Bearhawk Builder
FRIEND
In the woods
https://earthxbatteries.com/product-category/certified-aircraft
TSO'd, no STC available so still a field approval.
TSO'd, no STC available so still a field approval.
Earth X Certified
- Thread starter Bearhawk Builder
- Start date
I know this is a popular topic, but for a CAR 3 certified airplane, does the TSO suffice to make it legal? CAR-3 reads “Batteries. When an item of electrical equipment which is essential to the safe operation of the airplane is installed, the battery required shall have sufficient capacity to supply the electrical power necessary for dependable operation of the connected electrical equipment.”
The remaining language discusses what to do with battery acid and venting.
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The remaining language discusses what to do with battery acid and venting.
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Interesting question. Given that the installation manual would require a light and a volt meter, and there are procedures that would require a flight manual supplement, I don’t see this as a minor alteration. Not a big deal to do a Field Approval or engineering approval except getting the ACO to sign off on the flight manual supplement.
Comparing EarthX to SBSJ16, you would be paying $51 per pound for the weight savings with their introductory price. That jumps up to $71 a pound with full price. I’m all for saving weight, but that’s pretty pricey in my book.
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Good point- the installation manual does indeed say that the fault light is required to be installed. It seems that placing this battery in a atlee box on the firewall of a cessna 180 would meet the requirements other than adding the vent lines. I am going to draft a 337 for the local FSDO and see what they say. I love these batteries and even though they will be expensive, they are still 10 pounds lighter where I need the weight savings the most
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Battery Installation Location
The ETX900-TSO is designed to be mounted in a variety of locations within the aircraft including the engine compartment, baggage compartment or cabin as long as the environmental condition in those locations do not exceed the battery’s specifications (see the specifications section and environmental qualification section of this manual). The battery can be mounted in any position.
Never expose the battery to fire or temperatures above 185° F or 85° C.
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The ETX900-TSO is designed to be mounted in a variety of locations within the aircraft including the engine compartment, baggage compartment or cabin as long as the environmental condition in those locations do not exceed the battery’s specifications (see the specifications section and environmental qualification section of this manual). The battery can be mounted in any position.
Never expose the battery to fire or temperatures above 185° F or 85° C.
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I seem to remember someone saying that they were paying a whole bunch more than $51/pound when trying to save weight on a cub. Mainly when using carbon fiber and titanium to save those precious pounds. Sounds silly on a 1700# airplane but sometimes it is more about losing pounds at critical CG locations as opposed to just losing pounds. We shall see, but I do love the reliability of these batteries compared to a legacy battery. Not sure how I would rank them compared to an Odyssey.
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aktango58
FRIEND
18AA
My battery, (old Gill) is about totally dead. I am carrying the Earth X jump pack just in case, (thank you Stewart for suggesting). Wonder if Earth X will have a booth at Anchorage? I will buy a new battery if they do!
mike mcs repair
Registered User
chugiak AK
$51 a lb is cheap! in aircraft weight savings terms.... usually measured in $1000.00 increments....
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
Does that STC provide the warning light? Does it provide a flight manual supplement with the EPS called out in the battery instructions?
I agree the Atlee Dodge STC likely provides the structural part, but not the rest.
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RaisedByWolves
FRIEND
Tx
You can get a field approval in the under seat atlee box.
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gdafoe
FRIEND
Castle Well Airpark SE of Wickenburg AZ
https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=350-2511-nd This is the panel LED that I used. They are smaller and I just like the looks of it better than the one they sell. I have one for each battery for the electronic ignition system I use. I use the same one with but with amber LED for the alternator low voltage warning light. I'm experimental.
nanook
MEMBER
northern alaska
https://earthxbatteries.com/product-category/certified-aircraft (pretty much self explanatory on this link).
hotrod180
FRIEND
Port Townsend, WA
Never seen the FAA cry uncle.
Usually they just cry "no", at least around here.
Pretty easy for a public agency employee to just ignore / put off paperwork,
see that done more often than not.
Once one office somewhere signs off a 337, the flood gates open.
I see them cry uncle all the time. ex. Doing some 91.146 work. Start talking to them about paper work and they will ask if you have a commercial pilot certificate and you say yes, see if they want to write. Run a part 135 operation with 10 pilots to certify, see how quick you are a check airman. They just cried uncle on DPE's giving checkrides outside their region. Heck the whole 737 Max debacle came out of the FAA crying uncle on approval pacing.
I see them cry uncle all the time. ex. Doing some 91.146 work. Start talking to them about paper work and they will ask if you have a commercial pilot certificate and you say yes, see if they want to write. Run a part 135 operation with 10 pilots to certify, see how quick you are a check airman. They just cried uncle on DPE's giving checkrides outside their region. Heck the whole 737 Max debacle came out of the FAA crying uncle on approval pacing.
Rice farmer
FRIEND
Nor Cal
My buddy has a field approval in a J3
mountainmatt
Registered User
CO
Has anyone installed a ETX900-TSO into a F.A. Dodge firewall battery box? I'm looking to do so on a C180 soon and I'm getting conflicting reports that it won't fit (it's slightly wider by about 1/16").
Looking for feedback, thanks.
Looking for feedback, thanks.
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
Approval of the box isn't necessary. Use 43.13-2B for the relocation. The Earth X box is very nice. In a typical Skywagon installation you'd need to add stand offs to straddle the vertical leg on the seaplane mount but that'd be simple. Just make sure there's space above it since the Earth X box is a top loader. Wouldn't work in my plane. Would need to adapt it to a front loader like Mike did in the Wildcat.
