New Trasponder & W&B

Conveniently, the FAA signed off on my transponder STC the day I was flying home after a two-week stretch of work trips, which also meant that my airplane got to hang out in the avionics shop's hangar that entire time instead of getting snowed and iced on.  Got up this morning, took the kids to school, did a few work things, and then headed out to the Airport.  The temps weren't going to get up over 40 until closer to lunch time, so I brought my laptop to ride it out until they did, but much to my delight, the plane was still in the hangar when I got there.

4TV got to ride out the recent snowstorms in the comfort of a hangar

All told, it was about $1,400 to have the GTX-327 installed and the KT76a removed, and to have the LORAN and ADF systems removed as well.  That included the STC certification that comprised about $100 of that.  The swapped transponders weighed the same, while removing the ADF system and LORAN reduced total empty weight by 7 lbs - no small amount in a 150.  That took my new useful load to an impressive 473 lbs!

New W&B reflecting the seven pound shed from removing the ADF/LORAN

I went through a very thorough preflight, and noted that there was zero water in the tanks and sump, which probably reflects the fact that the tanks had been full this entire time.  It seems that when they're not, at least in cold weather, some water condensation builds in the tanks and makes its way to the sumps.  Not a lot - I'm able to get it all out, but enough worth noting.

I did not hand turn the prop this time since it had been inside, but I should have, as the starter struggled a bit to turn the prop at first, but then it caught and started right up as soon as it did.  Once the prop gets turning, this O-200 starts great every time.  The transponder itself worked terrific.  I ran a test on the app for the tailBeacon and it picked it up immediately without me having to do anything.  I used the flight timer feature on takeoff, which I love having.

Bad photo, but shows the new radio stack with the 327 running and the LORAN/ADF gone.

Flight itself was good.  Winds were light and right down the runway, so I don't know if my landings are getting better from the right seat, or if the conditions helped a lot.  I practiced some maneuvers - great steep turns to the left, but I struggled from the right.  Soft field landing was OK, I came up short on my short-field.  Also, I used 40 on the flaps for the short field which I hadn't done in awhile.  On final I had the throttle fire walled to get it to generate enough power to overcome the drag, at least initially.  I looked up some comments online, and it seems that 40 flaps in the 150 is often not recommended just because you can't climb with it, and I don't think it's something I'll use except in an emergency, but I want to practice a bit more with it.

I'm home for a bit now, or at least until baseball starts up again soon, so will try to get even more flying in, weather permitting.

Cold Stretch

Not many posts of late for three reasons: 1) Weather hasn't been super conducive to flying; 2) Plane has been in the avionics shop getting the new transponder installed and a few other instruments removed, and; 3) I've been on the road quite a bit.

We've been having a pretty significant amount of winter weather in the Carolinas of late, including two snowstorms.  The first happened when we were up in WV on a ski trip, and I had told the avionics guys they could take the plane before I left since I was going to go straight from that ski trip onto a work trip.  Even if I had been around, there was too much icing that weekend to fly.  By the time I got back the next week, the work was still continuing, but temps were too cold for an unheated start (as a a rule, I don't start the engine without pre-heating below 40F).  The next weekend NC received a snow storm, although the precipitation dome over Raleigh meant that areas an hour west and east of us got about a foot of snow, while we only ended up with about two inches.  Even if the weather had been good, an FAA inspector needed to sign off on the transponder since it doesn't have an STC, so the avionics guys are just waiting on that.  

On the plus side, 4TV rode out the snow and ice in the heated hangar of the avionics shop, so I'll consider that a win!  I'm leaving on another work trip this week, but the plane should be signed off by the FAA by the time I'm back.  Turns out it was a good time to have them do the work.

Panel with the GTX-327, but sans Loran and ADF

I did go out there today, however, before leaving for my trip to Nebraska.  The avionics guys needed the W&B sheet to finalize their paperwork, and while I could have e-mailed it, I wanted to see the panel with the 327 in it.  Not only did they install the 327, but they also removed the ADF (box and gauge) and the LORAN unit I had asked them to pull out.  While I was expecting to see empty holes in the panel stack and where the ADF needle used to be, they had actually used parts they had around the shop to cover those gaps, giving it a clean look.  The 327 bench tested perfectly, and with the install I get another 24-months on the transponder inspection.  

I was pleased to know they checked a few of the other avionics/electronics while inside.  He mentioned that the VOR worked well, but that the localizer/glideslope had a very weak signal.  That wasn't a surprise to me, as I hadn't been able to get it to pick up an ILS.  The localizer/GS signal comes from the KX-155, and given its age, it's not a surprise that it may have some issues.  I was glad to hear that the actual CDI likely works just fine.  

This is also the first picture I've posted since spray painting the bottom panel, and adding new decals for the switches, etc.  Even though it's intended as a temporary fix till I can get aluminum panels, it really did improve the overall look of the panel.  I have a few more decals to apply, and some areas to touch up with a paint brush, but overall, it's an improvement, and a cheap one.

Weather and energy permitting, I hope to test out the new transponder on Friday, plus make sure it's talking correctly to the tailBeacon.

Oh, and I almost forgot - while the transponders weighed about the same, the shop estimates that pulling the ADF and LORAN will probably get me seven lbs of weight back - and that doesn't include future weight savings when I have the ADF antenna removed.