Piper Turbo Arrow III air conditioning

[mrcshbs]

I am potentially purchasing a Piper Turbo Arrow III (1977). It’s a nice airplane and it will fit my mission very well as far as useful load for now (Wife, kid and I).

My question is: I’ve seen Piper Arrows with air conditioning, which I am assuming is factory installed. So I emailed a couple of salvage yards in hopes on getting more information and possible pricing , but no answer.


Questions:

Is it possible to install a “factory” air conditioning system into a Piper Arrow Turbo?
Where do I find these Piper air conditioning units?
What would the price (ballpark) be on an installation like that?


On my research, I’ve found the “ice boxes” with fan, but I want something permanently installed on the airplane like the factory “Piper Air” or at least something like this:

http://www.arcticaircooler.com/product-p/rac-200-1-12d.htm

Anyone has tried one of these?

 

[murphey]

Downside of factory AC - You can have it on up to the time you hit the "line up & wait" mark, then you need to turn it off so you have full power for takeoff.
Next downside - an additional 30-50 pounds of load.

By the time you get to 2000 AGL, you really don't need it.

 

[PaulMillner]

Is it possible to install a “factory” air conditioning system into a Piper Arrow Turbo?
Where do I find these Piper air conditioning units?
What would the price (ballpark) be on an installation like that?
On my research, I’ve found the “ice boxes” with fan, but I want something permanently installed on the airplane like the factory “Piper Air” or at least something like this:

http://www.arcticaircooler.com/product-p/rac-200-1-12d.htm

Anyone has tried one of these?

I'd vote for the latter, Freon cooled Arctic unit... they can be quite effective. As you know, unlike the gentleman from Colorado perhaps, flying in Missouri and the Southeast in the summertime can involve temperatures and humidities that are uncomfortable all the way to 10,000' at time.

The nice thing about the Arctic Air unit is that you can remove that 40 pounds in the winter time, or anytime you value payload over cooling... you may have to augment your electrical system for the ampacity... National Airparts had some nice 100 amp alternators, but they're gone now... however PlanePower offered bigger alternators as well, and if you're doing away with your vacuum system, maybe an auxiliary alternator there would do the trick... B&C Specialties' latest offering will generate about 40 amps there. Of course, you could install a 28 volt auxiliary if you want the biggest Arctic Air unit.

To your original question, any A&P could install the Piper system, once you procure the bits and pieces via salvage. One who has familiarity with the system would be least learning-curve cost for you, of course. But... I wouldn't go that way.

Paul

 

[mrcshbs]

That's very interesting. Thank you for the insights. I am having a hard time finding a Piper factory AC System and I think the Arctic Freon system maybe the way to go.

 

[AggieMike88]

@SCCutler ... what did you wind up adding to your Bonanza?

 

[mondtster]

That's very interesting. Thank you for the insights. I am having a hard time finding a Piper factory AC System and I think the Arctic Freon system maybe the way to go.

I'm guessing you're having a hard time finding one because it doesn't seem like many systems exist and of the ones that were installed, many seem to have been at least partially removed or disabled. I've flown three PA28s that had A/C, and only one of them still worked. That one was still installed and working because the airplane was almost brand new. Even though it was new it was annoying to maintain and needed work on several occasions.

I don't think the systems work well enough to make it worth the hassle of installing. There is no circulation fan on the condenser so there is little heat transfer while sitting on the ground where you'd want it most. Once off the ground A/C is mostly unnecessary.