We frequently see posts on the forums here asking specific questions about a particular aircraft make or model. A great source of information (and it's free) is found online, in the FAA website containing Type Certificate Data Sheets: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guida ... enFrameSet

Generally, it's easiest to search by manufacturer or the holder of the Type Certificate. That isn't always easy, since the current holder of the TC may not have the same name as the original manufacturer. Or, the TC is simply held under a different name. An example is the Husky. Aviat is the manufacturer of the Husky, but the Husky TC is held under the name "Sky International". Don't ask.

Another example is the Stinson 108 series, the TC for which is now owned by Univair.

Engines also are produced under a Type Certificate, and you can search for the TC of an engine from the same list.

A current thread on this forum asked what placards are required on a 1954 Cessna 180. Finding the TC for the 180 again requires a little searching, since Cessna is now owned by Textron, and many of the Cessna TCs are now listed under Textron, not under Cessna. How do you figure that out? If nothing pops up in your initial search of the FAA list, do a Google search for "Type Certificate Data Sheet Cessna 180" and it should pop up. Here's the link: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guida ... Rev_68.pdf

The TC is organized by models, so the 180 starts with the 180, which was introduced in 1953, and then the 180A, B, etc. The model number in the TC tells you when it was introduced so if you have a 1954 model, you can see that the 180A was introduced in 1956, so the 54 model is a 180. Under that model you have a TON of great information on that specific airplane model.

Finally, scroll all the way down the list until you come to the heading: DATA PERTINENT TO ALL MODELS

There you will find things like the Datum location, for weight and balance information, placards required for the various models. You will note that there are a LOT of placards required on this aircraft, and the later models have even more placards required.

Note that these placards are REQUIRED items, so if they aren't posted in the location noted in the TC, the airplane is not airworthy, and cannot legally be signed off as such by a mechanic. Absence of required placards may be one of the most overlooked items in inspections there is.

Do these placards have to be the "officially approved" placards as originally provided by Cessna? Nope, you can make them on a Dymo label maker, or??? But, they have to be installed in the appropriate location.

Anyway, the point is that the TC for your aircraft provides a tremendous source of information on that aircraft make and model. I download and print a copy for the airplane I'm flying, and review it frequently for basic information on the airplane.

MTV

If you take a look at the C170 TCDS (1948) for example, it contains a long list of approved equipment: propellers, engines and engine accessories, landing gear including skis & floats, electrical equipment, interior equipment (including autopilots & gas-fired cabin heaters), and "misc" (including flares, portable stretcher, & spray systems). In the case of the C170, there's 10 pages of this stuff.

But the TCDS format changed a bit back in the early 50's. The C180 TCDS (1953) shows approved engines & props, plus placard info, CG info, etc as MTV describes, but very little of the other stuff. It doesn't even list approved tires-- I had to go to the original equipment list that came with my 180 from the factory to find out that 800x6 tires are approved--- but not 850's.

hotrod180 wrote:If you take a look at the C170 TCDS (1948) for example, it contains a long list of approved equipment: propellers, engines and engine accessories, landing gear including skis & floats, electrical equipment, interior equipment (including autopilots & gas-fired cabin heaters), and "misc" (including flares, portable stretcher, & spray systems). In the case of the C170, there's 10 pages of this stuff.

But the TCDS format changed a bit back in the early 50's. The C180 TCDS (1953) shows approved engines & props, plus placard info, CG info, etc as MTV describes, but very little of the other stuff. It doesn't even list approved tires-- I had to go to the original equipment list that came with my 180 from the factory to find out that 800x6 tires are approved--- but not 850's.

You're right, there are actually a couple different changes that have occurred in the evolution of the Type Certificate.

That said, some of what you're describing also has to do with the manufacturer's proclivity to let others do the hard work of certifying "stuff". Cessna definitely took the approach of letting float manufacturers certify their floats on the airplane, for example, etc.

On the other hand, Aviat has done a great job of incorporating various undercarriages into their TC for the Husky.

So some of this is simply the way the manufacturer chose to do business.

Nevertheless, if you need data on what the pitch stops should be on a propeller, or any of a number of other issues, the TC can be of great assistance.

MTV

MTV