Broken in Mississippi

[Badger]

I had an HSI failure here in Meridian on my way to Sun n Fun on Monday.   As you see in the photos, I'm still in the maintenance hangar as they try to track to broken wire to its failure point.  1964 Commanders have LOTS of wires going everywhere and nowhere...a mechanic' nightmare.   We are hoping to get to the source of the failure by EOB today and begin putting the panels back together. (We means the avionics specialist...with me watching at times).

I did run into a friend of Adam's today (an English gentleman, named Mark) at the FBO.  He's on his way back to California from SnF in his beautiful RV-4.   Very enjoyable conversation!

I'm hoping to get back to Texas one of these days...

Ed

[ghancock]

Did you get it fixed and make it down?

Glenn

[Badger]

Glenn,

I got it fixed just in time to fly home.  I am just happy it was fixed.  It was a broken wire behind the instrument panel.  Cost was a lot...troubleshooting and buying HSIs and a new DG (returned that puppy for a $300 restock fee).  Overall, it could have been worse:  for 4 days the avionics specialist could not locate the problem.  It was only when he found that the DG was not getting 28V that he traced the wire to the instrument panel and found the break (after having to pull the instruments and drop the panel).  That was Friday afternoon... LOTS of spaghetti wiring in this 1964 aircraft. 

However, that said, she flew flawlessly on the test flight on Saturday and on the flight home Monday morning, so I am happy.  I'll try Sun n Fun again next year.  Just was not meant to be this year.

I got some nice IFR time on the trip back...  ;-)

[ghancock]

I wonder how many times you're wife is going to understand you leaving and hanging around shops before she starts to wonder :-)

Ah honey, you leave, you stay in a town you didn't tell me about and spend a ton of money and fly back with the plane looking exactly as it did when you left. ...

:-)

Glenn

[Badger]

Exactly!  I suspect we ALL experience that...   I learned long ago that it is difficult for a wife to compete with the airplane you love... 

ed