It’s what Sporty’s calls a “$500 solution to a $25,000 problem,” and that gets right to the point. The Arctic Air portable air conditioner, offered by Sporty’s, gives you air conditioned comfort for a small fraction of the cost of an installed system. And forget about the $500; you might win one for free by entering our giveaway on flyingmag.com. No purchase is necessary, and the official rules can be found on the website. The giveaway runs from July 26 through August 23, 2007.
The Arctic Air a/c is portable, so it requires no STC, and because it has no condenser, it draws very little juice. Simply set it on an empty seat (use the seat belt for it!), fill it with ice-most FBOs can help you out here-plug it into the cigarette lighter adapter, and away you go. Does it work? According to Sporty’s, the high setting will lower the temperature by as much as 35 degrees! Units are available in various sizes and for 12- or 24- volt systems. Along with Sporty’s, we’ll be giving away the compact model, which should fit nicely into just about any airplane with an open seat.
