by CFIDave » Wed Aug 29, 2018 2:23 pm
I just took delivery of a new Best Tugs tug (Bravo model) to move my DA62 in and out of a T-hangar. It has a built-in GPU (based on 4 car batteries internal to the tug) that delivers enough 28V power (75 amps) to run the DA62's all-electric air conditioning on the ground. So now I can pre-cool my plane before engine start!
Original topic: In my experience, the add-on Cabin Cool system installed on DA40s and DA42s works very well, with the downside that the scoop (with heat exchanger) under the plane's belly creates sufficient drag to slow the plane down by about 5 knots or so.
In contrast, Diamond's built-in factory air conditioning for DA40NG, DA42-VI, and DA62s is challenged to beat the heat on hot humid days. But the good news is that this system doesn't create a performance penalty, since there's no external scoop -- instead, there are 2 ports in the fuselage for air intake/exhaust to an internally-mounted heat exchanger. One could argue that Diamond's built-in AC actually makes these aircraft faster, since it shifts the CG further aft to counter the weight of the Austro engines.
I just took delivery of a new Best Tugs tug (Bravo model) to move my DA62 in and out of a T-hangar. It has a built-in GPU (based on 4 car batteries internal to the tug) that delivers enough 28V power (75 amps) to run the DA62's all-electric air conditioning on the ground. So now I can pre-cool my plane before engine start!
Original topic: In my experience, the add-on Cabin Cool system installed on DA40s and DA42s works very well, with the downside that the scoop (with heat exchanger) under the plane's belly creates sufficient drag to slow the plane down by about 5 knots or so.
In contrast, Diamond's built-in factory air conditioning for DA40NG, DA42-VI, and DA62s is challenged to beat the heat on hot humid days. But the good news is that this system doesn't create a performance penalty, since there's no external scoop -- instead, there are 2 ports in the fuselage for air intake/exhaust to an internally-mounted heat exchanger. One could argue that Diamond's built-in AC actually makes these aircraft faster, since it shifts the CG further aft to counter the weight of the Austro engines.