Hello all, I'm a new CFI and had a question about aircraft series. The flight school I work for has a plane that started it's life as a pa-28-140, but the plane now has a 160 engine in it. Would the plane still be considered a pa-28-140? Or would it now be a pa-28-160? I'm going to send a student on a solo in the plane, and I'm not sure what to put in the make/model section of their 90 day endorsement.
Does upgrading the aircraft engine change the aircraft series
- Thread starter danehealf
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Look at the aircraft data plate. If the approved data to install the 160 engine required a variant (model) change it would be marked there. If no change then it is still a 140. Typically when an aircraft is altered with a different engine the model remains the same.
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I have a 182A that was converted to a Taildragger. 182As share a TCDS with 180s, so it could have been done with 180 parts, and had model changed to that. BUT, mine was converted with a STC (and stc approved parts) rather than 180 TCDS parts, so I still have a 182A, with a tailwheel. Same thing, right?
And going one step further, the first option could have been done by a AP, the latter needed a IA, right?
And going one step further, the first option could have been done by a AP, the latter needed a IA, right?
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Mark it as a PA-28-140/160.
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I flew airplanes like that learning to fly and later on as a renter. Very old mod paperwork often looks incomplete by modern standards.
IMO the approved configuration from an airworthiness standpoint (Far 3.5) is the configuration of the airplane as defined by the type certificate data sheet and supplements to the type certification data sheet.
I don't know anything about what a CFI is expected to do or why.
I do think that the most important thing is that you have the supplements to the Pilot operating handbook that are the result of the engine upgrade and any other STC's that would affect aircraft performance in the cockpit because that is the POH for the modified airplane for all practical purposes. That's probably the bottom line for operational safety.
I doubt the Type designation (Far 1) is affected.
IMO the approved configuration from an airworthiness standpoint (Far 3.5) is the configuration of the airplane as defined by the type certificate data sheet and supplements to the type certification data sheet.
I don't know anything about what a CFI is expected to do or why.
I do think that the most important thing is that you have the supplements to the Pilot operating handbook that are the result of the engine upgrade and any other STC's that would affect aircraft performance in the cockpit because that is the POH for the modified airplane for all practical purposes. That's probably the bottom line for operational safety.
I doubt the Type designation (Far 1) is affected.
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While I'm unfamiliar with any 182s sharing a TC with 180s, there was a time under the older guidance where conversions like the 182>180, engine swaps, etc. were all done under field approval 337s or duplicate 337s vs an STC. So, it may have given appearance it was not approved at the same level. Also, one of the popular 182>180 STCs limited the donor airframe to the A,B,C,D variants with the A/B models the preferred as they needed less structural modifications. So as to them being the same, not really on several levels.
Any alteration at that design change level would need a minimum of an IA to complete block 7 on the 337 with the other work being performed by a straight mechanic. Where the big difference happens with major alterations is if the OEM offers a conversion option which is part of the aircraft/engine/prop specifications as noted in the lead-in to the Part 1 definition of major alteration. At one time, prior to the change to the TCDS format, those same documents were titled "Aircraft Specifications" and listed numerous alterations from different engine options to landing gear options, to whatever options, all of which could be installed by a mechanic on a simple logbook entry.
However, once the FAA was formed along with the move to the TCDS format, the "aircraft specifications" were moved under the type design docs which caused the OEMs to offer those same options via SBs, SLs, Installation Instructions, etc. which also only require a logbook entry unless specifically indicated in the data. This was also the reason why some aircraft TC numbers begin with an "A" like the Piper J3C certificate number which is A-691 and the document is still called "Aircraft Specifications" as shown below and still lists those applicable alterations in the Notes.
A-691
