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These small wind driven emergency generators for aircraft look interesting.

Anyone ever used, or equipped their small single engine A/C with one?









So, with all the glass in today’s panels, and so much reliance on navcoms, what happens when an electrical gremlin pops up? What if there just isn’t any more output, your battery is not cutting it, the back-up battery is pooped, and that handheld somehow is MIA? Another layer of electrical back up might be comforting.

I’m not sure if a permanent exterior mounting is the best configuration? Perhaps some sort of flip down and out arrangement could be conjured up. Any thoughts? Anyone have one installed on their plane? Pics please

I looked at a bunch of them for my no-electric J3 cub. My biggest problem is the lack of pma/stc for these things... And they add a lot of drag from what I hear.

One of my old Buddy's had a real tiny 12v gen with a model prop on it about 8" long, worked for him, kept the handheld charged. can't remember for sure just what it was, but here is one that is 15 watts.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/199726123/wind-turbine-generator-battery-charging?ref=shop_home_active_1

i have always thought about a backup air pressure driven power source, but was thinking why cant something be made to go in the end of the engine exhaust pipe? obviously have to be made of steel, or why not something that can be slid into the exhaust pipe exit to work as a venturi to create instrument vacuum?

My Ward Aero wind generator.

Aircraft Spruce sells this one.....bring a fat checkbook.....http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/e ... kkey=25762

Biggest issue these days is approvals on certified, methinks. Aviatorpa11, is that Ward Aero generator STC'd or did you have to field approve it? From the website, it looks like it's "approved" whatever that means.

The other down side I see to this on small non electric airplanes is that you have now installed an electrical system......and the Class B/C airspace waivers go away. As will the ADS-B Out waiver for those airspaces.

MTV

Thanks all for the comments.

I was not even thinking certified aircraft. Too much of a hassle for approvals.

For experimental, I was thinking some sort of flip out arrangement for the generator much like some larger aircraft have this flip down propeller in case hydraulics fail to drop the landing gear. The prop comes out and basically spins in the wind to create hydraulic pressure to help lower the landing gear.

Something like that would eliminate any wind drag until needed in an emergence. I have even thought of a bolt on unit that goes out the window. I'd hate to have to use it in sub zero temps or to see it come off and hit the horizontal stab.

I figure some clever EAB builder out there already has it figured out far better than my few remaining gray cells can ever hope to achieve.

It does not have to be a classic propeller. Envision this gadget being manually pushed through say a 6 inch in diameter opening in the floor of your cabin in an emergency. The opening of curse is normally covered. So stick this into the wind and start generating those much needed electrons. I am sure a much smaller unit than the one seen below would suffice.

mtv wrote:Aircraft Spruce sells this one.....bring a fat checkbook.....http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/e ... kkey=25762

Biggest issue these days is approvals on certified, methinks. Aviatorpa11, is that Ward Aero generator STC'd or did you have to field approve it? From the website, it looks like it's "approved" whatever that means.

The other down side I see to this on small non electric airplanes is that you have now installed an electrical system......and the Class B/C airspace waivers go away. As will the ADS-B Out waiver for those airspaces.

MTV

337. Remember, the reg says "engine driven". Wind driven is still exempt.

Aviatorpa11 wrote:

mtv wrote:Aircraft Spruce sells this one.....bring a fat checkbook.....http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/e ... kkey=25762

Biggest issue these days is approvals on certified, methinks. Aviatorpa11, is that Ward Aero generator STC'd or did you have to field approve it? From the website, it looks like it's "approved" whatever that means.

The other down side I see to this on small non electric airplanes is that you have now installed an electrical system......and the Class B/C airspace waivers go away. As will the ADS-B Out waiver for those airspaces.

MTV

337. Remember, the reg says "engine driven". Wind driven is still exempt.

Aha! Good catch.

MTV

I have flown old airplanes with original wind driven generators. Those put out little juice, pulled a lot of wind, and vibrated. Part of my grief may have been the old five crystal Superhomer they were powering. It never worked well anyway. It seemed much simpler to just prop and fly a clean, no electric, airplane.

Am I the only one who noticed the new ADSB-Out requirements have conspicuously dropped the "engine-driven" verbiage that we non-electric guys so covet? Read the FAR. Now it simply says "electrical system" in the exemption clause of 91.225(e):

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/F4BE300F0ADAC99C86257DE700556910?OpenDocument

mtv wrote:

Aviatorpa11 wrote:337. Remember, the reg says "engine driven". Wind driven is still exempt.

Aha! Good catch.

MTV

Actually, I had read that, and forgot it.....I wonder what a Philadelphia Lawyer working for the FAA would consider an "electrical system installed" to be....

I would like to install a transponder in my Cub, but without some means to recharge the battery (temporary installation), I doubt I'd be able to comply with the requirement to have the transponder on at all times in controlled airspace. Of course, I spend 90 percent of my flight time in Golf airspace, but....

MTV

mtv wrote:Actually, I had read that, and forgot it.....I wonder what a Philadelphia Lawyer working for the FAA would consider an "electrical system installed" to be....

I would like to install a transponder in my Cub, but without some means to recharge the battery (temporary installation), I doubt I'd be able to comply with the requirement to have the transponder on at all times in controlled airspace. Of course, I spend 90 percent of my flight time in Golf airspace, but....

MTV

I've got a Sandia STX165 Transponder and a Flightline Com760 fitted to my Auster, both running off a 7Ah gell battery. Works a treat, I don't fly it much cause it's noisy and stinky and everything works backwards, but the battery lasts at least 5 hours flying over a couple months without recharging. Modern avionics are quite energy efficient..

Regardless of engine-driven or not, FAR 910215 & 91.225 both contain "or that has not subsequently been certified with such a system installed." Does logging the installation of a battery-only or wind-driven electrical system years after the aircraft was produced qualify as it being "certified"?

What does the "C" stand for in STC? Does a "certificate" serve to "certify" something?

Lawyers! (apologies to RanchPilot)

hotrod180 wrote:Regardless of engine-driven or not, FAR 910215 & 91.225 both contain "or that has not subsequently been certified with such a system installed." Does logging the installation of a battery-only or wind-driven electrical system years after the aircraft was produced qualify as it being "certified"?