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Acceptance Checklist


thomas1142

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Is there a checklist, or something,  to aid in the initial checkout of new avionics after installation?

My new panel is almost complete, I should be getting a call on the next couple of days that it is ready for pickup. The shop is test flying it right now.

The new install includes a 7” and 10” G3X,  G5, GFC 500, JPI 900. All this coupled to a GNS 530W, GTX 345, and a KX 155.

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I wrote my checklist last week on a sheet of paper.  About 30 items, inside airplane items, outside airplane items, paperwork/tech items.  Examples are: missing screws, hangar rash, nose truss, engine cowl properly installed, cotters in seat rails, interior trim screws, seats installed properly, discuss W&B worksheet, log entries.  Talking with the shop owner, I was pretty satisfied everything was going to work (and it has).   Picked up today.  Only thing my checklist picked up was two screws missing from the engine cowl. 

You need to be prepared to adjust or silence annunciator volumes, set the barometric pressure, pull the breaker on a runaway trim or AP.  G3X, lots of new stuff to learn.  You're gonna love it.

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Get a copy of the back pages in the install manuals.   They have the proper checkouts.

Could probably use youtube to create the list of things you need to know in the cockpit.

Things to set before take off.

BARO - lots of them

Charts and maps to update - lots of them

Set Transponder

Direct to

Flt plan

Set up Nav

 

How to set Level in the air.

 

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With technical equipment...

There is a process called qualification...

everything gets checked, one way or another, from power coming in... to every sensor it has... to every display screen... including every page available on the screen.  Wiring diagrams and install manuals are good for supplying the details.... Operators manuals are pretty helpful as well... also check hardware/software versions and databases for updates...

qualification is the steps that say everything is installed correctly, and can be run by a bunch of highly technical people....

 

After qualification is the important steps of validation....

This is where the equipment is run through all of its capabilities, and the operators are getting their training fine tuned...

If testing out a new GPS/VOR/ILS box... fly a bunch of approaches that use all the different features... including Go around buttons and sequencing... and changes to the flight plan...

Put a test procedure together to make sure you have done one of everything...   expect that everything will be working, when you are done... you will know everything is working... expect something to not meet expectation... have a squawk list ready to go...

That is the normal psychology of machinery...   then there is the follow up... testing all the failure modes... and back-up capabilities... turn things off as if they failed... follow the back-up procedure...

It is as much of a test for the equipment... as it is a test for the operator... everything has to be up to speed to be able to rely on it...

Validation is the final test of the system including the ordinary people that need to run it... (if pilots can be considered ordinary people) :)

 

Part of my acceptance criteria when buying the O...  DMax ran a few approaches and nav equipment tests as part of the PPI.  Lots of things can be tested on the ground... plenty can be tested simultaneously... depends on how efficient you can be...

 

With the amount of equipment listed in Angelos’ OP... it would be good to build a checklist for a brief review of every function that gets tested...  put a plan together for each flight with highlights of what to make sure you get done....

The nice thing about an old plane... this is done already...    New planes, with lots of technology... none of it has been completed...

Stuff they don’t teach in flight school 101... don’t be surprised at how much you can get done yourself.... without an electrical engineering degree... it may be really helpful to bring somebody else with you for traffic watch and other things...

Hope it goes well!

 

Best regards,

-a-

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Try to think of every way practical to check every feature you care about in each box.   If a few months pass and you find something doesn't work, it can be annoying.   With configurable equipment many times it's something pretty simple, e.g., they left my speaker enabled from the audio panel and it took me a bit to figure out why I had really annoying feedback.   Little stuff like that matters, and they won't be spending the time to test all of it.    I wound up having to take mine back for "warranty" rework a couple times, and it seems like I still discover new stuff that was done wrong every couple of months.  The more you test now the less likely you are to get an unhappy surprise later.

 

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46 minutes ago, thomas1142 said:

Where can I find the install manual? 

I would get the installer to make a copy of them.   Because I have done computers for so long, if I was an installer I would go over the main things with the buyer and ensure some sort of check out, just to show that things are working.   If you brought it back broke, we would both know why.   Even the subaru sales guy sat with me and did the basic profile set up and check out.

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