Installing an oxygen system into homebuilt aircraft has always been a challenge. Considerations of weight, space, refillability, and cost factor into every installation. In the past, choices were limited—everyone had to use relatively heavy tanks to store oxygen, with some sort of plan for refilling.
In recent years, pilots have looked to the home health industry, which developed portable oxygen concentrators to provide mobility and freedom from tanks. These concentrators electronically strip nitrogen from ambient air to provide high concentrations of oxygen. The first units were relatively heavy, required 24 volts, and were prohibitively expensive.
A leading provider of portable oxygen concentrators, Inogen, is now bringing its newest generation to market—the Inogen Rove 6. The system weighs only 3.7 pounds without a battery and 4.7 pounds with the standard battery. More importantly, the Rove 6 can run without a battery on 12 volts DC at 3 amps, well within the capability of homebuilt electrical systems.
The Rove 6 is capable of supplying oxygen to a pilot and one passenger—sufficient to operate at up to 18,000 feet. The best news? There’s no tank to run dry. The system will provide oxygen as long as it has a 12-volt power supply.
Jon Abbott, who runs Pure Medical out of Landrum, South Carolina (a suburb of Greenville), has packaged the Inogen Rove 6 unit for aviators. He’s offering the complete system, including standard battery backup, for $1,895 at Sun ’n Fun. If you’re not attending SNF, you can still get the special rate—but you’ll need to contact him directly at 828-544-1173. For more information, visit www.puremedco.com.
