An apparatus and method according to one or more embodiments are provided to transfer heat away from various types of thermal sources in flight and/or non-flight systems. Heat transfer may be implemented as a heat exchanger plate that effectively transports heat from a physically secured thermal source to a thermal sink and further to a radiator. In one example, a heat exchanger plate includes a channel extending longitudinally along a surface of the heat exchanger plate and a heat pipe coupled substantially within the channel. A bottom surface and a lateral surface of the heat pipe are thermally bonded to a bottom surface and a lateral surface of the channel, respectively. Additional apparatus and methods are provided.