. While I find the recirc mode capable of taxiing in sweat-free comfort, it will never make the cockpit uncomfortably cold in my experience, something car A/Cs are capable of. I have an Enviro-equipped G2, perhaps your G3’s system is even better?
