---------------------------------------------------------- TeamGrumman-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Fri 05/29/09: 1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 11:07 AM - Finally flying again. Cowling update (teamgrumman@aol.com) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 11:07:20 AM PST US Subject: TeamGrumman-List: Finally flying again. Cowling update From: teamgrumman@aol.com 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message teamgrumman-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/TeamGrumman-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/teamgrumman-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/teamgrumman-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.