eaglebkh

Check out my photo gallery for the panel layout. I went from a scattered arrangement to a standard "T" arrangement. The upgrade can be expensive, but you can do it yourself if you have the patience/skills/time. I don't have the PC wing leveler system on my plane, and I'm rather thankful. I don't think I would like having to constantly press a button to manuever the plane, or rig up a device to hold it for me. I went with an S-tec 30. I believe the Brittian A/P is vacuum powered, so if you were in IMC and experienced a vacuum failure the A/P could not help you out. The S-tec is an electric rate-based A/P, so it's not constrained to the vacuum system. However, it would be useless in the event of an electrical failure. Which in that case I could still use the vacuum AI for attitude control. It's a trade-off... I remember you requesting a demo flight at one time, correct? I will be flying down to Gulf Shores June 4-7 if you'd like to tag up.

How does this stuff get dirty? Aren't these things well contained?

Hearing all you 2-bladers comment about 3-bladers is like all the non-Mooney owners talking about the myths of Mooneys - small cockpit, hard to land, etc. Are 2-blade props free from balancing/vibration issues? Of course not - any prop can develop a vibration. But I haven't had any issues with mine. Also, my 3-blade McCaulley only weighs 13 pounds more than the original Hartzell (68 lbs vs. 55 lbs, according to the W&B entry in the logbook). No cg balancing issue there - especially after getting a SkyTec starter. That basically puts the cg back to near the original position and negates the added weight.

I agree, nice-looking bird, but it appears like they have taken the value of the new equipment (530, 340, elec. AI) and added it directly to the value of the plane. In reality, you should add ~1/2 the value of the upgrades to the overall value of the plane. Quote: KSMooniac The 3-blade prop is a detraction on a 4-cylinder Mooney IMO So is orange paint...

Ah, I have the "hook" too. I though you were talking about a separate latch handle for the top, like what Cherokees have.

I only have 1 door latch - didn't know there was an upper latch on some models.

Thankfully, my E was built before the PC days, so I went with an S-tec system. It's an all electric rate-based system, so it will still hold the plane incase of a vacuum failure. Not sure how the the Brittain systems work. Also, if you're going to fork out dough for an A/P, might as well get one with alt hold. It's something you'll get a lot of use out of and will add considerable value to your plane vs. just a single axis.

Flying XC in the summer here in the South is something I typically only do before 1-2pm or after dark because of afternoon T-storms. Being able to see the storms overlayed on the GPS would be very nice. But I just don't see it being worth $30+/mo - especially when the info is free from an FSS in flight (granted, nowhere near the same detail). Of course, you could just pay for the service in the summer months only.

Quote: JimR So it would seem, at least in your case. If you don't want to spend a couple of AMUs to install a full on engine monitor right now, consider the following. I picked one of these up new on eBay a few years ago for a little over $300 including the probes, and am very pleased with it for basic four probe digital EGT monitoring. http://aerospacelogic.com/site/dbload.asp?PageId=PROD&Level=2&Inst=EGT-100

Quote: SagemGuy We are starting to go in circles here! http://www.advancedpilot.com/assist.html -- click on "Target EGT" !

So how do I know the "target" EGT when my EGT gauge only shows divisions, not actual temps. I'm not really interested in getting an engine analyzer yet (already dumped enough into the panel for the next several years).

Aaron, I got one installed about 3 months ago. It is integrated with my S-tec 30 A/P, Garmin 300XL, and KX-155. Unfortunately, I am still working out some issues with my Aspen (e.g. had to replace RSM, display, and now the heading indication is about 40 degrees off). Other than these things, the unit is very nice. The main reasons I chose to get an Aspen was: 1) Needed something to drive A/P (had no heading bug before) 2) Needed a CDI for the GPS (only had 1 for the KX-155 before) 3) Desired to have GPSS 4) Desired to have an electric AI to be redundant with my vacuum AI Bonuses: HSI, ADHRS (TAS, wind speed/direction, "slaved" DG), duplication of round gauges, RMI's, altitude bug and alerter. Mine was installed for MSRP (9.9k) since I was also getting the A/P and Garmin installed simultaneously. The install is pretty intensive and may take a few weeks. The RSM/antenna has to be at least 16" from any other antenna, so I have to relocate a comm antenna. What panel layout do you have? The standard LASAR panel will leave the Aspen display hanging sort of low over the yoke control rod. I opted to have the panel holes cut at a higher location (~0.5" up). You can see my photo gallery for pics.

Just curious - what is reading when the engine and boost pump are off? I had to replace my MP/fuel pressure gauge recently because of a negative reading while off, and a very low reading while in operation. The if the negative value was added to the reading while operating, the resulting value was the normal value (20 psi). A new gauge fixed all that.

Here is a shot of a vintage Mooney with the Aspen and it looks like the instrument holes were not moved up like mine - just the basic LASAR layout. It appears like the bottom part of the Aspen is right over the control rod. I can't find any good shots of my panel opened up (too many wires in the way) so you can see the piece of subpanel that goes right above the control rod. In the installatinon below, I'm pretty sure that some of the subpanel had to be cut out. I'd also be concerned that the yoke would interfer with the buttons on the Aspen. You would have to be careful before take-off when testing the control surfaces not to ram the yoke into the Aspen (yikes!).

Quote: podair Brandon, how easy is the integration between the 155XL or 300XL you have and the Aspen? I am surprised you needed an annunciator too as I would have thought that would be included in the Aspen display or is it to drive another CDI? Congrats on a fantastic panel. What kind of specific allowance you need to make for the Aspen when you reposition the pilot side panel?

Richard, I have the Sky Tech starter and the procedure I use for normal starts in my E is very similar to your procedure for the turbo 6-cyl engine. I guess the starter makes the difference.

I'd offer to fly on down to Mobile during my visit to Selma, but I'll have passengers. Look forward to it...

Welcome aboard! I have an E and live near Huntsville, AL, so I may be able help you out. I will be flying to Selma in the next couple of weeks if you would like to meet me there. I'm not sure on the dates right now, but I'll send you a PM when I know more.

I got a quote from Sarasota as well, and it was $3k higher than the local shop here that I ended up using. From my discussion with my installer, it was much easier for him to install the Aspen than the alternative - vacuum DG with heading bug for A/P. Since I didn't have a heading bug or A/P before, all the wiring would have to be done from scratch. He said with the Aspen, it would eliminate having to run 50+ wires. An Aztec was in the shop at the same time getting a mechanical HSI swapped out for an Aspen. It looked like the Aztec had barfed up a giant hair ball with all the old wiring...

Chris, Here's a basic test plan that I derived from a few that I've seen before. There are some parts that don't pertain to the Aspen because it's an overal test of the A/P, GPS, and Aspen. Enjoy! Acceptance Test Plan 1. Check agreement between the EFIS and the round gauges a. Airspeed b. Altitude c. Vertical Speed d. Turn Coordinator e. Attitude 2. Test the HSI and each of the RMI’s using the GPS and NAV (simultaneously) a. HSI with GPS and RMI with NAV b. HSI with NAV and RMI with GPS 3. Verify the display of the basemap and flight-plan on the EFIS 4. Re-peat steps 1-3 using the back-up battery (reversion mode) 5. Have the autopilot track a GPS flight plan a. Turn anticipation b. Check identification of source and name/freq on the HSI and each RMI c. Left or right offset (0.5nm) d. Test the EFIS GPS by turning off the 300XL before/after IAF and FAF 6. Verify that the GPS is in the “ARM” mode at 30nm from destination and in the “APR” mode within 2nm of FAF. 7. Have the autopilot hold a heading, and alter the heading to ensure smooth turns without excessive banking. 8. Engage the Altitude Hold and test sensitivity to trim 9. Have the autopilot track a VOR radial, both inbound and outbound a. Check identification of source and name/freq on the HSI and each RMI 10. Have the autopilot fly a GPS approach 11. Have the autopilot couple to an ILS; test backcourse ability as well

Seth, Which type of panel layout do you have - modern or vintage? That will have a huge bearing on the Aspen install...

I am still getting the kinks worked out in my Aspen unit (had to replace 2 of the components). Other than that I am very pleased with the system. C-Cubed Avionics in Huntsville, AL, installed my unit for MSRP ($9.9k). But I had several other things done (Garmin 300XL, A/P, new panels), so I may have gotten a reduction on the labor cost. I am still running through an acceptance test plan for my new avionics, and one of the things on the list is to fly some GPS approaches while turning off the GPS at various points. I'll let you know when I'm done how the Aspen GPS performs in the absence of the Garmin input.

Yes, I noticed the 3/5 disc arrangement as well. Umm... The engine mount and lords were replaced at annual last year (cracked engine mount!). It could very well be the nose wheel rigging. A visit to an MSC may be in order in the near future. Any recommendations for the N. Alabama area? I need a general rigging of all controls as well.

What are the signs that new shock discs are needed? Do they compress much over time? My prop clearance is a little low in my opinion (8"), especially for a 3-blade. I can't find any entry logging a replacement, but I wouldn't think they're 45 years old.

Ask the rear pssengers to hold the drivers/woods. The irons should fit in the luggage section.