How necessary is a helmet blower? I run in the southeast and it gets hot down here, but I'm wondering if a helmet blower is a must to get air to my helmet over say a simple air tube.
Does anyone run a triangle style air intake and tubing to their helmet? What is the cooling capacity of this set up vs a blower?
I ran without at Lemons on very hot days in South Carolina with no issues - I was sweaty and hot but not dead.
You mean a NACA duct? Should work well if you're driving at speed and not sitting much.
Doesn't work at all when you're sitting in the paddock or grid waiting.
I've had 2 "real" helmet blowers and one home made unit. The home made one was cheaper ( less then 25% of the other two) then the two name brand units and moved more air. Get 3" brake duct blower, One plastic coke...drink coke...cut bottle near middle of the striaght section. stuff the top have with cap end out over the fan and tape to fan body...go to home depot get drain hose for cheap ass dishwasher get the one with rubber on one end and plastic curly (inbeaded plastic rod in hose) hose.... cut hose to lenght....screw hose on to cap end of coke bottle... Used this set up 4 years and sold it with the car its still in use today.
http://www.cmwraceparts.com/proddisp.php?pn=LHC7102
for my last car i decided to just buy one as i had forgotten to build one so i bought the up graded 235 cfm unit. http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IPRS&Product_Code=ABS-C&Category_Code=
It worked well but i was not a cool as the home made unit. I susspect it was do to the lack of a funnel shap on the hose adapter that the coke bottle provided.
44
I've done track days without it, with windows down, HVAC fan on, visor and helmet vents open, in weather comparable to the hotter parts of the US.
Helmet blower? I don't know if you want one of those, they come with baggage and "emotions". Won't do your life any good.
Simple air tube won't likely do much (if anything), especially since the air has to turn to get into most helmets (input tube faces rear of helmet on side or top). Also, a NACA duct is not designed to pull a lot of air, it is designed to change the aerodynamic properties of the panel that it is mounted in as little as possible. To have a chance of pulling air into a helmet without a blower actively moving the air would require an external scoop, IMHO.
We mounted NACA ducts in the vent window positions of the Spec Miata and I quickly learned that to drive it on the street, I had to block off the drivers side duct as it blew so much air at my face and eyes. You didnt notice the air at racing speed with a helmet. YMMV
You'll need to log in to post.
