12 June 2025

Blog navigation and best posts

My blog has become a very large repository of my experience, thoughts and designs.  This page will help direct folks to its more salient pages rather than always being presented in reverse chronological order.

You can always contact me from this link, or if you're viewing the blog in desktop mode, there is a link on the right side of the page.

Popular Posts

Modifications:  Bigger oil cooler

Modifications:  Aveo ZipTips Premier 2 installed


Modifications:  EXP119 conversion


First Flight Prep:  My POH, W&B, checklist, flight test card and condition inspection checklist

E's Favorites

Avionics:  GRT/Garmin/Dynon/AFS flight data analysis tool - Cloud-free and public domain!


Avionics:  Adding voice alerts to GRT EFISs



Avionics:  Electronic ignition backup battery and controller 

 

Fuselage:  Rudder and Brake Systems.  Longer rudder cable links

Most Recent Posts

6-Jun-25 - Avionics: New indicator lights circuit board

20-May-25 - Avionics: B&C SF601 alternator replaces PlanePower AL12-EI60

13-May-25 - Avionics: Connected right EFIS to backup battery and installed switch

28-Dec-24 - Powerplant:  Switched to automotive plugs and harnesses


27-Oct-24 -  Powerplant:  Switched to dual SureFly electronic ignition



10-Jun-24 -  Modifications:  Added tail cam for EFIS main screen


Pages Showing Modifications

Pages by Plans Sections

Empennage Kit

Other Sections

Pages by Subject

Build Information

Work Graph as of 4-Sep-17

Work Graph as of 4-Sep-17
Cumulative hours on the build vs. time.

 

Build Time as of 4-Sep-17

Subcategory
Total Hours
FTE
Shop Prep
29.25
0m, 3d, 5h
Practice25.33
0m, 3d, 5h
Wings611.18
3m, 16d, 3h
Fuel Tanks Redo110.98
0m, 13d, 7h
Empennage306.64
 1m, 18d, 3h
Horizontal Stab Redo37.19
0m, 4d, 5h
Rudder Redo
25.03
 0m, 3d, 1h
Fuselage440.46
2m, 15d, 0h
Finishing290.20
1m, 16d, 2h
FWF154.20
0m, 19d, 2h
Avionics220.14
1m, 7d, 4h
Total Time
2196.01
13m, 14d, 4h
W/O Major Redos
2047.47
12m, 15d, 7h
Add'l Help from Others
599.69
3m, 14d, 8h
Averages: 495.86 hrs/yr, 41.95 hrs/mo, 1.36 hrs/day (from start). Hours/day worked: 3.51.

 

Cost as of 1-Nov-17

Hover your mouse over most categories for itemization.

Category
 Amount
Avionics and Panel
 $38,805.90
Antennas
 $1,086.33
CPU for Shop
 $531.31
Engine and Prop $42,145.00
Fuel Tanks Redo $1,537.51
Fuselage Bulkheads $1,315.77
Interior$2,477.41
Kits from Van's
 $41,750.13
Lighting
 $3,022.54
Maintenance $775.77
Modifications $2,303.66
Other
 $3,391.36
Paint and Primer
 $1,203.96
Replacement Parts $2,123.02
Rudder Redo
 $493.52
Tools and Shop $12,773.35
Total: $155,737.88

 

Number of Rivets

Direct link to this table.
Section
 Rivets
6. Vertical Stabilizer
 300
7. Rudder 575
8. Horizontal Stabilizer
 944
9. Elevator (Left)
 623
9. Elevator (Right)
 531
10. Aft Fuselage
 1,239
11. Empennage Attach
 0
12. Empennage Fairings
 234
13. Main Spars
 302
14. Main Ribs
 274
15. Rear Spars
 318
16. Top Skins
 1,310
17. Leading Edges
 796
18. Fuel Tanks
 1,580
19. Systems Routing
 0
20. Bottom Skins
 1,812
21. Flaps
 958
22. Ailerons
 662
23. Aileron Actuation
 50
24. Wing Tips
 214
25. Fwd Mid Fuselage Bulkheads
 284
26. Mid Fuselage Lower Structure
 1,308
27. Firewall
 439
28. Fwd Fuselage Lower Structure
 541
29. Fwd-Mid Fuselage Side Structure
 1,396
30. Aft Fuselage Attachment
 465
31. Fuel System
 30
32. Baggage Area
 644
33. Rudder & Brake Systems 108
34. Flap Actuation System
 0
35. Upper Fwd Fuselage
 602
36. Aileron & Elevator Systems
 51
37. Roll Over Structure
 382
38. Canopy and Window
 650
39. Seatbacks 162
40A. Tricycle Landing Gear and Eng Mnt 0
41. Wing Attachment
 88
42. Miscellenea
 60
43. Engine and Installation
 4
44. Spinner and Propeller
 34
45. Cowling
 166
46A. Tricycle Gear Leg and Wheel Fairings
 139
47. Cowl Baffle
 168
48. Exhaust System
 0
49. Fuel and Oil System
 28
50. Control Cables
 0
51. FWF Miscellanea
 0
52. Antenna Installation
53. Ack ELT
 0
54. Flap Position Sensor
 0
55. Common Fuselage Harness
 0
56. Garmin Autopilot Servos
 0
57. Dynon Autopilot Servos
 0
58. Autopilot Yaw Servos
 8
59. Power Module Install
 12
60. Control Stick Harness
OP-38. Electric Aileron Trim
OP-52A. Aero LEDs Sunspot LX
 8
OP-55. Wing Tip Nav/Strobe Lighting
 0
OP-56. Tail Lighting

Empennage
 4,446
Wings
 8,276
Fuselage
 6,250
Finish
 1,265
FWF
 234
Optional
 20

Total: 20,499

As counted from the plans by me. Prone to errors.

at No comments:

06 June 2025

Avionics: New indicator lights circuit board.

I decided to preemptively replace my Plane Power AL12-EI60 alternator at 513 hours.  It whines like a coyote whereas my backup B&C BC410-H is as quiet as a mouse.  Late last year, B&C released the SF601 internally regulated alternator which is what I went with.  

That new B&C alternator doesn't have an indicator output so I redesigned my indicator circuit board to make the ALT indicator a low voltage light and also made each flight flash when they are enabled (other than the pitot heat light, because that would be annoying) to help grab my attention.  The new board also uses quick-connect tabs to make servicing it easier and it has less exposed trace area.  And since the ALT light is now a low voltage light, I won't need that tiny circuit board I made to ensure the ALT light always indicated the status of which of the two alternators was selected.

Here's what the new board looks like in CAD (easier to make out the details with the CAD rendering than with an actual image of the board).  The other side of the board attaches to the LEDs and indicator test push button.  After I soldered it up, I sealed it with lacquer.

The following schematic outlines what I designed.  A 555 timer is used for a TOn of ~0.7 s and a TOff of ~0.3 s.  Since the 555 can't source much current, it controls a high side PFET which connects and disconnects +12 V from the LEDs in concert with the 555's Q output.  The Canopy Open and Oil Pressure LEDs will thus blink when enabled (active low). 



Q2's base is pulled high by the PFET output which normally enables the ALT LED.  But a 13 V Zener diode with a few resistors will break down above about 13.7 V, causing Q1 to turn on which turns off Q2, which shuts off the ALT light.  Thus the ALT light will be off when the main bus voltage is about 13.7 V and higher and blinking when it's lower than 13.7 V, indicating a low voltage situation on the main bus.

A 1 μF bypass cap on the power input was necessary to clean up the 555's output.  And a 3.3 μF cap was necessary across the ALT LED since when the PFET turns off, the LEDs' power line drops below 13.7 V, causing a dim and momentary flash on the ALT LED even when the bus voltage is higher than 13.7 V.  That 3.3 μF cap across the ALT LED holds the voltage high enough for long enough during the TOff phase that the LED won't briefly try to turn on.  Since it's only 3.3 μF, it doesn't cause the ALT LED to fade off when being illuminated.  Capacitors across the Canopy Open and Oil Pressure LEDs aren't necessary since when they are not illuminated, their cathodes are floating so there is no current path available.

As before, an "indicator test" input will momentarily turn on all LEDs to verify they work.  This would cause the Oil Pressure, Canopy Open and ALT LEDs to flash and the Pitot Heat light to turn on solid.

Video showing canopy being locked/unlocked with lights flashing.

Circuit board parts list:

  • 555 timer:  Texas Instruments SE555DR
  • Capacitor 3.3 Î¼F:  Nichicon UVR2A3R3MDD
  • Capacitor 1 Î¼F:  Nichicon UPX1V010MPD
  • Diodes:  Kyocera AVX SD1206S040S2R0 
  • PFET:  Infineon Technologies:  IPP120P04P4L03AKSA2
  • Quick connect tab, 0.25":  Keystone Electronics 4902
  • Resistor 4.7 k:  Panasonic Electronic Components ERJ-8GEYJ472V
  • Resistor 10 k:  Panasonic Electronic Components ERJ-8GEYJ103V
  • Resistor 270:  Panasonic Electronic Components ERJ-8GEYJ271V
  • Transistor:  onsemi MMBT2222ALT1G
  • Zener 13 V:  Vishay General Semiconductor BZX55B13-TAPGICT-ND
at No comments:

20 May 2025

Avionics: B&C SF601 alternator replaces PlanePower AL12-EI60

I decided to preemptively replace my PlanePower AL12-EI60 alternator at 513 hours.  It whines like a coyote despite the alternator filter, whereas my backup B&C BC410-H is as quiet as a mouse.  Late last year, B&C released the SF601 internally regulated alternator which is what I went with.  

Here are the differences I noted between the B&C and PlanePower.  No claims on if any of these are significant in any way.

  • The B&C has no low voltage indicator light output.  So I needed to redesign my panel indicator board.
  • The B&C tension arm bracket is longer, so I had to translate the forward heat muff outboard so its SCAT tube doesn't impinge on the bracket.
  • The B&C brackets are not cadmium plated.
  • B&C alternator is about 2 ounces heavier than the PlanePower.
  • The bolt that holds the B&C alternator to the boss bracket is smaller in diameter.
  • There is no bracket between the starter and B&C alternator like for the PlanePower (part V-1002 on plans page 43-12, shown below in red); Part V-1002 won't fit.  Looking at plans drawing, I'm curious why Van's included that bracket and why B&C didn't.

On the phone, the B&C tech told me that my alternator belt would need to be changed since the stock belt isn't the right length.  Turns out that they sent me the same Dayco 15355 belt that I already was using, so no belt change was necessary. 

My new B&C alternator has no whine.  Pilot happy.

 

at No comments:

13 May 2025

Avionics: Connected right EFIS to backup battery and installed switch

Since I installed dual SureFly ignition in my airplane, having a fully electronic ignition means being thoughtful and deliberate about how those magnetos get their power.  Speficially, one needs a backup battery and a means to control how that battery is connected to the ignition and the main bus.  After designing and installing my backup battery system and realizing it has a lot more capacity than necessary for the SureFly, I connected my AHRS and left EFIS to the backup battery (shown towards the bottom of that post).  I did so through a locking DPDT panel switch that lets me disconnect the left EFIS from the both sources of power (primary and backup) simultaneously.

I decided to do something similar for the right EFIS.  I connected it to the backup battery also but instead, used a DP3T switch so I have the following three switch functions:  1) OFF, 2) primary only and 3) backup and primary.  For that switch, I used a NKK Switches M2044LL1W01-C to match the switch I have for the left EFIS.  Here is that switch newly installed on my panel.

 

Here is the pinout and connection information for the new switch.

Here the switch for the left EFIS, which I added when I swapped over to fully electronic ignition and installed the backup battery.


These switches are really most useful for when I need to update the EFIS databases.  I no longer need to switch on the entire panel.

at No comments:

03 May 2025

Avionics: Replaced GRT HXr EFIS fan

The fan on my right GRT HXr EFIS has been making a racket on startup for years.  GRT says that the fan is a Sunon MC25101V2-000U-A99.  That fan is no longer manufactured, but I found the MF25101V2-1000U-A99 which is.  Turns out it moves a bit more air and uses a bit less current than the one it replaced.  So, win-win!

Removal of the EFIS for surgery. 

The fan is not designed to be field replaced.  You need to take apart the back of the EFIS to access the fan.  

And its wires are soldered on the reverse side of a circuit board.  


Rather than trying to fuss with desoldering those wires, I just cut them and spliced in the new fan with a few layers of heat shrink tubing for additional insulation.


Then the wires are tucked back in and the EFIS is reassembled.


 Success.

at No comments:

26 January 2025

Antennas: Replaced comm antennas

My left comm antenna has seemingly always been weak.  It's connected to the GTR 200, whereas the right comm antenna connected to the GTN 650 has consistently provided better performance.  So I measured the left comm antenna with my cheap vector network analyzer.  The left image shows the SWR (blue line), |S11| (blue) and the complex S11 (green).  The SWR is > 11 and the complex S11 has a rolling phase and high magnitude.  Clearly, the matching network in the antenna is faulty.  

The right image shows the same measurement on a properly functioning comm antenna.  The SWR drops over the airband and S11 is much more stable.

I ordered a new antenna from Delta Pop Aviation.   The new antenna is shorter with a more aggressive bend when compared to their older, as shown below.

My belly looks like the below after replacing the left antenna with that new one.  I wasn't too excited by the asymmetry (I guess I suffer from "airframe vanity").  

Delta Pop kindly sent me a new one for no charge to replace my broken one, even though it was 9 years old already. 


at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)