It's Summer! Need to vent?
Beat the heat this summer!
     Summer is upon us and with the season comes the heat. Hot conditions are downright miserable whether you are in the hangar or in the plane. Not many people enjoy being drenched in sweat or choked out by stuffy cramped spaces. Summer heat can turn your favorite hobby into a sweat-bath of misery. That's why this month we'll cover a few options for ventilation and air-conditioning for you aircraft owners who may not have the luxury of factory A/C as well as some replacement parts for your existing systems.  
     One cool product on the aviation market that has been taking off recently are portable ice chest air conditioners like this one from Arctic Air offered by Sporty's. These systems cool the cabin air by blowing it across ice water and directing the chilled air towards the passengers. They are designed to plug into a cigarette lighter and come in either 12 or 24 volt applications. Arctic Air states their system can lower the cabin temperature up to 35 degrees. The kit costs between $525 and $610 depending on the model.
     This isn't a new idea though, farmers have been cooling the cabs of their old tractors with an Igloo ice chest and a fan for many years!
     Whether you decide to go with the plug in and go version like this one or build your own, this cooling system can effectively solve your air conditioning dilemma on a budget!

     For Cessnas, we offer both STC'd Ventubes and Airflow Enhancement kits. The Ventubes are a lockable and adjustable solution for directing air into the cabin as a direct replacement for the OEM vent system. Simply twist and pull. Ventubes run $88 for the set (2).
     The added airflow needs a way to escape, otherwise it's the same effect as blowing into a bottle. For this problem we have the Airflow Enhancement kit. This kit includes three louvered vents. One installs in the rear baggage panel and the other two install into inspection covers near the rear of the fuselage.  The Airflow Enhancement kit costs $59; used in conjunction with the upgraded Ventubes, this mod creates quite the difference in cabin ventilation for under $150!
    Many aircraft owners have been switching out their traditional plastic vents to the eyeball vents we're familiar to seeing in the airliners. Eyeball vents combine elegance and functionality. These eyeball vents are available in different sizes and come in either plastic or aluminum. For durability's sake the aluminum eyeball vents have been the most popular, though the plastic ones are considerably cheaper. They can be installed in nearly any application; we've even drilled out the ends of the Ventubes shown above and installed eyeball vents in them...just because we could! We offer both the traditional rectangular replacement piper louvers ($17.59 ea.) as well as the new aluminum eyeball vents ($122 ea.). Aircraft Spruce offers a large variety of vents as well as retails some of ours.
     By this point in the game, if you do have OEM air conditioning,, chances are your plastic ducts and vents are cracked and broken. If you have extra "vents" that have sprung up over time, we have what you need there too! Ducts and trim for Piper, Mooney, Beech, and Cessna keep us pretty busy! If your parts are beyond repair, give us a call or look us up online!


10% off


Newsletter special!
Interested in staying cool this summer? Get 10% off your Plane Plastics order when you order in the next two weeks! 

TO ORDER: If online, type "Beat the Heat" into the comments box after checkout. Code will not work in the coupon code box. We do check the comments and we will correct the order. 

OR Call us at 1-866-307-5263 to talk to a sales rep!
Offer Expires Offer expires 7/1/15 and cannot be combined with other discounts or offers.

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