Getting into
a hot airplane....
So you walk up to the airplane in the late afternoon when things are toasty
(but being within safe non-operating temperature limits). You open the
canopy, which trips a small switch and the fans start again. This time the
fans stay on until the temperatures reach a safe operating temperature or
the canopy is closed again). This temperature is 92 deg F for the computer
and 121 deg F for the display. This may take a long time depending on the
temperature of the outside air being drawn in. These temperatures will be
displayed on the ECCS monitor panel after the master switch is turned
allowing the pilot to monitor them. After engine start and things begin to
cool off, the pilot can turn on the computer and the display after
temperature reach safe levels. It is possible that in extreme conditions
this may not occur until the aircraft is in flight Will know more about how
it all works out later, but I expect with close attention to airflow rates,
insulation etc, the pilot will be able to power up the computer and display,
shortly after engine start.
Vibration
Now THAT'S a Moving map!!
Added note, Today I completed the Mark III severe vibration test.....I
dropped the hard drive on the concrete!. All is well.
A big concern. I really don't have the equipment need to shake this thing up
to see if it will stand up to the riggers of an IO-540. I'll use lots of
loctite and lock washers and anything else I can think of to improve the
chances of survival.
Update 6/27/01
The computer box is finished. It houses the power supply, two fans, the 12
volt switcher for the display. Still having small power problems but it
should be resolved soon and I see no major obstacles.
It looks like I'll be using a software program called Free Flight that
allows state of the art HITS (Highway in the Sky) technology. Really cool 3D
modeling and terrain mapping with Sectional moving map display.
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EFIS 1