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#1
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Can vacuum AI be removed if a certified electric one is installed??
I had an interesting discussion with other pilots about converting my
Piper Cherokee 6 to all electric. This would basically require replacing the AI and DG with electric AI and elec. HSI. So, then, there would be no use for vacuum pump. But, one pilot said that the certified elec. AI only allows for installation of the unit, and that the FAA would *NOT* approve full removal of the vacuum instrument if it was delivered and certified with the aircraft. Any experiences on this? My goal would be to put an elec. AI and HSI in the panel, dump the two vacuum guages and also dump the vacuum pump (some weight savings!). Has anyone done this successfully? |
#2
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Dave wrote: I had an interesting discussion with other pilots about converting my Piper Cherokee 6 to all electric. This would basically require replacing the AI and DG with electric AI and elec. HSI. So, then, there would be no use for vacuum pump. But, one pilot said that the certified elec. AI only allows for installation of the unit, and that the FAA would *NOT* approve full removal of the vacuum instrument if it was delivered and certified with the aircraft. Any experiences on this? My goal would be to put an elec. AI and HSI in the panel, dump the two vacuum guages and also dump the vacuum pump (some weight savings!). Has anyone done this successfully? Talked to my avionics shop about an electric AI, the ones you see for $1800 from RC Allen. They have to send about 90% of them back because they fail in less than 100 hours. He says if you want one you can depend on you're looking at $4K. |
#3
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Dave wrote:
I had an interesting discussion with other pilots about converting my Piper Cherokee 6 to all electric. This would basically require replacing the AI and DG with electric AI and elec. HSI. So, then, there would be no use for vacuum pump. But, one pilot said that the certified elec. AI only allows for installation of the unit, and that the FAA would *NOT* approve full removal of the vacuum instrument if it was delivered and certified with the aircraft. Any experiences on this? My goal would be to put an elec. AI and HSI in the panel, dump the two vacuum guages and also dump the vacuum pump (some weight savings!). Has anyone done this successfully? Talked to my avionics shop about an electric AI, the ones you see for $1800 from RC Allen. They have to send about 90% of them back because they fail in less than 100 hours. He says if you want one you can depend on you're looking at $4K. That is total BS. Find another avionics shop. |
#4
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I had an interesting discussion with other pilots about converting my
Piper Cherokee 6 to all electric. This would basically require replacing the AI and DG with electric AI and elec. HSI. So, then, there would be no use for vacuum pump. But, one pilot said that the certified elec. AI only allows for installation of the unit, and that the FAA would *NOT* approve full removal of the vacuum instrument if it was delivered and certified with the aircraft. Any experiences on this? My goal would be to put an elec. AI and HSI in the panel, dump the two vacuum guages and also dump the vacuum pump (some weight savings!). Has anyone done this successfully? Aircraft manufacturers are doing it, but only with some redundancy in the electrical system. Call your FSDO and ask them if they would approve it on a 337 as a matter of equivalent level of safety or better. Make sure that after the modification you can fly for min 30 minutes on the battery using essential equipment. The new electric AI and HSI will be part of that essential equipment. You'll need to find out from your battery manufacturer what the Amp-Hour rating is at 30 minute and 60 minute discharge rates. Add up all your essential loads for night IFR and see if it fits. Consider putting a larger capacity battery and in general sprucing up your electrical system cables, terminals, etc where anything is wearing out. Take a look at what Diamond Aircraft does with their DA-40. It's got a emergency battery pack full of a bunch of alkaline C cells hidden under the panel. If you lose your alternator, you get power to everything from the main battery. If the main battery dies, you flip the emergency battery switch and the attitude indicator and some panel lights are run off this emergency battery pack for another hour or more. Relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of a new electric AI and HSI and would help you get it approved. Batteries in the pack are automatically replaced at annual. |
#5
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I would recommend the Dynon Development EFIS instead. Not certified, FAA
has 50 reasons why you can't use it in a certificated A/C but it replaces all 5 primary instruments and adds 5 additional functions. BTW. It works perfectly! Dave wrote: I had an interesting discussion with other pilots about converting my Piper Cherokee 6 to all electric. This would basically require replacing the AI and DG with electric AI and elec. HSI. So, then, there would be no use for vacuum pump. But, one pilot said that the certified elec. AI only allows for installation of the unit, and that the FAA would *NOT* approve full removal of the vacuum instrument if it was delivered and certified with the aircraft. Any experiences on this? My goal would be to put an elec. AI and HSI in the panel, dump the two vacuum guages and also dump the vacuum pump (some weight savings!). Has anyone done this successfully? |
#6
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On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 19:17:43 GMT, "Bill" wrote:
Dave wrote: I had an interesting discussion with other pilots about converting my Piper Cherokee 6 to all electric. This would basically require replacing the AI and DG with electric AI and elec. HSI. So, then, there would be no use for vacuum pump. But, one pilot said that the certified elec. AI only allows for installation of the unit, and that the FAA would *NOT* approve full removal of the vacuum instrument if it was delivered and certified with the aircraft. Any experiences on this? My goal would be to put an elec. AI and HSI in the panel, dump the two vacuum guages and also dump the vacuum pump (some weight savings!). Has anyone done this successfully? Talked to my avionics shop about an electric AI, the ones you see for $1800 from RC Allen. They have to send about 90% of them back because they fail in less than 100 hours. He says if you want one you can depend on you're looking at $4K. That is total BS. Find another avionics shop. Shouldn't say that unless you know which part of the country he's in. Here in the southwest, the new instruments will last about 2 years on the average, before the cheap **** plastics they use inside them start to fail. If you want a good instrument, try getting an older one that's been serviced by a good o/h shop. |
#8
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#9
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Dave wrote: I had an interesting discussion with other pilots about converting my Piper Cherokee 6 to all electric. This would basically require replacing the AI and DG with electric AI and elec. HSI. So, then, there would be no use for vacuum pump. But, one pilot said that the certified elec. AI only allows for installation of the unit, and that the FAA would *NOT* approve full removal of the vacuum instrument if it was delivered and certified with the aircraft. The key word in that last sentence is *if*. My Maule, for example, is certified with no vacuum instruments at all. The vacuum system is listed as optional in the owner's manual; in fact, I originally bought the plane with no system or instruments installed. I have not checked to see if electrical instruments are also listed as optional equipment for the plane. If they are, I could replace my vacuum system with electrical alternatives under the aircraft certificate. If not, I could still replace the system, but there would be a significant amount of paperwork. So, check the owner's manual for the Cherokee. If the plane was certified with a vacuum system being optional, then it can be removed. George Patterson Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is "Hummmmm... That's interesting...." |
#10
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