Posted for "rtitsworth" <rtitsworth@mindspring.com>:

What about cooling on the ground (long taxi and perhaps waiting for an IFR
release on a hot day)? A typical air cooled aircraft engine is far from
perfectly suited for this, but most cars use fans with the liquid radiators.
I've seen ground fans on many liquid cooled experimentals as well. Looks
like extra weight and another potential failure point (but perhaps not an
in-flight failure mode). Old Av Proverb: trying to cool an aircraft with
liquid is like trying to cool a submarine with air {g}.


[It's a good thing Reginald Mitchell wasn't aware of that "Old Av Proverb" otherwise he might not have designed the Spitfire, arguably one of the finest aircraft built during WWII.  <Marv> ]