MacCool
Well Known Member
I've read a fair amount about canopy crackling due to temp variations, and it seems like it would be an inconvenience that I'd like to avoid.
Around here, it gets cold. Today it was 20F (high) but last night it was -30F and this time of year such temp extremes are not rare. My airplane lives in an unheated hangar and its canopy is in great shape, but it was built in Atlanta 11 years ago and lived the major part of its life in St. Louis until I bought it. From a climate standpoint, Minnesota is a whole other ballgame. It's been through one winter here with no issues.
I have a cockpit heater that I've started using (Hornet 45). It's 120 volts and is designed to keep the cockpit at 55F. I can either leave it on 24/7, or I can turn it on remotely at the same time I turn on my Rieff engine heater, usually about 6-12 hours before a flight.
Question: Would using a cockpit heater put my canopy at risk for cracking in this climate? Should I use it all the time, intermittently, or skip it altogether?
Around here, it gets cold. Today it was 20F (high) but last night it was -30F and this time of year such temp extremes are not rare. My airplane lives in an unheated hangar and its canopy is in great shape, but it was built in Atlanta 11 years ago and lived the major part of its life in St. Louis until I bought it. From a climate standpoint, Minnesota is a whole other ballgame. It's been through one winter here with no issues.
I have a cockpit heater that I've started using (Hornet 45). It's 120 volts and is designed to keep the cockpit at 55F. I can either leave it on 24/7, or I can turn it on remotely at the same time I turn on my Rieff engine heater, usually about 6-12 hours before a flight.
Question: Would using a cockpit heater put my canopy at risk for cracking in this climate? Should I use it all the time, intermittently, or skip it altogether?