SWISS MUFFLERS

Has anyone tried building , installed or flown a RV with one of the "SWISS" mufflers mentioned in Tony Bingelis "Firewall Forward"? These are the type required in some countries in Europe. They seem like they would make a cross country trip or any flying at all, a lot more enjoyable if they work as good as they claim but I'd be concerned with drag issues and any problems that might arise if the inner packing somehow decided to go south. I'm sure there's something I"m missing here because if they were that good everyone would have one. The article even mentions having to have a wing walker while taxiing to alert people of your almost silent movement. Anybody?

No.

I think.....too much added weight, drag, expense. A good noise cancelling headset does the trick.

Why not take a look at the optional in-cowl mufflers you can add to the standard exhaust from Vetterman?
One benefit is that they're more effective than a standard heat muff, and being inside the cowl, they shouldn't add any drag.

Mufflers

NYTOM said:

Has anyone tried building, installed or flown a RV with one of the "SWISS" mufflers mentioned in Tony Bingelis "Firewall Forward"? These are the type required in some countries in Europe. ...

Click to expand...

There are a lot of aircraft here in Switzerland with these mufflers. They work well, but do add weight and drag. There are a couple of companies that sell them, but most are home made. Here's a picture of a professionally built under cowl muffler:



People here use mufflers because landing fees at many airfields are based on your MTOW and the amount of noise your airplane makes. They are not required, but there is a financial incentive to installing them.

Stainless steel packing material is a good option so that you don't have to keep replacing it.

The "swiss mufflers" are really not more complex than documented in Tony's book. Here's a picture of one on an RV6:



If you would like more detailed pictures, I can try to get some next time I'm at the airport.

With a well-done muffler you will only hear the swoosh of the prop when taxiing, no engine noise.

Thinking Muffler

Thanks Mickey I appreciate the thought but I'll probably just go with active noise canceling headsets although it still sounds like a great idea to me. Besides I'd probably have the only RV in the western hemisphere with a muffler.
Tom N822PM (res)