On Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 12:30:07 PM UTC-7, Peter Thomas wrote:
At 07:23 09 May 2018, Darryl Ramm wrote:
On Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 10:06:56 PM UTC-7, Wade G wrote:
In short,
What is required to install a non-TSO=E2=80=99d moving map
flight
compute=
r IN the panel of my certified glider?
A 337 mess?
=20
WG

Where is your glider A&P?=20

In short, it depends. But is usually only an A&P entry for a minor
change
i=
n the maintenance log book. A 337 is required for major changes,
and it is
=
extremely difficult to image an flight computer install that is by
itself
g=
oing to qualify as a major change in a glider. There are lots of
discussion=
s online from EAA and AOPA about what constitutes minor and
major changes,
=
start there if you want to read up on this.

If you have to ask these questions you probably should not be
contacting a
=
FSDO. Asking questions there can possibly end you up in a world
of hurt
and=
confusion. Its best to leave any questions like that up to the A&P
you
are=
working with. Find an A&P who is experienced working on gliders,
you want
=
that glider specific knowledge anyhow, and this question will likely
be
eas=
y for them to discuss with you and answer once they know the
specific work
=
involved. And if its for some reason a very unusual install that
needs a
FS=
DO discussion or possible 337 filed, let them have that discussion.


The major European manufacturers have general ADs covering
instrument panel and cockpit equipment changes which identify
things you need to check about the item to install (like security,
power consumption etc) This constitutes blanket approval for the
changes, you just quote the AD in the paperwork.(CS-STAN)
I know of Sclhicher, Schempp and DG/LS, there may be others.

Dont know if you can do this in the US

There is an equivalent system under EASA where MFR ADs are not
available (surprisingly helpful) although i doubt many people applied
for an EASA minor mod to change their electric vario. However i
doubt this process would carry to the US.

This is going down the entirely wrong rat hole. These are usually (FAA's regulatory definition of) minor changes (not related necessarily to anything called the same in Europe) that require no interaction with the FAA and no specific paperwork to approve the change. A maintenance log book entry from an A&P is all that is normally required for this in a type certificated glider. The A&P will choose what instructions they follow, and might well follow EASA minor change instructions. I suspect the thing to be most careful of is not replacing any of the flight instruments required in the type certificate with random flight computer capabilities.

This really should be a brief discussion with a glider A&P... its up to them to work on this and advise owners of what is needed. If stuff is not clear then ask your A&P to explain it to you (there may be reasons) or if they can't do so to your satisfaction then call another glider repair shop.

I recently got roped into advising on a few ADS-B Out/avionics installs in powered aircraft and that reminded me of how much confusion there on ADS-B in GA and on the major vs. minor change stuff and how many assumptions owners can make before talking to a knowledgeable A&P. (Hey Bob, I'd love a ride in that T6 with or without ADS-B Out :-)).