Hotfoot.
harrym,
As most of my war service was spent in lands where heat was a dirty word, I've never given much thought to heaters in aircraft. And now I come to think of it, I can't remember one in a Spitfire, or a Hurricane or Master, (certainly not in a Vengeance !), nor in a Meteor 7. Vampire ? (probably, as it was pressurised, and the only source of pressurised air had to be a bleed from the compressor, and that would be pretty hot to start with - but can't rememeber any heater controls, only a cool-air intake). After many lifts cadged in Dakotas, it is news to me that there were heaters in the things, but I suppose the DC-3s had to have them to keep the paying pax from freezing, and it was carried over into the C-47 as being too much trouble to take out. Another case of YLSNED ! (you learn something new every day).
My point about Warmtoast's specimen (his #6015) is that it looks a real lash-up. It seems as if they've ignored the proper hole (on the left). This is the one which I mistakenly guessed to lead to the rear cockpit, but as Warmtoast tells me that both front and back fed off the same supply, you would only need one input. The one in use looks to have been gnawed out by rats, and there is a joint at the input point which looks like a bit of old hosepipe secured by two jubilee clips. I'd hesitate to trust my life to that, but suppose I must have done.
Agreed, harrym, I'd be happier with copper pipe - the metal visible does not look in too good condition, and it makes you wonder what it might be like inside the main pipe. And can anyone explain the weird front end of the exhaust pipe ? (Beats me).
As for heaters from engine exhausts, I think the liquid-cooled engines we had would make it impossible, I can't see it working in the lines of stubs on a Merlin, a Griffon, an Allison or a Kestrel. The only way they could keep us warm would be to tap into the coolant, car-fashion, and as the coolant plumbing was always an Achilles Heel in the first place, you wouldn't want any more of it.
Cheers, Danny.