Dynon Announces First Twin-Engine Aircraft Approval for SkyView HDX - Including Autopilot - for Piper Seneca

[Colin Pazdzior]

No comment on yaw damper, other than I've never thought the Seneca had bad Dutch roll.

On the other...they're pressure pumps and gauges, at least on the Seneca IIs. If not pneumatic de-ice equipped, I presume you'd be looking to delete the pumps, plumbing, gauges, etc entirely. If pneumatic de-ice equipped - then that's a great question, which I'd like to know the answer to as well! I'd guess with the right sensors, could tie to EMS boxes and eliminate pneumatic gauge, plumbing, indicators?

 

[Zoomy350]

Yes, I have de-ice boots and would like to make the panel as clean as possible. I am corresponding to an installation shop right now and asked them the same question about the vacuum gauge. The Seneca III pumps are both vacuum and pressure. The gauge in my cockpit indicates suction. The boots are continuously held down with vacuum then use pressure to inflate them to break the ice.

 

[Colin Pazdzior]

Thanks - I didn't know that on the Seneca III! Please post here if you get an answer, I'd like to know same...

Cheers,
Colin

 

[Zoomy350]

Thanks - I didn't know that on the Seneca III! Please post here if you get an answer, I'd like to know same...

Cheers,
Colin

We have our Seneca III in the avionics shop getting the Dynon panel upgrade. Our avionics shop and Dynon worked together and determined we can remove our old vacuum gauge and have the vacuum readout on the HDX screen. How they are doing this, I don't exactly know. Dynon explained to our avionics shop that there are several unused ports on the engine monitor so we are able to use those. Our Seneca III also has intercoolers with a gauge the gave the air temp before and after the intercooler to adjust MP accordingly. Rather than keeping this gauge, we are also incorporating the intercooler temps into the HDX.

 

[Colin Pazdzior]

Glad to hear it, and promising for the ability to replace as much extra plumbing and analog gauges as possible.

Still no TC approval and not able to purchase in Canada, so we have not moved forward with our initially planned 2x Senecas...at this point it may end up being Garmin if we're still not able to buy in next few months. Hopefully it can be Dynon, and if so, it's great to know that it's possible to replace vacuum/pressure gauges!

 

[Zoomy350]

Our Seneca III panel upgrade is coming along nicely. The panel is cut and at the powder coaters right now. We are finalizing all the placards and text as we speak. Can anyone think of any additional placards specific to the Dynon STC that we aren't thinking of? Our avionics shop hasn't found anything and called Dynon. Their advice to was to post this question to the forum for any possible lessons learned. We are hoping to keep this panel as clean as possible and not have to add any stickers later. We have included all the required placards per the POH. We also have intercoolers and pneumatic door seals so we have included the caution for the adjusted MP for the intercoolers, the placard about having automatic alt air and the time limit caution for the door seals. We will have the tail number etched into the panel but I can't think of anything else. The before takeoff and before landing checklists are on the sun visor. Thanks!

 

[Colin Pazdzior]

Looks good! I don't have anything to add on placards as I have no direct experience with these systems, but a few questions:

-what are your plans for the radio stack and transponder?
-the ammeter for the prop boots - could that be handled in SkyView with the appropriate sensors?
-the annunciator panel - same question - can't that be handled with SkyView? Appears that it was with the certification plane...
-same question on the hobbs meter - also, is that for the Janitrol, or engines?


Cheers,
Colin

 

[Zoomy350]

Looks good! I don't have anything to add on placards as I have no direct experience with these systems, but a few questions:

-what are your plans for the radio stack and transponder?
-the ammeter for the prop boots - could that be handled in SkyView with the appropriate sensors?
-the annunciator panel - same question - can't that be handled with SkyView? Appears that it was with the certification plane...
-same question on the hobbs meter - also, is that for the Janitrol, or engines?


Cheers,
Colin

Colin,

The radio stack is a PS Engineering 8000BT intercom, IFD440 and an SL30. The transponder is from Dynon which will be behind the panel and controlled through the Skyview screens.

We talked with our avionics shop and decided to leave the factory ammeter for the hot props which matches what Dynon did on their test bird.

We went back an forth with the annunciator panel. Most of the items on the annunciator panel will be handled with the engine monitor of the Skyview but we decided to leave it for some redundancy for one, but secondly, we realized there are differences with the Seneca II like Dynon did vs our Seneca III. The Seneca II annunciator panel only has 5 lights: over boost x2, vacuum, low oil pressure and an alternator light. The Seneca III has 12 indicator lights: over boost x2, oil pressure x2, auxiliary fuel pump on x2, vacuum, gear unsafe light, baggage door light, alternator, heater overheat, and an air conditioner. It was going to be a bunch more in labor to run the micro switches for the baggage door and for our avionics shop to figure out the logic for the heater overheat so we decided to keep it. Since our gear unsafe light is apart of the annunciator panel unlike the Seneca II which has a dedicated light, we would have to find something similar.

The Hobbs will be incorporated in the Dynon. The heater has its own Hobbs back on the heater itself so we are leaving that one alone. If you are looking at the holes to the left of the Skyview in the picture, those are for the D10A and a digital clock with some USB plugs.

Thanks for the questions.

 

[Colin Pazdzior]

Sounds good, looking forward to more updates as this moves forward.


Cheers,
Colin