Plastic Airplanes & Static

[N747PW]

I have a Lancair ES, a glass fiber airframe. My panel comprises a D100, D10A HS34, D120 and a SV42.

All works perfectly and is a pleasure to fly with, however on more than one occasion I have experienced malfunctions when flying in the vicinity of static laden clouds. This has been an issue prior to my Dynon loaded panel. The presence of static is indicated by a clicking in the headset which rises in frequency the closer one gets to the source of the static.

The problem I have encountered is the DSAB communications between the SV42 and the HS34 and the ARINC comms to the GNS430 is lost. On one occasion the system restored itself on others it never did and only corrected itself when the plane was shut down (on the ground) and restarted.

Has anyone else encountered such issues, does anyone have suggestions as to how this can be corrected?

Best

Pat

 

[Thomas_Schaad]

I had similar expiriences with my Pulsar XP, however in my case mostly with VOR/LOC, somtimes also on the COM and often on the EMS.

I searched for quite a while. Then a friend of mine, a very expirienced avionics engineer, looked at the plane. My engine cowling is isolated with a heat reflecting foil. He told me, that this could cause an effect, going close to a battery. He said, the airflow over the fiberglass cowling would create a certain load, which could be kept in the isolating, and going of in small strikes, what I then could see on the EMS and/or hear in the headphone.

We did then bond the entire aircraft with cooper wires leading to static dischargers installed on the two exhaust pipes. The result was A1 and since then I have no more problem.

Hope it can help you as well, kind regards

Thomas

 

[N747PW]

Good input. Thanks Thomas, I'll look for stuff that's not grounded, probably a lot.

Thanks again

Pat

 

[DBRV10]

Thomas

Have you any pictures of your install?

Would be interesting to see.

DB

 

[Thomas_Schaad]

Sorry David, not really. You can immagine to have the whole engine case isolated with this kind of alluminum foil used for. Then having cables coming from the instrument panel and all kind of equipement stowed behind the seats (like A/P servos, flaps drive etc.). Those cables are connected to the isolted engine housing and this the to the exhaust. The exhaust tubes itself do have static dischargers on. All removable parts of the cowling have to be connected to the lower part as well. In my case I have plugs, I have to pull when if I want to take the cowling off. Having it tied up this way I eliminated all those annoying problems. I hope it helps you and send you

Kind regards

Thomas