"Peter" wrote in message
...
Looking at the various cars I have owned and how the aircon on them
worked (or, more frequently, didn't work) I don't think there is much
chance of aircon on GA being reliable. Most GA stuff is the cheap and
old (1950s) end of the motor vehicle parts market. The only car I have
ever owned with a reliable aircon is a Toyota/Lexus Soarer (US SC300
is the equivalent) on which everything is built like a tank. The
refrigerant tends to leak out within a year, the compressors get
cracks and leak... One car, a Toyota Celica, which I owned for 15
years, had its aircon working for maybe 1 year out of the 15. And
Toyotas are the best of the lot normally. I've never had anything go
wrong on a Toyota, except the aircon.

Here in Florida (where virtually all cars have AC) it is a general rule of
thumb that the AC will cost as much to maintain as the entire rest of the car.
It is well worth it!

The real heat of the summer is not yet here, but I went up yesterday for
some pattern work. I sweated so much that I was still damp an hour later. AC
in a light airplane would be really nice.

Vaughn