REFLECTOR: dual Plasma IIIs

Fri Aug 5 10:30:03 CDT 2011

Well then, I don't have to worry about you riding in my 235. I have over 700 hours flying with the slicks on my O-540, and they have over 1200 hours on them. Never a problem. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they are perfect, but I have not had to do anything other than the Ad that says inspect. 

No mags at all on my V. just 2 separate MSD ignitions. 

Kurt 

-----Original Message-----
From: Patrick Sieders <pjsieders at comcast.net>
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Fri, Aug 5, 2011 4:37 am
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: dual Plasma IIIs

If you have the chance to choose, take a Bendix magneto over a slick... my experience with the slicks is awful and I will not even dare to put my shoes on an airplane powered by them. They have too many parts that seem to be made of plastic, wearing out, points that pit so it looks like the Alps, and coils that burn their wire internally and therefore at some point can’t jump the gap it created and dies suddenly.

Remember that this is a the heart of the engine.. without that spark no fire, no (controlled) explosion in the cilinder, no mechanical motion, no turning prop.

Patrick

From: Scott Derrick 
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 8:45 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list 
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: dual Plasma IIIs

I don't know about 500 hours..  

Mags are known to work very reliably for a couple thousand hours between overhauls.  Most folks replace during engine overhauls.

Scott

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: dual Plasma IIIs
From: Jones Nick mailto:nick.jones at volvo.com
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list mailto:reflector at tvbf.org
Date: 08/05/2011 06:56 AM

Let’s   not forget the mags need maintenance too. Slick   recommends 500 hour overhaul or replacement. You don’t want your mag’s performance to be marginal when you need   it.

Best   regards,

Nick   and Connie Jones

Velocity   XL-RG

N10CN

99%   done 90% to go

From:   reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]   On Behalf Of Scott   Derrick
Sent: Thursday,   August 04, 2011 5:20 PM
To:   Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: dual Plasma   IIIs

I've been running single Plasm and a Mag for 650 hours   total on an IO360 and IO520.  I haven't had a Plasma failure but I still   like two independent systems and one that will still run even if the battery   falls out of the airplane. 

I also didn't want the added complexity of   dealing with electrical failure.  Klaus says you can get 5% better   performance with duals vs single, but I question that number..

My Slick   mag may have been initially designed when  dinosaur's were still roaming   the earth,  but there is something to say about their proven   dependability.

Scott

-------- Original Message   --------
Subject: REFLECTOR: dual Plasma IIIs
From: Douglas Holub mailto:douglas.holub at gmail.com
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Date: 08/04/2011 03:00   PM
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One of my Plasma   III boxes failed while flying to Tennessee from Texas last summer. After a   post-mortem, Klaus couldn't explain why it failed. The box was the same one   that was DOA when it was new, and was then subsequently repaired by Klaus. At   that time he said he found a loose wire in the box, so I suspect that the   flopping wire did some undetectable damage which eventually caused the box to   fail while we were flying.

So today I'm   replacing that electronic ignition with a Slick magneto, and I am amazed how   much complexity it removes from my wiring. With only one electronic ignition I   don't need: 1. The auxilliary back-up battery, 2. The auxilliary back-up   battery charging circuit, 3. The circuit that detects and indicates the fault   condition that causes the auxilliary battery to provide power (so I know when   the back-up battery is being used), 4. The circuit that lets you know when one   Plasma III is working while the other one   isn't.

The reason you need   #4 is because the ignitions are so good, there is often no perceptible RPM   drop when one of them fails. And that's why I wish I had used one Plasma III   and one magneto from the beginning. I thought I would get better performance   with two Plasma IIIs, but if there is no RPM drop, I don't think the second   one is helping much. 

I my engine has   14mm spark plug holes on top and bottom, so that's a little problem switching   to a magneto wiring harness. But I found some shielded automotive spark plug   adapters from Great Plains, the VW conversion   people.

Doug   Holub

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