Experimental aircraft inspection

[Dan]

Can anyone help me understand what the FAR's require for inspections on home-built airplanes and list references please. How do AD's affect these aircraft? Do the need signing off for return to service.
Thanks for your help

[skid]

Homebuilts can be worked on and signed off by original builder only. Subsequent owners need an A&P to do maintenance and annual signoffs. Annuals can be signed off by a&p. AD's apply to components such as engine and accessories that are installed as certified installations. Example; Original builder of homebuilt Pitts can do maintenance and sign off annuals. Owner #2 must have every thing done by a&p just like certified airplane, except an IA is not required to sign off annual, an a&p can sign off annual. If airplane has 180 Lycoming, crankshaft ad, oil pump ad, magneto ads still apply,etc.

[Dan]

Thankyou for your reply, that helps alot. Can you also tell me where in the moutain of Far's, it covers this.

This aircraft happens to be a "Baby Ace" with an A-65 engine. Diagnosing electrical problems on home-bults which have been sold to a second party without the manuals can be interesting. Example: ammeter showing neg. reading during run, the alternator checks out good, so does the regulator.
Always learning!!

[skid]

A-65's with electric were not very common,and would have had generator. This one is probably a jumble of pieces. If ammeter is correct, you have more load than charging; put an accurate ammeter on each part of bus to see where load is. If system was homebuilders installation, just check to see if electric bus is wired properly. I don't know where to find far's on homebuilts, EAA would know and would have a wealth of info on homebuilt regs. I have found local GADO offices to be of little help when ask these questions. Every guy you talk to at FAA will give you different story. Call EAA if you want valid answers.


[This message has been edited by skid (edited 11-17-1999).]

[Dan]

Thanks again for the added info, every bit helps out. I'll get in contact with EAA, I should have thought of that in the first place. I was attempting to make a diagram of the charging curcuit to trouble-shoot, and I ran into a resistor (I think). The regulator I have has four connections on the side(marked F,2,3,4 ) and one on the underside. F goes to the field, #2 goes to the stator, but #3 and #4 and the bottom one are a mystery to me. 3 and 4 give me continuity to the field switch but what do they do? On top of that there is a small cylinder possibly made out of bakelite? with hundreds of turns of fine wire, attached on the engine mount near the regulator. what is this for an why is it connected to 3 and 4?

Should the alternator have 12v or 14v when tested from the "F" terminal to a ground while running?
Boy, am i having fun!! Ha Ha.

[Dan]

should the alt show 12v or 14v when testing from "f" to ground with the enging running and why?

[Dan]

Well, think the wiring is, for the most part figured out, with a few exeptions. On my alternator, it has a "hot stud" or BAT terminal, then ground and the field lead. BUT this alternator has a fourth lead labeled "R" but I have no clue as to what this one is for and I have no diagrams for an alternator of this type. Can any one tell me what this one is for ???????? and where it connects
Thanks Dan

[HighFLyer]

I believe that a alternator should put out about 14.4 volts when the engine is running. This is to charge the battery back up, however as skid said your plane might have a generator not an alternator. If this is the case, then I'm not really sure, but 14 seems right again. Sorry I cant help with anything else.

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