Bruce's Seneca Century autopilot blues

bbchien

bbchien

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Feb 13, 2005
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Display name:
Bruce C
Sorry I missed you guys. My Bloomington Avionics nightmare isn't over yet....
 
Re: Lunch at Lambert's - KCGI

mikea said:
Did you throw it in the trash and order a new one? :D
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No. But I have already made the decision that if the Century 3 becomes unmaintainble, I will be selling the bird and moving to FIKI of more recent manufacture.

Susan already has given this the nod.

Please note: this is different than a $300 VPN router whose software is not ready for prime time and whose continual downtime would just paralyze the office. Especially knowing that the firmware links are inop. They just don't give a D___. "Now go back home to wherever you came from, US Robotics", whoever you really are....
 
Re: Lunch at Lambert's - KCGI

bbchien said:
Now go back home to wherever you came from, US Robotics", whoever you really are....
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Bruce, as fellow U of C alumni, Leslie and I are shocked!

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2881.html said:
U.S. Robotics Inc. This enterprise was founded in 1976 by Casey Cowell, Stephen Muka, and three other alumni of the University of Chicago.
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LOL
 
Re: Lunch at Lambert's - KCGI

gprellwitz said:
Bruce, as fellow U of C alumni, Leslie and I are shocked!

LOL
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Hey, I worked for USR. Employee #150. Had beers with Casey.

I lost track of who/how got the dregs that are left from 3Com. Being that they have dead links on the support web page...it's sure sign that they don't give a damn about anything.
 
Re: Lunch at Lambert's - KCGI

bbchien said:
No. But I have already made the decision that if the Century 3 becomes unmaintainble, I will be selling the bird and moving to FIKI of more recent manufacture.
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Hmmm... DA42, or something turbine-powered? :dunno:
 
Re: Lunch at Lambert's - KCGI

bbchien said:
No. But I have already made the decision that if the Century 3 becomes unmaintainble, I will be selling the bird and moving to FIKI of more recent manufacture.

Susan already has given this the nod.
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Can't you rip it out and add a STEC autopilot?

With all the work you put into that bird, you oughtta stay with the devil known.
 
Re: Lunch at Lambert's - KCGI

No way. Of the several hundred Senecas manufactured with FIKI gear, STEC did not develop a certification workaround for the Century AP. The pressure controller is mounted in the sparbox EXACTLY where the pitch servo gets mounted.

There are NO FIKI Senecas that are eligible for ANY STEC STC. Gotta make the Century work. Sigh.
 
I'm guessing once you have the SO sold on a new plane...90% of the battle is done.

So what will it be?
 
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Neat, Bruce is getting a new plane!!! I'm actually quite excited to find out what it'll be!
 
Re: Lunch at Lambert's - KCGI

bbchien said:
No way. Of the several hundred Senecas manufactured with FIKI gear, STEC did not develop a certification workaround for the Century AP. The pressure controller is mounted in the sparbox EXACTLY where the pitch servo gets mounted.

There are NO FIKI Senecas that are eligible for ANY STEC STC. Gotta make the Century work. Sigh.
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Bruce, Bruce, Bruce.

That bites. No way to install it differently and secure field approval?

Vey!

Can a C2000 or the new Century digital go in?

What about the Chelton?
 
Funny how one can go from this:

bbchien said:
No. But I have already made the decision that if the Century 3 becomes unmaintainble, I will be selling the bird and moving to FIKI of more recent manufacture.
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to this:

SkyHog said:
Neat, Bruce is getting a new plane!!! I'm actually quite excited to find out what it'll be!
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When did Bruce say he WAS getting a new plane? :rofl: :D :goofy:
 
dude we all know there is no way that old century autopilot will ever be worthy of anything but an INOP sticker :)

i vote DA-42
 
JRitt said:
Bruce is first in line for a Cessna NGP.
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Will not be certified for KI. Will have the equipment, but not the certification. Word on the street is Cessna will not certify a single for KI again until all the lawyers are fighting for our freedom (and Mickey Mouse) in Iraq.
 
lancefisher said:
This will be FIKI and should meet the rest of Bruce's needs with the possible exceptions of twin engines and initial price (<$2M):

http://www.epicaircraft.com/brochures/Epic_Dynasty_brochure.pdf

There's a pilot on my field that has the experimental version. There's some possibility that I might get to go to OSH with him in it.
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There were 2 of these at Sun n Fun that I took a pretty good look at. From a distance they look fabulous, but on close inspection they have a home built (excuse me, experimental) appearance in the fit and finish.

I can't imaging these getting a standard airworthiness certificate in the near future. Bruce, how big is your garage for building one of these monsters :D ?
 
I see him in an Ovation - or is that not a KI system?
 
Lance F said:
There were 2 of these at Sun n Fun that I took a pretty good look at. From a distance they look fabulous, but on close inspection they have a home built (excuse me, experimental) appearance in the fit and finish.

I can't imaging these getting a standard airworthiness certificate in the near future. Bruce, how big is your garage for building one of these monsters :D ?
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They look like homebuilts because they are. But the Dynasty will be certified within the next year or so and will probably be built in Canada. The one wearing the Dynasty badge at SNF was an LT that had been renamed for marketing purposes. Essentially, the two airplanes are the same, except one is a kit and the other will be turnkey. And I expect the fit and finish will improve rather significantly.
 
Maybe a Cheyenne III?

ext-2.jpg


http://tinyurl.com/2fzogh [Links to ASO.com ad]

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Fellas, fellas. I don't want to work forever....

The bird is back in the hangar. Orville (thier test pilot) says everything works. This time they returned the airframe keys, and the five headsets that were on board.

I'm braced for the bill......

sigh.

Seriously, I would be thinking about a Diamond monojet or half of a Mustang. But it would be a whole mess better not to have $7000/month in carrying costs!
 
Re: Lunch at Lambert's - KCGI

bbchien said:
No way. Of the several hundred Senecas manufactured with FIKI gear, STEC did not develop a certification workaround for the Century AP. The pressure controller is mounted in the sparbox EXACTLY where the pitch servo gets mounted.

There are NO FIKI Senecas that are eligible for ANY STEC STC. Gotta make the Century work. Sigh.
Click to expand...

Well that sucks. Citation II SP? Or for a lower maint bill and same buy in you can get a new G-58 Baron....
 
Good luck, Bruce!

FWIW, the Century 2000 in my Twinkie works like a charm.

414?

Jay
 
UGH! I couldn't figure out why tracking the heading bug is crappy, it's because the gyro is OTS. I did some standard rate turns and it hung, then spun to catch up, etc.

This is the ONLY component that was not sent out for O/H and it needs be GONE. It NEVER misbehaved until after it went into this shop.

BACK to BMI.
 
Just think, it's almost perfect, now.

Is it working OK in Nav tracking mode? GPSS?
 
You know, since he's been doing it to me for two years....

"Mooney, Mooney, Mooney, Mooney..."
 
bbchien said:
UGH! I couldn't figure out why tracking the heading bug is crappy, it's because the gyro is OTS. I did some standard rate turns and it hung, then spun to catch up, etc.

This is the ONLY component that was not sent out for O/H and it needs be GONE. It NEVER misbehaved until after it went into this shop.

BACK to BMI.
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Bruce, just curious, did the new gyro fix your ills on the autopilot?
 
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