DXB Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 Dear FAA, Could you pretty please approve this electronic ignition system for my plane before the end of my current 500 hr mag maintenance interval. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/november/pilot/technology-its-electronic Love, DXB Seriously, magnetos have no place in the modern world. This ignition system has an internal alternator that makes them independent of ship's power. Better spark. No more fixed timing. Much better fuel economy. No more trusting your life to fragile plastic gears. Oh, and could we please get rid of leaded gas too. Together that would bring my flying dinosaur into the late 20th century. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1964-M20E Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 I'll see your dual EI and raise you EFI as well. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/ptefii.php I'd love to go dual EI and EFI on mine if I were in the experimental class it would probably be done by now. Long live the dinosaurs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotarPilot Posted October 20, 2016 Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 16 hours ago, DXB said: Dear FAA, Could you pretty please approve this electronic ignition system for my plane before the end of my current 500 hr mag maintenance interval. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/november/pilot/technology-its-electronic Love, DXB Seriously, magnetos have no place in the modern world. This ignition system has an internal alternator that makes them independent of ship's power. Better spark. No more fixed timing. Much better fuel economy. No more trusting your life to fragile plastic gears. Oh, and could we please get rid of leaded gas too. Together that would bring my flying dinosaur into the late 20th century. FAA: Well, since you said "pretty please." Seriously though, one thing I've learned in aviation is that everything's a compromise and there's never a free lunch. So what are the downsides of electronic ignition? Reliability? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtVandelay Posted October 20, 2016 Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 FAA: Well, since you said "pretty please." Seriously though, one thing I've learned in aviation is that everything's a compromise and there's never a free lunch. So what are the downsides of electronic ignition? Reliability? Cars EI seem pretty reliable, I believe they all come with secondary circuitry to take over in case of failure. NASCAR race cars have a manual switch they can used to switch to a secondary unit. Since we would have 2 systems, each with a backup mode, seems like that would be bulletproof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yetti Posted October 20, 2016 Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 Oh hell no. can you imagine the LOP discussions multiplied by 100 when it comes to changing the map and which map is best. then vendors popping up claiming to have the best ignition map. In other news the sport ATV market has use carbs for years. with electronic ignition. Our recent UTV has fuel injection. Electronic ignition requires a good battery to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotarPilot Posted October 20, 2016 Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 Upon reading that article I'm very excited! If E-mag can live up to its promises of 10-15% improvement in fuel efficiency then I'm sold. Hopefully they can pull off this STC soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orionflt Posted October 20, 2016 Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 I have been watching this for a couple of years, can't wait until we have a usable version for the certified market. My preference would be one that is internally powered and does not require the 2nd mag to be what we currently use Brian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviatoreb Posted October 20, 2016 Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 12 hours ago, NotarPilot said: FAA: Well, since you said "pretty please." Seriously though, one thing I've learned in aviation is that everything's a compromise and there's never a free lunch. So what are the downsides of electronic ignition? Reliability? what's the downside? well you can't have it thank you very much faa - that's the downside. it's perfectly conceived as it is - i want. whats the downside of a john deer turbo charged tractor over a horse and a plow? umm ... the horse is cuter and you look silly if you name your tractor a cute name 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotarPilot Posted October 20, 2016 Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 Well there's gotta be some downside. Maybe it's just the cost. Sounds like they'll eventually get certified under an STC in the future, according to the article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DXB Posted October 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2016 C'mon guys. This is really awesome. Mostly solid state hardware. One moving part. Fewer components- I assume you can throw out that shower of sparks business?. Stronger spark. Better starting. Better fuel efficiency. No scheduled maintenance. Reliability proven in experimental aircraft. $1349 hardware cost for experimental - will be more with the eventual STC of course, but I recently paid >$700 just to IRAN my mags after 500 hrs. It lets you use cheap automotive type spark plugs! Consider that set of massives for my plane costs $200 and fine wires cost $600. 1gph less fuel burn. I'd say there's net cost savings - the break even point comes up pretty fast. Downside? You can't hand prop your plane with a dead battery. OH NO! I'm out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1964-M20E Posted October 21, 2016 Report Share Posted October 21, 2016 6 minutes ago, DXB said: C'mon guys. This is really awesome. Mostly solid state hardware. One moving part. Fewer components- I assume you can throw out that shower of sparks business?. Stronger spark. Better starting. Better fuel efficiency. No scheduled maintenance. Reliability proven in experimental aircraft. $1349 hardware cost for experimental - will be more with the eventual STC of course, but I recently paid >$700 just to IRAN my mags after 500 hrs. It lets you use cheap automotive type spark plugs! Consider that set of massives for my plane costs $200 and fine wires cost $600. 1gph less fuel burn. I'd say there's net cost savings - the break even point comes up pretty fast. Downside? You can't hand prop your plane with a dead battery. OH NO! I'm out! I know you are kidding but I'm not hand propping a 200HP lycoming anyway. Besides don't you need a battery for the shower of sparks as well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DXB Posted October 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2016 24 minutes ago, 1964-M20E said: I know you are kidding but I'm not hand propping a 200HP lycoming anyway. Besides don't you need a battery for the shower of sparks as well. Yeah you're right. My '68C POH does have a section on "hand cranking the plane with a low battery," despite my lack of enthusiasm for this activity. The checklist tells you to turn the ignition to start (send current to shower of sparks) but not push it in (engage the starter). So you do need enough battery for the shower of sparks to send current to the retard points in the left mag. Although the original engineers deserve respect for the design, I have no problem with this system going the way of the dodo bird :). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austintatious Posted July 10, 2020 Report Share Posted July 10, 2020 4 years have passed since that article... are we any closer to being allowed DUEL E mags? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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