Modern avionics enable an owner to eliminate the vacuum system entirely, saving weight and complexity while greatly increasing capability. New solid-state avionics will save weight and provide far better reliability and functionality. Upgrading to a modern panel enables this entire assembly of the pump, gyros, and hoses to be removed from the airplane like a problematic appendix. And although appearance is low on my list of concerns, it’s ugly. It introduces multiple points of mechanical failure. It provides relatively little benefit for the VFR flying I do. It positions the pump pulley millimeters away from the back face of the propeller. It adds weight at the far end of the airplane. The resulting setup presents a few frustrations. The vacuum system was so massive and cumbersome, a larger engine cowl had to be installed for it to fit. Sometime in the 1960s, a previous owner of my airplane opted to remove the venturi system that originally powered the gyro instruments and replace it with an engine-driven vacuum system. I ultimately identified four that, when combined, do so handily. The sum is massive in my world, and it took much calculation to determine what benefits would justify such an expenditure. Now, thanks to a social media sponsorship unrelated to my work with FLYING, I’ve finally decided to take a major step and upgrade the instrument panel.ĭespite being part of a sponsorship, the upgrade will still involve a substantial price tag to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. One by one, I’ve been strategically upgrading various parts on my Cessna 170, from the propeller to lighting to wheels and tires. Thirty years later, the bicycle situation and general fitness level have remained unchanged, and the disease has now spread to aviation. But I was fueled by enthusiasm, and my love for evaluating beautiful engineering more than made up for the humiliation that occurred on every hill climb. With a physique and athleticism that bore a stronger resemblance to Bobby Hill than to any notable athlete, the discrepancy between bicycle quality and actual physical capability was both stark and embarrassing. Faced with the budget of a typical high school student, I worked hard to get a job at one of the best bicycle shops in town, almost exclusively for the significant employee discounts that would enable me to feed my expensive habit.Īt no point could I even begin to justify the Olympic-caliber race setups I then proceeded to build. I dedicated the majority of class time to studying the intricacies of custom bike builds. I was starstruck by handcrafted titanium frames, precision-machined components, and fully tunable suspension. Throughout high school and college, I had a bit of an obsession with high-end bicycles.
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