310 air conditioning

Topper

Topper

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Topper
anyone have experience with adding aftermarket ac to a 310? I am working on a deal for a q model but the lack of ac may be a deal killer for my partners wife.

I can live without it, but it would be nice. I am not concerned with the weight of the system or the fact that I will only get a portion of the investment back when I go to sell. Just wondering about experience and costs from those that have done it. I have only found one option so far, cool air looks like the system is 21k plus installation.

My hope is to buy it and fly it for a year and hopefully she will decide we can live without it. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Jim
 
Topper said:
anyone have experience with adding aftermarket ac to a 310? I am working on a deal for a q model but the lack of ac may be a deal killer for my partners wife.

I can live without it, but it would be nice. I am not concerned with the weight of the system or the fact that I will only get a portion of the investment back when I go to sell. Just wondering about experience and costs from those that have done it. I have only found one option so far, cool air looks like the system is 21k plus installation.

My hope is to buy it and fly it for a year and hopefully she will decide we can live without it. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Jim
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I hate to sound like a broken record but if you join TTCF (maybe you have?), those guys are the key to questions like this. I remember reading several post by people that have after market A/C.

http://www.twincessna.org/

Good luck on your quest. I sought out a Q model after a bunch of research and after a year of owning/upgrades, I love it. If you have any 310 or Q questions other than A/C let me know. Mine is a normally aspirated, stock motor, full de-ice version.

Hey @Twin_Flyer , does your bird have A/C?
 
Thanks, I used to belong when I owned a 310 a few years ago. I am confident I am going to buy again, so I will go ahead and join again.

Jim
 
Sorry, no it does not. Which is surprising seeing it was a FL / TX based. I second @Radar Contact on the Twin Cessna org. I think there are a couple of 310s for sale by members on the site.
 
You might see what the largest Artic air unit with an ice maker installed in your hangar would do.
 
dell30rb said:
You might see what the largest Artic air unit with an ice maker installed in your hangar would do.
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One thing it will do is reduce the seating capacity of the aircraft. Besides, the OP indicated a refrigerant cycle air conditioning system is what he wants, and he's willing to accept the useful load reduction in the aircraft and his bank account.

After flying a Cessna 172 and 182 equipped with A/C during Texas summers, I think that will be one of the A list things I want if I purchase another aircraft.

The ice-in=a=cooler deal isn't effective when it's 100 degrees accompanied by high humidity. The 20 degree temperature drop across an evaporator coil is a wonderful thing.
 
3393RP said:
One thing it will do is reduce the seating capacity of the aircraft. Besides, the OP indicated a refrigerant cycle air conditioning system is what he wants, and he's willing to accept the useful load reduction in the aircraft and his bank account

The ice-in=a=cooler deal isn't effective when it's 100 degrees accompanied by high humidity. The 20 degree temperature drop across an evaporator coil is a wonderful thing.
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The OP did seem reluctant to purchase one of these systems as I believe it is his partner’s wife who requires the system. Also saw a comment about “hopefully we can buy the plane and a year later she’ll forget about it”

You are incorrect about humidity and the ice cooler AC systems. The ice coolers use what amounts to a coil. They circulate ice water through the coil, chilling it to near freezing. It removes moisture from the air in the cabin the same way that a “real” air conditioning unit does. The only limitation is that you can only run the system for about 20mins before the ice melts.

I built one myself that mimics some of the commercial designs. A small bulge pump circulates ice water through an automotive heater core. A fan draws cabin air over the cold heater core and directs it into the cabin. Condensation from the cabin air falls off of the heater core and drains back into the cooler.
 
They circulate ice water through the coil, chilling it to near freezing.
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.

Any information about the system's efficacy in BTUH terms would be appreciated.

I don't want to argue the merits of the respective systems. I suppose the Arctic Air units work well enough in more temperate climates, but since I've never seen any testing data, I'm skeptical of its ability to condense moisture in a meaningful way. Do you know of such information? A graph plotting temperature drop across the coil and condensing ability might be helpful in changing my views.

As I said above, summertime operations in a small GA aircraft can be pretty miserable here in North Texas. A refrigerant cycle A/C system is the gift that keeps on giving. :D

On summer flights with a 97-98 degree ramp temperature and flying at altitudes of 3,500'-4,000', the compressor in the aircraft air conditioning units I mentioned above would operate almost constantly.

The major drawback I see with the Arctic Air unit is the limited operation time and how much inconvenience the melted ice represents.
 
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Topper said:
anyone have experience with adding aftermarket ac to a 310? I am working on a deal for a q model but the lack of ac may be a deal killer for my partners wife. I can live without it, but it would be nice. I am not concerned with the weight of the system or the fact that I will only get a portion of the investment back when I go to sell. Just wondering about experience and costs from those that have done it. I have only found one option so far, cool air looks like the system is 21k plus installation.
Click to expand...

I have the Arctic Air Real Air Conditioning in my Baron (24V, 400CFM unit) and it works very well. I know a guy that also has it in his 310Q. For the money, its is the way to go. Your other options are a $25k+ unit or an ice unit.

http://www.arcticaircooler.com/product-p/rac-400-2-24d.htm
 
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