takair

We just did this for a friend on his T182. He was over 500 hours so we were hopeful we could buy him more time via inspection since we could not source the clamp. Unfortunately, his clamp had cracks. Searched high and low and one friend finally found one through Textron, but….apparently they were only going to those with a Textron airplane that was AOG AND had an account. My suggestion, get one on order, but do the inspection and hope it passes. If you are not at 500 hours, there is a good chance it will pass.

KI-214…. I do recall those to be problematic as they aged…. Checking audio is certainly an indicator if the signal is making it through the radio. Someone asked how it behaves on ILS or localizer, that would help narrow things. It might be quickest to have an avionics shop put a nav signal generator on it to quickly narrow things down…

Memory is 20 years since I’ve worked on that CDI style. Remind us the part number of the CDI? As I recall, they are full of old school carbon tuning pots that were hard to get aligned 20 years ago when they were 30 years old. Might consider that part of the problem is in the CdI.

I have found errors almost anytime I check someone’s closely enough. They carry forward and compound. As Sabermech says, you can get it weighed. For my own airplane I compiled all the data for over 50 years into a new spreadsheet to really clean things up. Just yesterday I was updating a weight and balance for a job I did for a customer and broke my spreadsheet when I was trying to make aesthetic improvements…..I didn’t notice until the last minute…..was just close enough to escape immediate attention but would have been a problem down the line….

I can’t help with PIREPS, but do some searches here and on BeachTalk for lessons learned regarding alternator replacement, couplings and alignment.

Simple starting point without rigging tools: aileron counterweights cantered on the wing…in other words, ailerons level….do the flaps match with the ailerons or is one high or low? Also, old Mooneys only had a stop outboard. I believe this causes them to warp (twist) over time. People then adjust the stops to counter for that. Your new flap may have more or less twist. Eyeball them from behind and see if they have different twist. In either case, the stops may need tweaking.

Regarding the topic of airspeed indicating inaccurately with the door open, I would suspect it is the flow disturbance over the static ports that cause it. The static port locations are not only to get accurate altitude, but airspeed as well. Not quite the same, but on some jets, even a ridge in a paint stripe at the wrong location could cause some splits in airspeeds.

http://www.insightavionics.com/strikefinder.htm You will find the original STC here…but it’s for a Baron. Back in the day, most Manufacturers would get a single STC and then that would be the basis for the field approval. I’m not aware of an AML STC for the Strikefinder, but maybe Insight can help, or Lancecasper may be able to zoom us in…

Historically a field approval…

If this diagram is correct, the horizontal master cylinder ports on the R face right. They also look like flex lines. So, in theory, one could loosen the master cylinders and rotate to the right while bleeding to get the inlet higher and get the air out. In my old E, this is not possible, hard lines prevent it. In my previous post I mentioned pumping the brakes while climbing and banking. In this case the bank would be to the left. in my single experience doing the climb and bank, the brakes felt notably better in three pumps. It sounds like skydvrboy also did it while in flight with success….I suspect bank and climb would have helped even more. Your mileage may vary.

I almost hesitate to write this, since it is unconventional and requires some care. At least in the old Mooney, the master cylinder under the floor sits flat and the inlet/outlet also horizontal. As Mark indicated, the air can get stuck there and difficult to purge. I’ve tried bleeding right there, but difficult doing that solo, and still opportunity for air to be at the top of the cylinder. Getting some flow through there may help….but I’ve always ended up with just a little softness. Here is where it gets unconventional, but worked for me. If I recall, the forward fitting faces left. While flying, with plenty of speed and coordinated, perform a relatively steep, climbing, right hand banked turn……..and simultaneously pump the brakes. This allows the final few bubbles to to find their way to the left forward fitting and to the reservoir. This is not a surrogate for a full brake bleed….just those final few bubbles. Results may vary…use care…perform clearing turns and don’t spin…have fun.

It’s been a few years, but I recall having to pull the gear.

Pm sent

Kevin rebuilt my tail mounted Brittain gyro a year or two ago. Should be good for another 50 years.

I don’t fully remember if I have two lines. If I did, the second would go run to a T near the filter. I’ve seen it and done it both ways. More often than not, it is open. From a filtered air perspective, it is not needed, since there is no flow through the gauge. There might be a very slight difference in accuracy between the two….especially if the filter is allowed to get dirty or fail open. That said, I don’t believe it is a practical difference that would be noticed between annual inspections of the filter……only gross negligence of it…and then there are other practical problems….like dirt in gyros. Degradation of the vacuum pump and atmospherics make it too variable to note such a trend to begin with.

Truly old school, but I kind of enjoy it while I contemplate a future upgrade…plane or panel.

PM sent

In the Mooney I’m still flying vacuum gyro with Brittain AFCS, but I have RC Allen digital back up AI and even turn coordinator. I like dissimilar sources of attitude…it is how part 25 aircraft generally achieve their required design assurance levels. My RC Allen is older…but my old gyro is more precise than this one. I’m about to install an RC Allen mini in a friends 182 as an Aspen backup, I am optimistic that it will be quite good…. The Sandia was not behaving. I’ve felt quite comfortable behind Garmin products in friends planes in IFR…but they all had backup systems as well.

We have an AV-30 in a C140 I share. It has occasionally shown some sluggish behaviour, wallowing and precession….not coming level after extended maneuvers. I thin uAvionix would tell us to check the vibration levels….they are high according to the instrument…but we’ve replace engine and instrument shocks…only so much we can do. .It is a nice unit, the company seems solid, generally responsive, and innovative, but not sure I’m ready for it to be my only ADI. (140 was certified IFR with just a TC…so this theoretically replaces that…but no backup….we don’t fly it IFR). I guess I would consider your flying….VFR or IFR and what backups you have.

Mine is a 64.

As I recall…it is a sand which..bolted or riveted…. Don’t recall sealant or glue. Remember, anything you put in there is subject to high temp and thus you will smell it for a while…

I had to replace the seal years ago because it always leaked. I don’t have pictures, pre-digital. Has held up well since then.

I added altitude hold to mine a few years ago and love it. I think I have some parts for a second system available for sale if you are willing to scrounge the remaining oddball parts and do the install. Brittain was still providing STC papers as of a year or so ago.

Kevin is THE man for these things. He worked at Brittain and will get this working for you.