>Do you have any views about locating starter and battery contactors on the
>cabin side of the firewall? Some RV builders are doing or considering this.
>However the counter argument is that if one fails it would dump toxic smoke
>into the cockpit.
The more compelling reason for putting starter contactor
on firewall is to reduce number of firewall penetrations
of FAT wires . . . you tie the alternator into the system
using in-line fused jumper on the powered side of the battery
contactor (as per diagrams on website and in book). If
you put contactor inside, both starter and alternator wires
have to come through firewall.
>I guess you will have a good view on failure rates, and will know for sure
>whether it's possible for them to create toxic fumes.
>
A whole lot of decisions have been driven by the
toxic fumes scenario in a machine where one is
several orders of magntitude more likely to break
a sweat because of failure of of some appliances due
to poor system architecture and lack of backups.
It's sweating pilots that are more likely to make
poor decisions or find themselves tasked beyond
skills and equipment . . . if you don't smoke in
the cockpit, don't upholster your seats in
double-knit nylon material and use plenty of fuses
to protect little wires, the liklihood of serious
smoke is very close to zero.
Bob . . .
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( Knowing about a thing is different from )
( understanding it. One can know a lot )
( and still understand nothing. )
( C.F. Kettering )
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http://www.aeroelectric.com
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