Cockpit & cabin heating

[Mifletz]

Were the cabins or cockpit of any Axis or Allied warplanes heated in WWII? How was the heating achieved?

[fsbofk]

I believe many, if not most, Allied fighters included cockpit heating. Among this group, the P-38 Lightning's heating was notoriously poor, such that pilots on long escort missions in the ETO suffered from the effects of the cold. Warren Bodie's The Lockheed P-38 Lightning includes a list entitled "15 Bad Points of the Lockheed P-38" - the fourth item "Insufficient cockpit heat" follows three of the P-38's major problems concerning the engines, wing intercooler, and compressibility.

[atckyrre]

Meanwhile I think I've read that the Mustang got really hot, to the point where it would get unpleasant. Don't know which versions though.

K

[Colin Cox]

The Typhoon was also notorious for its heat, I recall reading somewhere that temperatures could reach as high as 100 degrees on a summers day, that coupled with its exhaust problems must have made it very uncomfortable.

[George Hopp]

Remember, for the single-engined fighters, the engine was just ahead of the pilot, so there was never a lack of heat there, and in most cases you will find cooling vents, and not heating vents on those a/c.

But, with the twin-engined a/c, with nothing in the nose but cold air, a special heater had to be installed for the pilot/crew. Usually it consisted of some form of hot air piped in from the exhaust system.

[Don Christensen]

B-17 crews had flight suits that plugged into and were heated by plane's electrical system. Fairly important with temperatures of 40 to 50 below over 25,000'. Don

[Six Nifty .50s]

Originally Posted by fsbofk

I believe many, if not most, Allied fighters included cockpit heating. Among this group, the P-38 Lightning's heating was notoriously poor, such that pilots on long escort missions in the ETO suffered from the effects of the cold. Warren Bodie's The Lockheed P-38 Lightning includes a list entitled "15 Bad Points of the Lockheed P-38" - the fourth item "Insufficient cockpit heat" follows three of the P-38's major problems concerning the engines, wing intercooler, and compressibility.

The cockpit heat and canopy frost in the P-38 wasn't any worse than the Spitfire. Pilots who flew long-range PR XI Spitfires can attest to that.

The majority of single-engine fighters did not carry enough fuel to fly at 30,000 feet for long periods (i.e. 4-7 hours). The lack of heat and frostbite was less a problem in short-range fighters because the pilot was exposed to freezing temperatures for a shorter period.