A glass-cockpit BonanzaA modern instrument panel full of sophisticated avionics equipment

BY STEVEN W. ELLS

L

New engine? Check. New turbonormalizersystem? Check. New propeller? Check. Newavionics? Check. What's left? It would be

nice if we were half done. But we still have lots to

do on AOPA's2001 Sweepstakes Bonanza projectairplane. A TKS weeping-wing ice pro­tection system will be installed in Salina,Kansas. Then the Bonanza will be flownto Murmer Aircraft Services in Arcola,Texas, so Doug and Teresa Kelly caninstall Beryl D'Shannon aileron and flapgap seals and solar gray-tinted side win­dows. The Kellys specialize ininstalling Beryl D'Shannon (BDS) modi­fications. After the BDS modifications

are installed, the Bonanza paint expertsat Murmer will apply the unique sweep­stakes Bonanza paint design by CraigBarnett of Scheme Designers. Accordingto our carefully organized schedule, thisshould take most of June and July.

The sweepstakes Bonanza will be atthe AOPA exhibit site at EAAAirVenture

2001 (aka Oshkosh). Stop by to see abeautifully equipped airplane. The

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FIZER

upgrade and refurbishment choresshould be completed by that time, exceptfor the installation of Dennis Wolter'sinterior. That task awaits late summer.Wolter, owner of Air Mod in Batavia,Ohio, is well known for his innovativeand high-quality interiors.

An incredible amount of planning,very generous support in the form ofequipment and labor from a long list ofcontributors, and a lot of very talentedand hardworking people have pitchedin to make the sweepstakes Bonanza adream airplane. It's a shame that everyAOPA member can't take it home fer aweek-it really is quite an airplane ..

As in any project this size-morethan 30 different companies have con­tributed to the sweepstakes Bonanzaairplane-there have been a few sur-

AOPA PILOT· 83· JULY 2001

The panelLast month the layout of the panel wasdescribed. The slightly right-of-center

prises, but that can be expected duringa total airplane refurbishment.

In a project that stretches over a year,schedules are often wishful thinking,especially when there's a deadline tomeet. Last month you read that theprojected completion of the avionicsinstallation would be the first week in

May.As I write this it's Monday, May 21,and the airplane is scheduled to be fin­ished on Wednesday, May 23. If there'sfault to be assigned for this delay, itprobably lies with me, Associate EditorSteve Ells, because I kept calling thestaff at J.A. Air Center and addinganother page to the project board.

The dreaded phone callRingggg: Excuse me, do you think itwould slow things down if your teamcould install a set of Aero Tech Services

fuel bladders? Ringggg: It wouldn't betoo much trouble to have yourmechanics install a complete WhelenAero Flash three-light strobe system,would it? Ringggg: I was hoping youcould remove the J.L. Osborne tip tanksand ship them to California so Osbornecan refurbish them; that isn't a prob­lem, is it? Ringggg: Oh yeah, I forgot totell you that the old yokes and wheelsare going to be removed and we'regoing to install a new yoke and twonew control wheels from Cygnet Aero­space. Ringggg: Guess what! We'regoing to put a SIRS Products compasson the glareshield in place of the oldAirpath unit. Yada, yada, yada.

The well-mannered and competentstaff at J.A. never came right out andpointed the finger at me, but it wassoon obvious whom the avionics

installers thought caused the slow­down. On the side of the airplane was abright-red handcrafted universal warn­ing sign. In the red circle was a pictureof a wrench-with a red diagonal slashacross the face. Were they joking? Per­haps-after all, this was the same crewthat had pasted an official-looking signsaying, "Caution HOT AIR BLAST" onthe door of J.A.'smaintenance office.

ToJ.A.Air Center's credit, it had beenable to keep very close to the schedulein spite of my unending stream ofamendments to the project outline.

transponder. The 530 and the 430 havecapabilities that had never been seenbefore in general aviation avionics. Whena single unit contains a WAAS-compati­ble, approach-certified GPS with a mov­ing-map display, combined with nav andcom radios, that's impressive. Add a logi­cal menu-driven operating system thatputs the power of a Jeppesen databasereadily at hand, and it's no wonder thatthese units are selling like snow cones inAugust.

Because of clever sheet-metal work

by the J.A. installers, the Garmin andS-Tee boxes mounted in the radio stackare all canted toward the pilot for betterviewing.

On the far right side of the panel isthe Avionics Innovations CD playerwith AM/FM radio. Above the CD play­er is a small glove- or chart box.

Other panel-mounted componentsof the S-Tec System Fifty Five Xsystem are a turn coordinator, and,in the upper left of the panel, an alti­tude selector/alerter, and mode annun­ciator.

Directly in front of the pilot are the

The Garmin audio

panel/intercom topsthe stack, justabove the S-Tec

autopilot controller.For communication

and navigation, thewinner will have thechoice of the GarminGNS 530 or thesmaller 430. Round­

ing out the stack isthe Garmin solid­

state transponder.Below, the Meggitt

primary flight displayincorporates atti­tude, airspeed,altimeter, verticalspeed, and heading.The nav display canbe set up as an HSIor in an arc mode.

radio stack is topped by the program­mer /controller for the S-Tee System FiftyFive X two-axis flight control system, fol­lowed by a Garmin avionics suite includ­ing their GMA 340 (audio panel, markerbeacon receiver, intercom), a GNS 530(moving map GPS, nav/com,), a GNS 430(slightly smaller moving map, GPS,nav/com), and their solid-state GTX 327

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AOPA PILOT' 84· JULY 2001

AOPA PILOT' 85· IULY 2001

AOPA SWEEPS

two LCOs of the Meggitt EFIS system­the primary flight display (PFD) and thenavigation display (ND).

Other systems that have been woveninto the available panel space are theJ.p.Instruments EOM-800 engine moni­tor display; the J.L. Osborne wingtipfuel tank quantity gauge and transferpump control switches; a remote ELTon/off switch; and a vacuum gauge. Theonly hole in the panel as the sweep­stakes Bonanza left OuPage Airportwas a cutout for the TKS Ice Protection

System control unit.In addition to these obvious touch­

es, there's an overload warning light forthe B&C Specialty Products standbyalternator, an alternator overvoltagewarning light, and the P2 landing gearand overspeed audio muting switch.

The P2 audio gear and overspeedwarning unit was being adjusted dur­ing my visit. If the airspeed dropsbelow the approach airspeed and thelanding gear is not fully down andlocked, the pilot hears a voice repeat­edly saying, "Check gear. ..check gear."When the gear is down and locked, avery calm and reassuring voiceannounces, "Gear is down for landing."If the airspeed approaches VNE, anoth­er voice repeatedly announces, "Over­speed ...overspeed." A lighted panel­mounted button can be pushed tomute the audio warnings.

The only post light on the panel isabove the original flap positiongauges-all other instruments andavionics are internally lit. The panel hasbeen painted a light tan.

J.A.Air Center technicians crafted aunique switch panel located below theNO screen. Bonanza owners generallyrave about the handling and speed oftheir airplanes, but they also tend tomutter a little about the position ofsome switches-they're mounted lowand are often hard to see. The J.Aswitch panel, which is internally light­ed, relocates the following controls tothe lower pilot's instrument panel:magneto switch, battery master, alter­nator, standby alternator, EFIS master,avionics master, EFIS dimmer, andEFIS power #1 and #2.

The redundant EFIS power supplieswere necessary for certification sincewe needed to install power convertersto boost the aircraft voltage (14 VDC) upto 28 volts. To ensure that a power con-

AOPA PILOT· 86· JULY 2001

AOPA would like to thank the followingcompanies that are donating or discount­

ing their products and services to refur­bish AOPA's 2001 Bonanza Sweepstakes

project or are otherwise assisting with theproject.

AM/FM radio with CD playerAvionics Innovations Inc.2450 Montecito Road

Ramona, California 92065

760/788-2602fax 760/789-7098www.avionicsinnovations.com

Standby alternator systemB&C Specialty Products Inc.123 East 4th

Newton, Kansas 67114

316/283-8000www.bandcspecialty.com

Sloped windshield, windows, vortexgenerators, aileron, and flap gap sealsBeryl D'Shannon Aviation Specialties Inc.Post Office Box 27966

Golden Valley, Minnesota 55427800/328-4629 or 763/535-0505fax 763/535-3759www.beryldshannon.com

Dual control yoke and control wheels

Cygnet Aerospace CorporationPost Office Box 6603

Los Osos, California 93412

805/528-2376fax 805/528-2377

www.cygnet-aero.com

Avionics suite (including audiopanel/marker beacon/intercom, trans­ponder, and dual nav/com/GPS units)Garmin International1200 East 151st Street

Olathe, Kansas 66062

913/397-8200fax 913/397-8282www.garmin.com

Avionics and instrument panel installationJ.A. Air Center

DuPage Airport3N060 Powis Road

West Chicago, Illinois 60185800/323-5966 or 630/584-3200fax 630/584-7883www.jaair.com

Wingtip fuel tank systemJ.L. Osborne Inc.18173 Osborne Road

Victorville, California 92392

800/963-8477 or 760/245-8477fax 760/245-5735www.jlosborne.com

Engine monitorJ.P. Instruments Inc.

3185-B Airway AvenueCosta Mesa, California 92626

800/345-4574 or 714/557-3805fax 714/557-9840www.jpinstruments.com

MAGIC EFIS display systemMeggitt Avionics Inc.10 Ammon Drive

Manchester, New HampShire 03103603/669-0940fax 603/669-0931www.meggittavi.com

Audio landing gear and overspeed (VNE)

warning systemP2 Inc.

Post Office Box 26

Mound, Minnesota 55364-0026

888/921-8359 or 952/472-2577fax 952/472-7071www.p2inc.com

Paint designScheme Designers277 Tom Hunter Road

Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024201/947-5889www.schemedesigners.com

Magnetic compassSIRS Product Services

25422 Trabuco Road #105, PMB 436Lake Forest, California 92630

310/325-3422fax 949/951-0778www.sirsproducts.com

Autopilot and EFIS certificationS-Tec CorporationOne S-Tec WayMunicipal AirportMineral Wells, Texas 76067

940/325-9406fax 940/325-3904www.s-tec.com

Airframe anti-ice systemTKS Ice Protection Systems3213 Arnold Avenue

Salina, Kansas 67401

888/865-5511 or 785/493-0946fax 785/493-0959www.weepingwings.com

Strobe lights

Whelen Engineering Co.Route 145, Winthrop RoadChester, Connecticut 06412-0684860/526-9504fax 860/526-4078www.whelen.com

AOPA PILOT· 87· JULY 2001

verter failure wouldn't take out the EFIS

system, we installed two.

Skin mappingWhen I arrived at I.A. Air Center in WestChicago, Illinois, the avionics crew wasskin mapping the airplane. TheGoodrich Stormscope WX-500 is engi­neered to detect lightning discharges.The intensity, range, and bearing of alllightning discharges is displayed on theGarmin GNS units, and is instantly avail­able to the pilot. This information is crit­ical for safety because thunderstorms

Avionics interplayNot too long ago, avionics interconnec­tion was nonexistent. When pilotsdialed in a VOR frequency, the airplane'sposition on a radial could be deter­mined only after spinning the OBS knobuntil From was in the window and theneedle was centered. It took at least two

frequency changes (or two nav radios)and some knob turning to plot an air­plane's position. At best, this system wastime consuming and inexact. By thetime a fix was determined by using twoVORs, the airplane had moved. Today allthe avionics are interconnected and are

constantly trading data. This eases thepilot's workload by continuously provid­ing position information and other datathat only a few years ago had to be labo­riously ciphered from an E-6B (remem­ber the wind triangle) or accumulated,often by rattling a sectional chart fromone side of the cabin to the other.

The avionics suite in the sweepstakesBonanza is a modern panel so there is aconstant interplay of data between dif­ferent avionics and instrument panelunits. Fuel flow data is fed from the I.P.Instruments EDM-800 to the Garmin

GPS units, with all pertinent fuel infor­mation (such as range at present con-'sumption and wind conditions, currentfuel flow, and fuel remaining) beinginstantly available when the pilot needsit. Any lightning detected by theGoodrich Stormscope WX-500 is auto­matically fed to one of the pages onboth of the Garmin GNS units.

The PFD continuously displays air­speed, vertical speed, and horizontalposition from the air data attitudeheading reference system unit, and theND displays data from the Garmin GPSunits. Four different LCDs express themeaning of "glass cockpit."

The refurbishment brings new levels of safe­ty and entertainment to the cockpit. Top tobottom: TKS ice protection controls, J.P.Instruments EDM-800 engine analyzer/fuelcomputer, and the Avionics Innovations CDplayer/AM/FM radio.

always generate lightning, and fullydeveloped thunderstorms are easilycapable of dashing airplanes to theground, without any respect for thecompany that labored hard to producethe airplane, the FAA-mandated struc­turallimits, or the pilot's total hours.Staying at least 25 miles away from light­ning discharges prevents encounterswith mature thunderstorms.

Since electrical components such asautopilot servos and strobe light sys­tems radiate small amounts of radio

frequency interference during opera­tion, and the WX-500 is designed topick up electrical signals (generated byfar-off lightning), it's critical to placethe antenna in a position where there'svery little airplane-generated interfer­ence. That's where the skin mappingcomes in. By using a special receiverand antenna that measures the amountof interference at different airframe

locations, a low-noise position canbe determined. On the sweepstakes

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AOPA PILOT· 88 •JULY 2001AOPA PILOT· 89 • JULY 2001

••.. _~Bonanza, this low-noise positionturned out to be just forward of the tailcone on the belly.

E-mail the author at steve.ells@aopa.org

i Links to addi-tional infor­

mation aboutavionics installa­

tions and weeklyupdates may befound on AOPA

Online (www.aopa.org/ pilot/links.shtml) .

them with new circuit breakers that could

be pulled in case of an emergency.j.A. Air Center created a modern

instrument panel full of sophisticatedavionics equipment. Modern solid-stateaviation electronics have progressed tothe point where safety is enhancedbecause of the increased navigation, com­munication, positioning, and auto-flightcapabilities of this equipment; yet thetotal electrical current draw for the panel,with lighting turned up bright, is only

20 amps. Today'savionics do much

more, using lesspower, and providemore information

than was thoughtpossible even fiveyears ago.

Next month, thesweepstakes Bo­

nanza update will feature the installationof a TKS Ice Protection System. JalA

The standby airspeed and attitude indicatorsand altimeter provide redundancy to theelectronic versions. The gauges and controlsfor the J.L. Osborne tip tanks reside justbelow the tachometer.

unless the occupants are restrained by aset of shoulder harnesses.

Circuit breakers are a little less obvi­

ous. The original circuit breakers in thesweepstakes Bonanza, with the exceptionof the alternator breaker, could not bepulled (opened) by the pilot. Since few, ifany, circuit breakers are ever tested, andsince pullable circuit breakers give thepilot one more level of control if there'sever an electrical problem, we removedall the original breakers and replaced

Circuit breakersSafety is the determining factor in manyof the equipment decisions arrived atduring our project planning. Some ofthe safety decisions are so obvious thatthere was no discussion at all. Othersare less obvious. Shoulder harnesses are

obvious. No airplane should take off