OK, I'm having trouble following this thread. If your going to have two gyros
one electric and one vacuum, the cost of the vacuum pump + gyro is the close
to the price of a second electric. (Our your first)
If your going to be flying in glider mode you need electric gyros. Having
instrument that you inop during flight and tell yourself "well I'm not going
to use that in this mode" is not a good idea. In a moment of disorientation
you will glance at it because that is what you're trained to do.
######### The cost of vacuum gyros were $400 and $650 for attitude and DG. The
cost for the vacuum pump kit was $650 for a total of about $1,700. The price for
a new electric gyro is about $1700. If you install 2 (ADI and DG) that is $3400.
A huge amount of money for what you get. Ideally, I wanted to get the EFIS
system in there, but they really arent ready. I plan to purchase the electronic
attitude indicator that is displayed on an iPAQ computer as a backup. This
would be available when in the powered down glider mode. As a glider with engine
shut down, the airplane would be a VFR airplane. The electronic attitude
system (control vision, I think it is) would run off its own battery. That
provides
a back up attitude for the price of the 2 electric gyros (an additional
$1500 or so, plus iPAQ.
If you look at this document: Page 69 (doc is 7.9 mb)
http://www.rotax-aircraft-engines.com/pdf/dokus/d01632.pdf
If Airmaster modifies Item 1, V-belt pulley, They could have their drum slip
rings and alt. drive belt pulley in one package.
######## I agree. I would have to extend the prop for the cowling mod I
describe.
I need to get the hardware here to see exactly what I am facing with this.
Airmaster is being very supportive of this and is even buying an alternator kit
to see if they can engineer an option for this with their prop. It would seem
to be to their advantage, since they want to sell to more than just Europas.
>>I am considering adding to the back of the cowling to extend it forward for
the alternator.
The problem here is you run into the back of the prop before you clear the
Alt. pulleys. The installation I saw on tweety bird, alt pulleys were very
very close to the cowl. So you also need a prop extension.
####### If I go that way, I will need a prop extension.....
>>so with vacuum gyros, the belt drive alternator is mandatory.
Why?
####There was the option to run a second alternator off the vacuum pump drive.
This is what I was considering first, but the output is too small because the
turn rate is too slow to get the full 20 amps out of that second alternator. If
I use that drive for a vacuum pump, then I need another source of electrical
energy, therefore the belt drive or equivalent.
Dave Anderson
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