Lan Vinh Do
Well Known Member
Hi
I am in the process to put my new rv-10 IFR with transport Canada.
I need to do my 24 month but last time that I did a 24 month on my old rv-7, I paid a avionic shop many hours because there was a big leak. They has to find it before they could begin the 24 month. (really expensive when you pay somebody to do what you can do yourself)
I decided that this would not happend again. I was supposed to have a friend (aircraft mecanic ) that could bring the static pump to test the plane for a leak before i go to the avionic shop. Unfortunately, he just moved far away a couldn't help me before.
So i test my airplane with a cheap setup. See the pictures. I have put a T pneumatic connector behind my instrument on the static line, block the static port on both side and hook a medical seringe 30 cc. When you use a 1/4 vinyl line, it will fit perfectly on the seringe air tight. ( the nylon plastic tubing will not fit, you need the vinyl tubing) . The other end fit in the T connector)
With the seringe, you can do a gentle succion. You can clamp the tube or better, put a speed controller on the line and close it when you have the succion that you need.
I found a big leak that way. So I used another setting. I've put a Y pneumatic connector. One side with a old altimeter that i removed from my panel when i did a upgrade, the other side with the seringe and the speed controller fitting, and the third on each line that i want to check. I began by the tail and i found rapidly the leak on one of the connector near the static port. I removed the old normal plastic fitting and mount the static line with the pneumatic fitting. Really faster, less pain ( the time pass in the tail) and really no leak at all. With this setting, you can test all segment that you want and not always the whole system.
I retest it on the T connector behind the panel and I only have a 5ft /min leak at 1000ft above ground level ( well below the 100ft/min allow by transport canada)
I know, it's not perfect because you cant be sure that the last plug that you put on the T fitting is not leaking but if it leak when i will go to the avionic shop, I will know where the leak is.
Be carefull when you test it that way. Don't go over 1000ft above ground level. I think you can damage your ASI or other sensors from the EFIS because the pitot is not on the pump system as in a avionic shop.
I have put the link to the picasa album.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lanvinhdo/StaticLeakTest?feat=directlink
I am in the process to put my new rv-10 IFR with transport Canada.
I need to do my 24 month but last time that I did a 24 month on my old rv-7, I paid a avionic shop many hours because there was a big leak. They has to find it before they could begin the 24 month. (really expensive when you pay somebody to do what you can do yourself)
I decided that this would not happend again. I was supposed to have a friend (aircraft mecanic ) that could bring the static pump to test the plane for a leak before i go to the avionic shop. Unfortunately, he just moved far away a couldn't help me before.
So i test my airplane with a cheap setup. See the pictures. I have put a T pneumatic connector behind my instrument on the static line, block the static port on both side and hook a medical seringe 30 cc. When you use a 1/4 vinyl line, it will fit perfectly on the seringe air tight. ( the nylon plastic tubing will not fit, you need the vinyl tubing) . The other end fit in the T connector)
With the seringe, you can do a gentle succion. You can clamp the tube or better, put a speed controller on the line and close it when you have the succion that you need.
I found a big leak that way. So I used another setting. I've put a Y pneumatic connector. One side with a old altimeter that i removed from my panel when i did a upgrade, the other side with the seringe and the speed controller fitting, and the third on each line that i want to check. I began by the tail and i found rapidly the leak on one of the connector near the static port. I removed the old normal plastic fitting and mount the static line with the pneumatic fitting. Really faster, less pain ( the time pass in the tail) and really no leak at all. With this setting, you can test all segment that you want and not always the whole system.
I retest it on the T connector behind the panel and I only have a 5ft /min leak at 1000ft above ground level ( well below the 100ft/min allow by transport canada)
I know, it's not perfect because you cant be sure that the last plug that you put on the T fitting is not leaking but if it leak when i will go to the avionic shop, I will know where the leak is.
Be carefull when you test it that way. Don't go over 1000ft above ground level. I think you can damage your ASI or other sensors from the EFIS because the pitot is not on the pump system as in a avionic shop.
I have put the link to the picasa album.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lanvinhdo/StaticLeakTest?feat=directlink