Baffle for Fiala FM250 R5 radial

Radial Engine Cooling Baffles

You will be hard-pressed to find a full-scale, cowled radial-engine aircraft without properly designed cooling baffles—and for good reason.

Air follows the path of least resistance. Without effective baffling, much of the incoming cooling air will simply travel around the engine rather than being forced through the cylinder cooling fins where it is actually needed.

Proper cooling also depends on the relationship between the cowl inlet and outlet areas. In many model installations, the large round opening at the front of the cowl provides considerably more inlet area than the available exit area. This imbalance can create a bottleneck, reducing airflow through the cowl and compromising heat management.

Our CAD-designed and CNC-cut cooling baffles address both problems. By reducing the effective inlet area and tightly controlling the path of the incoming air, the baffles create a pressure differential across the engine and force the cooling air through the cylinder fins rather than around them. This increases airflow velocity where it matters and promotes substantially more effective cylinder cooling.

The result is a cooling system that works with the airflow instead of simply relying on a large opening in the front of the cowl.

Installation Note

During installation, carefully check the routing of the Hall sensor cable and the impulse line/tubing, if fitted. Make certain neither is pinched by the baffle or positioned where it can rub against the baffle during operation.