Avionics News June 2012 - 69

“You must cut out your imagination and not fly an airplane but regulate a half-dozen instruments. At first, the conflicts between animal sense and engineering brain are irresistibly strong.” ~ Wolfgang Langewiesche

Too true. Owner/pilots have continued to upgrade from analog instruments to glass for their primary instruments, and today, there’s no reason to stop there. “There’s certainly been a lot more interest and demand since people started upgrading to glass panels,” explained Bob Jacobson, owner of Custom Avionics. “The various STCs require you to have the backup instruments as separate systems from the primaries. So, if you have all glass, then you can have vacuum gauges as a backup. “Of course, many pilots want to get rid of the ongoing maintenance required by a standard vacuum system. They (vacuum pumps) are usually good for about 500 hours but are supposed to be changed every 400 hours. If you want to get rid of the vacuum system and use another electric unit as the backup, then you need to have a separate power source installed.” The secondary electrical source can be in the form of a separate battery, or just install a new-generation instrument like a Mid-Continent LifeSaver, which has its own built-in battery.

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL For many owner/operators of older aircraft, it’s not only their vacuum system that’s starting to suck. Legacy mechanical instruments can be very expensive to repair or refurbish. And, like humans, the older they get, the more frequently they need fixed. “If you have an old King KI-256 to run your autopilot, it takes $3,000 every time that thing breaks,” explained Kirk Fryar, vice president and partner for Sarasota Avionics. “If pilots want to put in an Aspen display, for example, they have a separate unit that can provide the attitude reference to the autopilot. You can just buy a stand-alone horizon like the RC Allen unit. Now you have a digital backup horizon for your autopilot that’s more efficient and more reliable.” Fryar said increased reliability and reduced maintenance costs are two great reasons to consider replacing analog standby instruments with digital. “Regular instruments are made the same way now as always,” he said. “They may use newer materials, but they operate the same.

Units like the Mid-Continent have gone solid state, which eliminates problems with mechanically driven instruments.” Of course, like everything, new technology does have its price. “Many pilots come in looking for the least expensive solution,” Jacobson said. “Typically, that’s using the vacuum system they already have. But, I try to turn it away from money and toward safety. How safe do they want to feel? What is the cost of that safety? “Typically, pilots who come in to upgrade their panels are not low-use pilots. They fly a lot and need reliable avionics. If they want the best for themselves and their families, the digital units won’t cost as much as they think.” PANEL SPACE. THE FINAL FRONTIER… While reduced maintenance costs and increased component reliability may be two strong incentives for owner/pilots to upgrade legacy standby instruments, panel space or lack thereof, may indeed be the final motivating factor.
Continued on following page
avionics news

•

june

2012

Avionics News June 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News June 2012