GrummanDude
Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 926
Location: Auburn, CA
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 Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 10:07 am Post subject: Finally flying again. Cowling update |
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I started my annual March 10th because I business was so slow. I just
finished it.
It wasn't a simple annual. I replaced my Apollo SL-60 GPS-Com with a
second Garmin 430. Normally, that would be a pretty simple moving
around of the avionics trays and wire changes. But, when I did the
installation initially in 2004, I started with a clean sheet
installation. That's right, in 2004, I removed ALL of the original
wiring (my plane was a virgin, it still had the original installation)
and installed a complete avionics package assembled by Jeff Landon at
High Desert Avionics in Lancaster.
During that installation, I installed a cooling fan under the SL60 and
above the bottom of the rails used by the avionics stack. In that
install, I also added a set of 7 circuit breakers mounted to the same
rails, underneath. Let's face it, when was the last time you needed to
pull a breaker or reset one? That worked fine until added the second
430. Now, the fan wouldn't fit. Moving the fan to the rear of the
avionics rails required moving the additional circuit breaker (cooling
fan, digital tach, JPI, Map/Cabin lights, Aux power, etc) to under the
Transponder. In hindsight, that is where they should have been in
2004. So, after about 40 hours of moving things around and putting all
of the pins for the SL-60 into one 15 pin connector and having an
adaptor "Y" harness to connect the single 15 pin connector to the 430's
2 connectors, I had the avionics back together.
Then, I replaced the plastic wheel pants with fiberglass pants.
painted in white Imron.
Installing an S-Tec 30 with factory harnesses custom fitted to my Tiger
was a major challenge. Did you know the harnesses supplied by S-Tec
are 12 feet too long? (one is 4 feet too long, the other is 8 feet too
long) I appreciate having Jeff as an Avionics mentor.
I also installed a new baffle in front of the #1 cylinder. My #1 was
always 20 degrees hotter in climb than the rest of the cylinders. In
cruise, it was always about the same as the rest. Plus or minus 5
degrees. With the new baffle, it's in line with the rest of the
cylinders. Now . . . for the STC, I need to issue a change. Damn.
As for the STC, here's the latest.
Remember the requirement for a Safety Assessment? Careful reading of
the Advisory Circular says, "This applies primarily to aircraft over
6000 Gross weight." Now, we need to argue that with the ACO. What a
crock of shit.
Plus, after following their requirements to do a side by side
climb-cooling test comparison of a Tiger before and after installing
the cowling to prove there wasn't a major change in temperatures, now,
they are saying those tests aren't adequate. Now, they are saying they
want design data from the manufactures of the magnetos and alternators
regarding the design temperature limits and they want me to instrument
the mags (both mags) and the alternator with imbedded thermocouples to
measure their temps directly. Apparently, determining the ambient
temperatures with a new cowling to be within 10 degrees (alternator is
better by 5 degrees, mags are worse by 5 degrees) is not good enough
now. If I'd only known.
Without a doubt, it's not as easy to do STCs as it was 30 years ago.
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Gary
AuCountry Aviation
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