Piper J3
Well Known Member
Flew today with OAT in high 30F. I’ve been working to seal some of the air leaks in the cabin as follows:
1. I made a cardboard bulkhead that fits directly behind the seatbacks and in front of the spar. This is fairly tight fitting and seals pretty well. The cardboard is a few inches shorter than the seat back frame.
2. I added boots to the stick openings primarily for safety (so nothing can jam the sticks) but also to stop loss of warm air from heater.
3. I added 1/8” x ½” foam tape to bottom of front canopy bow to seal against the sheet metal over the instrument bay. Works well.
4. Foam tape also added to bottom of canopy side rails and this works well too.
5. I made triangle foam rubber – approx. 4” wide with taper of 6” in back to 1” in front for side of seat bottoms against fuselage. Not happy here yet. Pilot and passenger still get cold air against hip and thigh at fuselage sides.
So here’s my question… I think I’m getting a lot of air coming from the main landing gear cutouts and also from the spar cutouts. Has anyone tried to seal these openings?
1. I made a cardboard bulkhead that fits directly behind the seatbacks and in front of the spar. This is fairly tight fitting and seals pretty well. The cardboard is a few inches shorter than the seat back frame.
2. I added boots to the stick openings primarily for safety (so nothing can jam the sticks) but also to stop loss of warm air from heater.
3. I added 1/8” x ½” foam tape to bottom of front canopy bow to seal against the sheet metal over the instrument bay. Works well.
4. Foam tape also added to bottom of canopy side rails and this works well too.
5. I made triangle foam rubber – approx. 4” wide with taper of 6” in back to 1” in front for side of seat bottoms against fuselage. Not happy here yet. Pilot and passenger still get cold air against hip and thigh at fuselage sides.
So here’s my question… I think I’m getting a lot of air coming from the main landing gear cutouts and also from the spar cutouts. Has anyone tried to seal these openings?