Aerospace Logic - Cirrus Design Retrofit

In creating a new fuel level system for Cirrus Aircraft we kept in the back of our mind  the opportunity to provide this technology to legacy Cirrus Aircraft as well as other aviation applications.

Aerospace Logic was the obvious choice - 

We chose their 200 series unit over other 2 1/4 instruments as Aerospace Logic has created a quality and sunlight readable  display with a clear and concise level indication.

More importantly, Aerospace Logic like CIES saw accurate and reliable fuel level indication as a valuable instrument in the cockpit.  Aerospace Logic was hampered in achieving it's goals for fuel level indication by fuel level senders that were previously available to the aviation market.  CIES Level senders with our new and patented technology completely changed the fuel sender game.

You will note that a digital value of fuel is displayed below each quantity gauge.  This gives an unmatched accurate calculation of quantity in each tank.

Aerospace Logic has worked with us to incorporate appropriate warnings that a quality fuel level indication system can provide.

Note:  The upper display is indicating a fuel "Imbalance Condition"
and the flashing Amber bar is indicating you have exceeded the POH recommendations for fuel level imbalance. Switch to the flashing AMBER tank.

One of the most important characteristics of the Aerospace Logic Display is the trend graph featured on the second page.  This provides graphical information of fuel level over time.  The use of the displayed trend data makes it easier to manage fuel in a single engine aircraft.

Most importantly,  Aerospace Logic was willing to work with CIES in developing a display unit that would allow a digital interface between the display and fuel level sender.

Aerospace Logic and CiES Inc. look forward to pilot response for this system.

http://www.aerospacelogic.com

Digital Fuel Sender Now Certified

Digital fuel sender now certified

The AOPA Press Release came out today
It seems to be difficult to find, but it is on the web

The basic concept is ....


When we have specific aircraft (or aircraft type) information
and we demonstrate that the system is compatible to Transport Canada ... Flight Test
or operation under 337 Field Approval

We can add those aircraft onto the blanket AML STC owned by Aerospace Logic.

We believe after we demonstrate on several aircraft types that this is simple modification and installations are straight forward  additional aircraft models will fall into place.

Press Release - TSO Granted - AOPA Summit

NEWS RELEASE                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CIES Corporation receives FAA TSO approval for new digital fuel level senders

October 10, 2012, CIES Corporation of Redmond, Oregon has received FAA TSO C55a approval for its line of digital fuel level senders. The float based fuel level senders are designed to replace the majority of the existing fuel level sending systems in general aviation aircraft. The proprietary and patented system provides a new level of accuracy, reliability, and stability to fuel level indication in the cockpit. CIES meets a TSO standard of 2% variance in tank volume, a standard normally reserved for corporate and commercial aircraft with corrected capacitive solutions. No other float based system meets this stringent TSO standard while achieving the intrinsically safe (i.e. “no wires in the tank”) requirement.

Richard Kirkness, Vice President of CIES said, "As a manufacturer of aircraft systems, we see FAA certification as critical to our success and the foundation for everything we do. FAA approval is the result of months of hard work on the part of our team here in Redmond and could not have come at a better time for CIES as the company continues to grow and strives to achieve the goal of becoming a world class supplier of advanced systems and technologies.”

Charlie Babb, General Manager of CIES added, “After the successful introduction at the beginning of this year of our senders on all new Cirrus production aircraft, we began working with other manufacturers and owners groups to provide specific fuel level sending solutions for production and legacy aircraft. The next logical step was to acquire FAA certification to validate our quality control system and lean manufacturing processes while making aircraft integration and approval significantly easier to obtain.”

The CIES fuel level senders require a dedicated digital fuel level display to ensure that the 2% accuracy achieved in the fuel tank is provided in the cockpit as well. As a result, CIES partnered with Aerospace Logic in Hamilton, Ontario to utilize their digital fuel level cockpit display. Aerospace Logic updated their fuel level gauging system to accept the digital communication link from the CIES digital senders.

CIES Corporation of Redmond, Oregon USA provides a range of high-technology products and support services to aviation, aerospace, and the broader transportation marketplaces.

For additional information on CIES and its products please visit the CIES Inc Website

For additional information on Aerospace Logic and its products please visit the Aerospace Logic Website

Cirrus Engineering: Integrated Fuel Level Display

Cirrus Engineering: Integrated Fuel Level Display: The last analog gage in the cockpit has been the fuel level gage. All the other gages had been integrated into the Garmin Perspective system...

TSO C55a Approved Fuel Float Level Sensor

CIES Inc has obtained FAA TSO Approval - C55a - at the most rigorous standard for it's line of float based digital fuel level senders.

Its official we now are producing a line of TSO'd Fuel Level senders applicable to most aircraft below 12,500 lb gross weight. 

This effort provides a real alternative to the old Stewart Warner  senders long out of production for current General Aviation Aircraft fleet.

We are working with every major manufacturer to incorporate our senders as original equipment.

Sensors Expo - Aircraft Fuel Level

Sensors Expo 

Cirrus Aircraft and CIES Inc made a joint presentation at the Sensors Expo Conference in Chicago the first week in June.

Topic of discussion was

- Applying our AMR Fuel Level Technology to an Application

• Fuel Level and Ice Protection Fluid Sender in an Aircraft Application
• Integration to Aircraft Avionics / Instrumentation 
• Implications for reliable redundant fuel level - Fuel Qty and Fuel Flow     
• Better Annunciation 
• Fuel Imbalance Annunciation - proper left to right trim single engine aircraft
• Low Fuel or IFR Reserve Warning 
• Automatic fuel management - switching between tanks 

Discussed why a float based sensor is ideal for this application 

• Shallow Tank 
• Lots of fluid motion - constant motion 
• Solid State Technology 
• Intrinsically Safe - Explosion Proof 

Illustrated the advantages of AMR for this application - with a video 

• We hold the patent - so no licensing 
• Tolerant of angular and displacement alignment - position immune 
• No appreciable temperature effect - critical for aircraft 
• No hysteresis effect  
• Issues with existing systems 

Illustrated the studies on the aircraft to achieve an accurate level for each aircraft produced 

• Number of calibration points to reduce tank indication errors  
• 5 was chosen - 
• 0 Gallons - FAA regulations 
• 5 Gallons - provide excellent accuracy at the bottom of the tank
• 30 Gallons - At the aircraft TABS - Internal tank visual  reference 
• 40 Gallons - reduce error at transition between inbd and outbd sensors 
• 46 Gallons - Full 
• The fuel quantity indication less than 1/2 gallon or 1% in potential error throughout the fuel level range.

In looking at this fuel level indication performance and evaluating the system in its application over time

• Improved annunciation 
• Low Fuel Annunciation 
• Low Fuel Caution 
• Low Fuel Warning 
• Fuel Imbalance Caution 
• Fuel Level Sensor - Failure 
• The fuel quantity indication can be compared to the fuel totalizer and if in agreement 
• Automatic switching of fuel from left to right tank 
• If not - revert to manual actuation . 

Fuel Management

Fuel Management

“From an accident prevention perspective, fuel mismanagement is one of the most frustrating problems. The accidents are easy to avoid. The hardpart is reaching the pilots who are most at risk, because they’re not the ones attending safety seminars or taking online courses. A new approach is needed to get pilots to stop and think about the issue. Airing some ‘dirty laundry’? Perhaps, but we think it’s more than justified by the lives, aircraft, and dollars we lose to this problem every year. 

ACCIDENTS do far more damage to GA’s reputation than educational efforts to rectify the situation.

It shows that, the pilot community,  is making a good faith effort to address the problem.”

—Bruce Landsberg, President, AOPA Foundation

Fuel Management Accidents

Fuel management accidents are among the most preventable types of GA mishaps, and yet pilots still manage to turn perfectly good airplanes into impromptu gliders at an alarming rate well over two per week in the US.

The primary way GA pilots manage fuel on board is to do arithmetic.



 You look at the length of your trip, the winds, read some performance charts, then bust out your calculator or whiz wheel  to figure out how long it will take you to get to your destination at what fuel burn. I might get anywhere from 10 to 18 miles per gallon on a flight. And if the headwind is stronger than I expected or I'm routed the long way, it might take more than that. The 30 minute required reserve  is really not enough. 

FAR Part 91-151