What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Oxygen in a RV-10

J

Jrskygod

Well Known Member
What is the best way to mount a 22 cu/ft oxygen cylinder in a 10? Pilot does need access to the valve in flight.
 
22 cu-ft is pretty big.

I have a 14.6 cu-ft Mountain High bottle (AL-415) and system in my RV-10. The case that came with the system straps to the top of the tunnel, with the control valve about even with the backs of the front seats going aft from there. I suspect you can fit their 22.8 cu-ft bottle (AL-647) there as well.

I like being able to take the bottle out with just a release of the four nylon straps. Makes charging easy.

The Mountain High does a nice job of efficently giving you just the oxygen you need. Did two weeks plus with two people flying 13K' - 14K' and used less than half the bottle. I tend to go on oxygen anytime over 8K'.

Carl
 
I have the MH 22 cf tank mounted behind the baggage bulkhead. With their remote head mounted in the panel, there is no need to access the tank. Fill port is plumbed through the baggage bulkhead for easy refills. I normally see the tank once a year during condition inspection.
 
Perhaps some of our neighbors to the north or south can chime in with an answer.
There are some countries where they will not service a bottle mounted in the airframe. It must be removed. I have encountered this problem a few places in the world. Anybody know if they can/will service a mounted bottle in Canada or Mexico?
Data point to consider.
 
Oxygen in RV10

I have a portable bottle mounted just behind the left passenger seat, in the baggage compartment. I plumb it to a fitting on the side wall just in front of the baggage door. From there you can run tubing to plug-in fittings wherever you want them. I have one plug-in for each seat.

The bottle is easy to remove and I open the valve on pre-flight when I anticipate using it. The regulator keeps the pressure in the tubing low and the system seems tight: no leakage observed so far. When you don't need oxygen, leave the bottle at home. The only downside is that the mounting brackets remain installed even when not using the bottle.
 
The best place for a portable tank to be mounted is on top of the tunnel and between the rear seats, with the regulators just behind the front seats. Make sure that there is a strap around the neck of the bottle to prevent it from sliding/shooting forward in the event of a "fast stop".
 
For a permanent mount, I would recommend the Mountain High EDS-ip system. You won't need to access the valve; the panel mounted control takes care of it all. Plus you can add your passengers at will and it will use less oxygen than a free-flow system. The downside is you need to do the permanent install of the system. Regarding the post about three above this: Is there any country that will not service a permanently installed system? I ask because I have no experience out of the US.
 
Jesse said:
The best place for a portable tank to be mounted is on top of the tunnel and between the rear seats, with the regulators just behind the front seats. Make sure that there is a strap around the neck of the bottle to prevent it from sliding/shooting forward in the event of a "fast stop".
Click to expand...

This is where I have my MH bottle mounted. It is very convenient and not in the way of anyone even with two people in the back seat. It i easily accessible for removal when refilling and when not needed.
 
Here's how we did ours.... Pretty sure I cheated and copied other guys.

We did a hybrid system form MH. It's permanently installed, but I can easily take the tank out when we want to save weight and we have 2 of the O2D2s mounted in the center console. That way we have the advantage of the Pulse demand oxygen for all 4 people, but saved a bunch of $ as opposed to going with their full system (which is very cool if you can spare the dough).

 
Oxygen in a RV10

I have never had to have my portable bottle serviced by anyone else. I inquired once at the FBO in McCall, ID and they wanted $50. I told them to keep it. To fill I use welding oxygen obtained from the aviation department at Home Depot. A welding bottle exchange is under $25 (small Q size) and is good for several portable bottle refills.
 
I've owned, managed, and worked at a lot of FBO's. O2 was always a money losing hassle. Even if you charge $50 or more you lose time and money. It's actually a courtesy service. That said I've always looked at hard mount systems in small planes as being dumb honestly. Harder to repair, heavy, often leaky, and I've seen wear/tear and damage just from them being serviced. Just another way for everyone to lose time and money. Go portable and get filled at medical or welding supply places when you can. If you need a fill at an FBO just pull the bottle and hand it to them. Better for everyone.
 
What ever you do keep it so you can easily remove it. I had a Saratoga that had the built in O2. The FBO's gets you every time you top off. Depending where you live, (and your opinion on aviation O2 vs Medical O2 which is nothing) you can get your bottled refilled for 10-20 dollars vs 60 to 80 dollars. I started to carry a portable with the regulator type system O2 and it paid for itself within the first two years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top