David Renaker wrote:

Attended a SportAir Class this weekend on Velocitys.  In the next room was
a group learning skills to build RVs.  In reading the postings on radiators
an idea keeps coming up in my head.  If you have looked in your computers
lately you will notice that they are gluing ever larger heat sinks to the
CPU.  Has anyone ever considered using that large aluminum wing hanging in
the breeze to dissipate heat instead of a radiator?

This could take
1. Some aluminium plumbing for weight and galvanic activity.
2. Continuous loop through wing to prevent leaks at connections with in the
wing.
3. Providing heat path with thermal glue or  weld to transfer heat from
aluminum tubing to skin, ribs, etc.
4. Reduce weight and drag by eliminating radiators.  Weight offset may be
consumed by need of larger coolant volume.
5. Defrost wings.
6. Might damage paint.  Paint may insulate.

Now that Tracy's in recovery mode maybe he has some engineering thought
processes to spare.

This subject comes up from time to time on here and through out the history
of aviation it has been tried over and over without lasting success.
I am not sure why not. Perhaps it is too hard to fix if you get a leak
and too hard to accommodate 30 psi in a flat structure from a structural
point of view. Early P38's used the wing for intercoolers and Schnieder cup
racers used tubing along the fuselage and floats.

Paul Lamar
 
The AirCraft Rotary Engine NewsLetter.              Powered by Linux.
ACRE NL web site.
http://home.earthlink.net/~rotaryeng/            http://www.linux.org