Latest/Greatest un sound deadening material?

G. Martin Faust

G. Martin Faust

Filing Flight Plan
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scprivatepilot69
Hello,

I will soon be purchasing a "late" model (79'-to-89') model Piper Archer, once the "ideal" one has been discovered.

In an effort to make the cabin environment as comfortable as possible for all on board, I am adamant about adding the best sound deadening insulation possible.
(apologies for typo "un"/"in")

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Happy/Safe Flying,

Martin.
 
Last edited:
For passive sound insulation, you cannot beat mass - it's just the way the laws of physics work. Which means you will sacrfice massive (no pun) amount of useful load trying to reduce cabin noise.

Active noise reduction headsets for you and your passengers would arguably be a more effective approach - from both a cost pov and a db reduction pov.
 
Bob Noel said:
For passive sound insulation, you cannot beat mass - it's just the way the laws of physics work. Which means you will sacrfice massive (no pun) amount of useful load trying to reduce cabin noise.

Active noise reduction headsets for you and your passengers would arguably be a more effective approach - from both a cost pov and a db reduction pov.
Click to expand...

Thank you Bob.
 
G. Martin Faust said:
Hello,

I will soon be purchasing a "late" model (79'-to-89') model Piper Archer, once the "ideal" one has been discovered.

In an effort to make the cabin environment as comfortable as possible for all on board, I am adamant about adding the best sound deadening insulation possible.
(apologies for typo "un"/"in")

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Happy/Safe Flying,

Martin.
Click to expand...
http://www.backtoplastic.com/?page_id=194
It mentions Mass Loaded Vinyl which is the first thing that came to mind with me
 
The best noise reduction I've ever found in my noisy experimental airplane came from a company called Clarity Aloft ...
 
Keep in mind that some of the best sound deadening materials are flammable and emit toxic fumes when they burn. I've seen a lot of stuff put in airplanes that wouldn't pass a minimal safety standard. Out of sight, out of mind. Until...
 
Start with this free download from Aircraft Spruce (scroll down to the PDF):
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/bvpages/soundproofmanual.php?clickkey=7775

Then....

Step 1 - what is the condition of the interior (sidewalls, headliner, carpet, etc) and what's the condition of the material behind the interior?
I had original 1968 vinyl over cardboard interior panels and what looked like fiberglass batten behind it. Very obvious, looking at the cardboard, that at some point, the interior got wet. Soaked. Fortunately, only the interior and there wasn't any corrosion to the aluminum.

Step 2 - is there anything you can remove to reduce weight, such as unused equipment, wiring, etc.

There are any number of sound deadening materials that are FAA approved (fire, combustion, smoke particles and toxic fumes) that you can install yourself behind the wall panels and above the headliner.

DO NOT USE ADHESIVE-BACKED FOAM ON SIDEWALLS!

Don't ask.

It's ok above the headliner but there's too much structural, wiring, cables and hoses on the sidewalls. Once you place the foam with the adhisive, it's not coming off with out destroying the foam. It fits in nicely without adhesive and the sidewalls will hold it in place. But if you insist, get a small can of FAA approved adhesive and use just tiny bit in corners to hold in place. Doesn't hurt to put the material on the back side of the baggage area, either.

I used this - 1/2 in thick. The mistake I made was getting the adhesive version. Dumb.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/soundproofinstall.php?clickkey=7775

Total for the cherokee - everything except the headliner - was about 10 pounds. Worked out to be a wash because I had over 10 pounds of ancient wiring and crap removed. Only did the front half above the headliner because I didn't want to take the whole thing down. Easier to peel back the front couple feet.

Another advantage - temp control. It's a bit warmer in winter and cooler in the summer. But...engine noise comes thru the windshield and firewall. There's not much you can do other than thicker windows. A thicker barrier against the firewall will help some.
 
Bob Noel said:
For passive sound insulation, you cannot beat mass - it's just the way the laws of physics work. Which means you will sacrfice massive (no pun) amount of useful load trying to reduce cabin noise.

Active noise reduction headsets for you and your passengers would arguably be a more effective approach - from both a cost pov and a db reduction pov.
Click to expand...

Exactly correct. Sound deadening material that is effective will add significant mass. Adding mass to an airplane that is not absolutely necessary is a BAD PLAN. Use noise cancelling headsets instead. If you’re too strapped for cash to lay out $4K for four handsets, get the ANC conversion kit for you basic headsets. It will cost around $150 per set. I use one all the time and it seems every bit as effective as my son in laws thousand dollar Bose units.

My $0.02,
 
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