Yet another example of why I believe the days of GA Certified Aircraft are numbered.

The panel light dimmer switch on my 185 lost it's mind. At one point the original switches, which are nothing more then rheostats, got so hot they started fires in the cockpit ceiling. An AD was issued and here is the photo of the Cessna AD 93-24-15 switch out of my plane.



So what do you think Cessna wants for this switch?
$100? $200? maybe $300?


How about over $1,900 !!!


Fortunately Maxpulse has an alternative for just over $200. And since it's using modern technology it creates no heat at all.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/maxDimUnit.php?clickkey=1083287



Two of these now reside in my overhead light control box.

Could probably get something like this at Radio Shack for $20.

That is nothing, I just did some machine work to part on a 182 RG I believe. Main Landing Gear Pivot Assembly is what it is described as.
It had a crack and was determined that it could be welded and re-machined. The Assembly was 32K new from Cessna, this is just what I was told and did not confirm it.

I could have built this part out of a raw chunk of 7075, making only one proto-type for probably 6K. Cessna starts with some type of casting which makes it a lot easier to produce, not a lot of machine work required, maybe two days if I was walking the dog.... Someone is proud of what they do

Greg

Maule parts are cheap!

Maybe they want so much because technology like that belongs in a museum...

Gotta love how GA is killing itself.

Gump

You ought to look at Gulfstream's price list. They list quite a few airframe parts that cost more than a nice Super Cub.

try this
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/e ... ckkey=5316

I put 2 of these in my old C170, sold it since don't see it on the NTSB accident reports so I don't think it's crashed yet because of it. These switches (old and new) get real hot when turned down low.

These switches (old and new) get real hot when turned down low.

...which is why when my IA replaced the rheostat in my LRB, he did it with a transistorized version which has more capacity (good because he has added more lights to it for me) and which stays cool (really good).

Cary

Ever price a 170 tail wheel U bolt...?? Try 14,000 when I checked a few years back... Aileron rib with bushing for a 120 Cessna was around 2 grand last I checked...

I got the low down on why some parts get that expensive.... Parts warehouses charge rental for the shelf space that the part sits on, this is to counter end of year inventory taxes... This "rental" charge gets transferred to the cost of the part on a yearly sometimes even monthly basis... So, the longer a part sits on the shelf, the more it is going to cost when and if it ever sells...

Thankfully, if you look hard enough, you can find some people that have squirreled away a few of the original hard to find stupidly expensive parts for a price that is somewhat reasonable but still more than what it is actually worth...

Brian

I suspect as time goes forth and the management at Cessna increasingly turn their backs on the legacy aircraft that we'll be forced to turn to "owner produced parts". With CNC equipment so common the last few years, having a piece of billet whittled into a higher quality part than the original factory part will become the norm. It is interesting to see all the small specialty shops starting to produce affordable? newer technology parts like the dimmer described. I wish we had the owner maintained classification like the Canadians have. New life has been breathed into many older near extinct airframes. An example of this is the Republic SeaBee. Hell for stout flying boat, but the Frankenstein B-9 are anemic and just plain worn out. Parts for the expensive Lyc GO series are getting scarce. Brian Robinson out of Toronto has developed a power package using the small block Chevy that is incredible and there are quite a few converted Bees flying with this setup. Meanwhile our FAA is still stuck in the stone age.

I don't blame the FAA or the manufactures for staying in the comfort zone. The US is a litigation minefield. Nobody wants to venture out into no-mans land. Why would they want to certify a new cheaper efficient switch when some widow could sue their asses off and blame the new light dimmer for hubby slamming into a rock face cause he was too impatient to wait for better weather.

After owning a few certifies planes over the past few decades, you can see why ALOT of us have switched to EXPERIMENTALS..

....... some widow could sue their asses off and blame the new light dimmer for hubby slamming into a rock face cause he was too impatient to wait for better weather

The suit is insane enough. But, usually there is a big payout to the plaintiff.....
PLUS the cost of their own bank of defense lawyers! (Pun intended!)
The days of any sense of shame..... Or honor....?
The "I'll get my slice of $$$$$$$$$, come hell or high water"-has gone mainstream.
Sad day, indeed.

(Note: this is a cleaned up, bathed, shaved, and suited version of a rant)

Cessna parts are pricey, that's why I got a Maule!

Maule is a great company and kudos to them for keeping planes and parts reasonable.

Something like 20% of the SEL fleet in the US are Experimentals. Anyone care to guess what the percentage will be in 5 or 10 years?

WOW!...while i appreciate a ton of the cool experimentals that are out there gettin' it done, my lowly 182T has had the holy hell run out of it this last year dealing with a good-sized business and thrown in the middle of a totally almost wiped out daughter with some good-sized health issues, special schools and long nite and day flites to get to docs and schools...i must commend the few cessna employees i,ve met. the short list on all those flites as to maintenance items would include several oil filters and the oil to match. ruined two tires getting down and the hell off the active to keep controllers happy...lost one VG off of the tail...picked up some decent sized dents in the horizontal doing 2 unscheduled desert stops on old jeep roads to dodge the damn weather...but stayed alive and safe...! this certified bird i totally trust...! none of the parts pricing items make any damn sense for sure, but when i have customers dropping 12-20 K on a new sled with 200+ horse + turbo's and etc...it starts making more sense. damn straight its nice to drop everything and be in boise in 1.10 hr's need be...130-140kts aint much in the airplane world, but when u can put on the oxy and head straight over its damn nice and right now still necessary....today i am thankful a recovering, college goin' daughter with a hard headed attitude and letting all that level 10 gymnast stuff now carry her forward with a flat out winning attitude...one tough kid for sure...last but not least thankful for a solid old 182 keeping me on time and on budget(NOT) ...u dont want to see my fuel bills...

Littlecub wrote:

The "I'll get my slice of $$$$$$$$$, come hell or high water"-has gone mainstream.
Sad day, indeed.

(Note: this is a cleaned up, bathed, shaved, and suited version of a rant)

Well, your no fun. It's Friday night, lets get some alcohol into you, and hear how you really feel

Barnstormer wrote:Could probably get something like this at Radio Shack for $20.

I used 3 from [our version of Radio Shack] in my Exp aircraft, cost 4 bucks each. They work great.

blackrock wrote:Maule is a great company and kudos to them for keeping planes and parts reasonable.

Something like 20% of the SEL fleet in the US are Experimentals. Anyone care to guess what the percentage will be in 5 or 10 years?

Are there experimental planes we can buy that can haul 4 people, run regular car gas with ethanol in it, don't cost $200K, and won't take 5 years to build? Oh, and will let you fly over populated areas (and other restrictions on experimental planes...)

Funny that I can do any work on my car that I want and drive it down any roadway, put any kind of crappy 87 octane ethanol laden crappy fuel I want in it, and no one gives a damn.

Backcountry tundra will allow you those things...

Was just reading through 91.319 looking for the bit about flying experimentals over populated areas. I always thought it was limited only to Phase 1 testing, which seems fair, but as I read it, it sounds pretty clear.

In the cities I've lived in with Class C airspace, I've never been aware of approach control hassling any experimental for flying over the densely populated city that surrounds the primary airport. Has anyone else seen this enforced?

I think you can get it authorized as part of your operating permit. Same goes for IFR if the aircraft is equipped at the time the operating permit is issued.


(c) Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator in special operating limitations, no person may operate an aircraft that has an experimental certificate over a densely populated area or in a congested airway. The Administrator may issue special operating limitations for particular aircraft to permit takeoffs and landings to be conducted over a densely populated area or in a congested airway, in accordance with terms and conditions specified in the authorization in the interest of safety in air commerce.