coupl'a questions

[eman1200]

1) The spring latch thingamajiggy on my oil door ('75F) looks like there's a broken piece.  I'm poking around McFarlane but didn't see it initially.  Has anyone repaired or replaced one of these?

 

 

2) I have an Aspen/GTN650 and the rest are steam gauges.  If I add a G5, can I connect the 650 to both the aspen and G5?  I'm wondering if I add the G5 now with the plans to eventually add the GFC500 autopilot down the road.  Also, if I add the G5, can I legally get rid of some of the steam gauges and fly with the Aspen/G5 combo?  I'm not the biggest G5 fan but I know garmin/aspen compatibility is limited at this time.

Thanks!

[47U]

3 minutes ago, eman1200 said:

The spring latch thingamajiggy on my oil door ('75F) looks like there's a broken piece.

There’s a couple different configurations… and might be cheaper via salvage yard.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/wicksflushlatch.php

[Marc_B]

https://lasar.com/doors/latch-h4600-051-115

I have a Hartwell Latch H4600, and was able to find replacement springs for this off eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/264774515036

You'd have to look in your IPC to see what model latch this is.  (for me found in IPC 71-10-02)

@eman1200 Super easy to replace the springs if that's all that's broken.

[eman1200]

https://lasar.com/doors/latch-h4600-051-115
I have a Hartwell Latch H4600, and was able to find replacement springs for this off eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/264774515036
You'd have to look in your IPC to see what model latch this is.  (for me found in IPC 71-10-02)
[mention=12849]eman1200[/mention] Super easy to replace the springs if that's all that's broken.

It’s actually just the metal “rod” that goes thru, not the spring itself. I was gonna try the aviation isle at Lowe’s to replace that.

[Marc_B]

@eman1200 Looks like you have a Hartwell H5000-032-072; here's what the crimped post looks like new...if you've lost the springs you might have to just get a new latch, but it will require riveting in place.

[PT20J]

For your second question, it will be dictated by what the STCs for the Aspen and G5 allow. I don’t know if Aspen will allow a G5 to replace any backup instruments. The G5 STC only allows it to replace an AI, HSI or turn coord. And you’re going to have to ditch the Aspen if you install a GFC 500 because the autopilot needs a Garmin display to drive it and that display must be primary.

[eman1200]

[mention=12849]eman1200[/mention] Looks like you have a Hartwell H5000-032-072; here's what the crimped post looks like new...if you've lost the springs you might have to just get a new latch, but it will require riveting in place.

Thank you!

[Utah20Gflyer]

You might be better off doing a second aspen screen which would likely allow you to remove steam gauges.   Or you could replace the Aspen with 2 G5s, but you’d still have to keep the back up instruments.   You aren’t really going to get any benefit from a single G5 except redundancy in case the Aspen bricked.  
 

I don’t know anything about GFC500 compatibility with Aspens.  The Aerocruz 100 is an alternative and that I’m sure would work.  If it were me I’d do the aerocruz 100 with a second Aspen screen.  It’s by far the most bang for the buck.  
  

[eman1200]

2 minutes ago, Utah20Gflyer said:

You might be better off doing a second aspen screen which would likely allow you to remove steam gauges.   Or you could replace the Aspen with 2 G5s, but you’d still have to keep the back up instruments.   You aren’t really going to get any benefit from a single G5 except redundancy in case the Aspen bricked.  
 

I don’t know anything about GFC500 compatibility with Aspens.  The Aerocruz 100 is an alternative and that I’m sure would work.  If it were me I’d do the aerocruz 100 with a second Aspen screen.  It’s by far the most bang for the buck.  
  

my aspen did brick lol.  I really like the aspen over 2 g5's but as I mentioned the gfc500 and aspen don't play well together....yet.  I'm just trying to map out options where I slowly get everything installed.  I'm not moneybags so I can't just do everything at the same time.  I'm leaning towards just replacing the aspen with a pro max for now.  it's about 1/3 the cost of going g3x/g5 before I even get to the autopilot.

[DXB]

2 hours ago, eman1200 said:

1) The spring latch thingamajiggy on my oil door ('75F) looks like there's a broken piece.  I'm poking around McFarlane but didn't see it initially.  Has anyone repaired or replaced one of these?

2) I have an Aspen/GTN650 and the rest are steam gauges.  If I add a G5, can I connect the 650 to both the aspen and G5?  I'm wondering if I add the G5 now with the plans to eventually add the GFC500 autopilot down the road.  Also, if I add the G5, can I legally get rid of some of the steam gauges and fly with the Aspen/G5 combo?  I'm not the biggest G5 fan but I know garmin/aspen compatibility is limited at this time.

Thanks!

(1) I'm curious as well - I'd like to replace my current fasteners with these latches

(2) The G5 can definitely serve as a legal backup to the AI on the Aspen. You'd have to check the ASPEN STC to see which steam components can be removed based on its backup requirements.    Note the Aspen Pro Max PFD with the newer longer life battery requires no legal backups at all.  Lastly if the Aspen is your PFD, then a G5 or GI 275 can't drive a GFC-500, which must be controlled by your primary flight display (per my avionics guy - I haven't checked the STC personally).

[acekng1]

38 minutes ago, DXB said:

(1) I'm curious as well - I'd like to replace my current fasteners with these latches

(2) The G5 can definitely serve as a legal backup to the AI on the Aspen. You'd have to check the ASPEN STC to see which steam components can be removed based on its backup requirements.    Note the Aspen Pro Max PFD with the newer longer life battery requires no legal backups at all.  Lastly if the Aspen is your PFD, then a G5 or GI 275 can't drive a GFC-500, which must be controlled by your primary flight display (per my avionics guy - I haven't checked the STC personally).

There are some planes out there with an Aspen primary and a G5 or GI 275 to drive a GFC500.  I believe @alextstone has that in his plane per this discussion: 

 

[alextstone]

1 hour ago, acekng1 said:

There are some planes out there with an Aspen primary and a G5 or GI 275 to drive a GFC500.  I believe @alextstone has that in his plane per this discussion: 

 

Actually, I have my panel configured such that the GI275 is primary with another GI275 as backup.  The Aspen is a completely redundant secondary backup on the copilots side.

 

My wife is also a pilot and she's a lot shorter so the rudder pedal extensions are installed on that side.  Interesting fact:  She's never flown the Bravo from the pilots side.  

[eman1200]

Actually, I have my panel configured such that the GI275 is primary with another GI275 as backup.  The Aspen is a completely redundant secondary backup on the copilots side.
 
My wife is also a pilot and she's a lot shorter so the rudder pedal extensions are installed on that side.  Interesting fact:  She's never flown the Bravo from the pilots side.  

What’s feeding the aspen?

[alextstone]

1 hour ago, eman1200 said:

What’s feeding the aspen?

It's connected to both nav sources, so in that sense it is not truly redundant.  I misspoke.  It does however have its own emergency gps, battery and most importantly, magnetometer. 

[eman1200]

It's connected to both nav sources, so in that sense it is not truly redundant.  I misspoke.  It does however have its own emergency gps, battery and most importantly, magnetometer. 

I’m more trying to figure out if you can have one gps nav source feeding multiple devices (ie aspen AND g5).

[alextstone]

9 minutes ago, eman1200 said:

I’m more trying to figure out if you can have one gps nav source feeding multiple devices (ie aspen AND g5).

Yes I do.  The GTN 750 feeds both the GI275's (not G5's) AND the Aspen.  

[PT20J]

It is important to understand that the GFC 500 architecture is different from other autopilots. Most autopilots have a computer that gets inputs from the the attitude gyro and the directional gyro or HSI and compute solutions to drive the servos. The GFC 500 is different. Most of the software is actually in the G3X or G5 or GI275 and some of it is in the "smart" servos. There is no separate computer. That's why the GFC 500 will not work with an Aspen.

[DXB]

11 hours ago, PT20J said:

It is important to understand that the GFC 500 architecture is different from other autopilots. Most autopilots have a computer that gets inputs from the the attitude gyro and the directional gyro or HSI and compute solutions to drive the servos. The GFC 500 is different. Most of the software is actually in the G3X or G5 or GI275 and some of it is in the "smart" servos. There is no separate computer. That's why the GFC 500 will not work with an Aspen.

Huh - interesting - I always thought Garmin not providing an Aspen interface for the GFC500 was just an annoying business decision.   Martin Pauly documented development of an interface in his Bonanza for the Aspen with the  GFC600, which is probably made easier by the GFC600 having its own internal AHRS.  I still imagine an adapter for the Aspen AHRS with the GFC500 wouldn't be too tough if Garmin saw any business upside in making one/

[eman1200]

…. I still imagine an adapter for the Aspen AHRS with the GFC500 wouldn't be too tough if Garmin saw any business upside in making one/

That’s really what I’m hoping for.

[Pinecone]

And just why would Garmin develop a device to use someone else's product with their autopilot?????  And they don't release the info so that Aspen could develop one, so a LOT of cost in reverse engineering.

Garmin wants you to buy all Garmin.  So they make it so that their stuff plays great, and other stuff, so-so.

[PT20J]

Garmin will play with others when there is a market demand. For instance, Garmin made its connext interface available to ForeFlight because a lot of Garmin customers use ForeFlight. But I suspect that more Aspens have been removed than newly installed (not talking about Max upgrades to existing installations) since the G3X became available for certified airplanes. Spending a lot of engineering resources to support a product with declining market share (not to mention the technical difficulty because of the GFC 500 architecture) would not appear to be a profitable venture. Aspens work great with legacy autopilots -- I flew with one for years with my KAP 150. But, if you want a GFC 500 you need a Garmin panel.

[Yetti]

First question.   A cotter pin works.   Put some in your plane tool box while you are at it.

I purchased several latches off ebay Same part number much cheaper price than Spruce.   Like $8 vs $40

[eman1200]

First question.   A cotter pin works.   Put some in your plane tool box while you are at it.
I purchased several latches off ebay Same part number much cheaper price than Spruce.   Like $8 vs $40

I went back to the hangar and it looks like a new pin was installed, I have no idea how that happened! Magic! Works like new now. I just have to crimp the pin to make sure it doesn’t wiggle loose.

[Yetti]

6 minutes ago, eman1200 said:

I went back to the hangar and it looks like a new pin was installed, I have no idea how that happened! Magic! Works like new now. I just have to crimp the pin to make sure it doesn’t wiggle loose.

hangar fairies are known to do good work.    Just leave them a beer every now and then.