Heated pitot

[Michael Bryant]

Has anyone replaced an unheated pitot with a heated one?

Can yo describe the process and expense?

Thanks,

Michael

[Andrew Foster]

Yes, we did this on our 61 250. We bought the Mast and tube from Webco. Surprisingly thier was a factory wire in the plane which terminated behind the sidewall. The rest was basic. Add a breaker, switch , etc. I also put in a idoit light light so I know it's on. Pretty simple project.

[Pat Elliott]

to resurrect an old thread.. on my newly aquired 180, I've decided to add a heated pitot. Actually I'm in the process of hooking it up. I discovered that the pitot mast is a heated unit, with a connector that's never been used. I found the wire already in the wing for the circuit, label F2C, (figure 9-28 on page 3D13 in the maintenance manual.) for the life of me I can't find wire F25 nor where wire F2C comes out of the wing. I have the pilots side kick panel off and I don't see it there.

Anyone have a suggestion on where it might be? or where the knife connector (according to the drawing) where it changes from F2C to F25 is located?

[Michael Bryant]

Unfortunately, the avionics technician who did the work on our plane is no longer working at the avionics shop or I would ask him exactly where the wire was found.

IIRC though, the wire is in the side panel, not the pilots kick panel. I think if you look a little further aft you will find what you are looking for. You could start where the bundle of wires enter the fuselage from the wing and then trace them forward.

Our pitot was truly unheated, but the aircraft was already wired for the heated pitot. My understanding was they removed the unheated pitot, attached the pre-existing wire to the heated pitot and installed it, installed a breaker style switch, hooked up the the other end of the wire, and then the necessary ground wire. Voila! Heated pitot.

Best of luck!

Michael