REFLECTOR: nose coolers are history

[Alan Shaw <wingco@iu.net>]

Andy,

With a functional oil cooler in the rear why do you need the nose cooler?
Since rear oil coolers transfer heat effectively they are better for cabin
heat.  The nose coolers were of poor design from the beginning, to say the
least.  It's amazing we have persisted on using them this long.

--I am also adding another oil cooler at the same time.

Less is more.  The nose cooler is nothing but dead weight requiring more
power, fuel and structure.  1 2 3  As Ben Franklin would have put it:  A pound
saved is three pounds earned.
Now if I could only practice what I preach.  My plane is getting fat too.

Another cooling tip:  Dan always cut the cowling less than 1" from the prop
for best vacuum cooling effect.  A tab can also be glassed around the prop
hanging out 1" of extra pitch on the trailing edge in front of the cooling
exit.  Just got off the phone with a fellow in TX that saw an ABQ Velocity
there with severe over heating problems.  He said the cowling had been cut
back at least 6" from the prop.
I've flown out of Phoenix, in the "green", when it was 122 F but my prop was
1/2" from the cowling.

Alan