On Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at 11:53:14 AM UTC-5, wrote:


Wil was certainly a pioneer. IIRC, his 301 Libelle captured ventilation air using the leading edges of the gear doors as a scoop (the belly just ahead of the doors was flattened a bit so the doors protruded--probably not the best idea in the event of a gear up landing).

Thus pressurized, the gear box fed ventilation air into the cockpit through two outlets over the shoulders of the pilot. I don't think these could be modulated, at least initially, which was a problem when it got cold.

Chip Bearden

A subsequent owner used Nerf balls to plug the air vents when not needed. A red one on the left, and a green one on the right. Got a heck of a scare one day when on a fast final glide, they both blew out into the cockpit at the same time!

Steve Leonard