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Author Topic: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...  (Read 179577 times)

donv

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #435 on: February 09, 2022, 12:04:46 pm »
That's interesting. I recall hearing it was 1 cycle for every hour unless you could show otherwise, but maybe your -1s are different.

I'm glad to hear that you have some cycles left!

Adam Frisch

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #436 on: February 22, 2022, 08:18:48 pm »
Nothing is easy or quick in aviation...

Valves stuck in snowstorm on a truck.

Then Aspen need to know the interface to the old H-14 A/P. I, in my infinite ignorance thought it was just simply an analog ARINC-style converter that gives the A/P the heading and alt info, but apparently it's not that simple. They had to contact Eagle Creek that have done a lot of conversions, now that schematic has been sent off to Aspen and they're waiting on their response to figure out what converter to use. Sigh. Another month at least, most likely.

But at least I got the glare shield re-covered with black on top, and the tan underneath. Looks real snazzy!

Slumming it in the turboprop world - so you don't have to.

donv

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #437 on: February 22, 2022, 10:51:42 pm »
Pictures?

JimC

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #438 on: April 17, 2022, 07:15:11 pm »
Normal Earle is parting out a 680V. I think it was the one for sale recently, but now you can get the parts you need without buying the whole plane.
500B, B200

Adam Frisch

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #439 on: April 19, 2022, 07:57:49 am »
How do I get in contact with Norman Earle?

Slumming it in the turboprop world - so you don't have to.

JimC

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #440 on: April 19, 2022, 10:19:13 am »
He's on BeechTalk frequently. Here's his ad on Barnstormers.

TURBO/TWIN COMMANDER 680V • PARTS FOR SALE • Parting complete undamaged aircraft. Miller nose, gear, controls, air cycle etc. • Contact Norman Earle , - located Hendersonville, NC 28792 United States • Telephone: 386-689-0244 • Posted April 16, 2022
500B, B200

Adam Frisch

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #441 on: April 21, 2022, 06:18:11 am »
He's on BeechTalk frequently. Here's his ad on Barnstormers.

TURBO/TWIN COMMANDER 680V • PARTS FOR SALE • Parting complete undamaged aircraft. Miller nose, gear, controls, air cycle etc. • Contact Norman Earle , - located Hendersonville, NC 28792 United States • Telephone: 386-689-0244 • Posted April 16, 2022

Thanks! Did contact him.
Slumming it in the turboprop world - so you don't have to.

Adam Frisch

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #442 on: May 12, 2022, 06:41:43 pm »
Latest updates:

Well, after 4 months and lots of back and forth between Aspen, Eagle Creek, Collins etc, they've come to the conclusion they cannot drive the A/P from the new Aspen, even though they initially said they could. In my world it seems like the easiest thing in the world - just convert digital heading and alt info into analog and have that drive the H-14. But apparently Eagle Creek had tried that with a previous install and it didn't go well. So the cheerily offered me to install a new A/P for about $100K... No thanks. So, the old Collins/Sperry goes back in and that's the end of that. Sorry to say, but I'm OK with it now, just sad that it took 4 months to get to this conclusion. I also understand the avionics shop's frustration, they've spent close to 100hrs troubleshooting and calling various engineering teams and they won't really get paid for that. All around just a bum deal for all.

Anyway, not all of that time was wasted. We overhauled a lot of the hydraulic actuators and did a mini-phase inspection, so that was good. Waiting on last actuators end of May, and then gear swings etc and the she should be out of there. I can't wait to go flying again.
« Last Edit: May 12, 2022, 06:45:01 pm by Adam Frisch »
Slumming it in the turboprop world - so you don't have to.

Steve binnette

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #443 on: May 15, 2022, 10:35:25 am »
That’s not all bad news.  Getting it back in the air is big.

I flew the first couple of years of my career without an AP.  Sure they are nice but you get comfortable quick without one.

Adam Frisch

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #444 on: May 15, 2022, 01:22:37 pm »
Steve - after the major panel upgrade about 3 years ago, the A/P never worked. Flew her to Tulsa that way and got it fixed at Autopilot Central. No real problem, except LA Center got mad at me for not being precise in my altitude enough.  ;)

And I did 350hrs in the old piston Commander without, as well. Like you said, you get used to it. For me, the most important thing is to have alt hold, everything else I can actually do without.
Slumming it in the turboprop world - so you don't have to.

donv

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #445 on: May 15, 2022, 02:39:53 pm »
Whoever sold you the Aspen and told you it would work is the issue here. I'm not at all surprised, because this issue is why Eagle Creek wanted the S-Tec 3100 certified-- to solve it. So this is a long known issue.

Bruce Byerly

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #446 on: May 16, 2022, 07:20:02 pm »
Adam - seems like you spent more than 1/2 the time it would have taken to install something simple like an S-TEC.  Eagle Creek would have no more knowledge of an H14 than anyone born after 1980 and even I can tell you that no one is interfacing that old autopilot to anything modern.  I was told 30 years ago not to bother touching anything with an H14 or M4 for that matter. Same with the FCS810. Good advice I didn’t take.  Tried to couple an FCS810 with a G600 - waste of time!   I even regret leaving the Century III in the Shrike. It’s old junk that no one knows how to fix. Sorry, but a lot of this old stuff has lived past its expiration date so don’t waste anymore time on it. Just my .02.

Adam Frisch

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #447 on: May 16, 2022, 11:54:44 pm »
It's $100K when all is said and done. Don't need to be able to do a coupled approach that bad.
Slumming it in the turboprop world - so you don't have to.

donv

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #448 on: May 17, 2022, 12:12:06 am »
So, I'm confused. Are you keeping the Aspen and won't have an autopilot, or are you keeping the old autopilot and getting rid of the Aspen? Or something else entirely?

It's $100K when all is said and done. Don't need to be able to do a coupled approach that bad.

Adam Frisch

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Re: Stepping up to old 680V turbine...
« Reply #449 on: May 17, 2022, 12:10:48 pm »
Getting rid of Aspen and going back to how it was.
Slumming it in the turboprop world - so you don't have to.