> more quickly following start-up. For the entire rest of the flight - the
> thermostat, its pipework, clips, mounting brackets and the additional oil
> needed to fill the new pipework is simply dead weight being lugged around
> the sky increasing fuel consumption and reducing performance.
>
> A well designed duct with a lightweight vane to control airflow (operated
> either manually or by servo) would weigh grams rather than the kilos of an
> oil thermostat system.
> On a heavier certified aircraft this is not such an issue, but on the
> Europa
> any weight saving improves performance.
>
> Nigel
>
Nigel,
I don't agree with your weight argument. The thermostat is very light and
requires no extra hose to speak of - just 4 jubilee clips.
For a start, the MAC servo weighs 4oz without any fittings.
The objective is raise the oil temp and keep it at the optimum operating
temperature. Which seems more unlikely as the story unfolds.
regards,
MP
|