Used Autopilots & Certified Aircraft

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JC150

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JC150
Is it legal to install a used STEC 50 for example into a certified aircraft? Currently the aircraft in question has the Autocontrol IIIb and is in need of an upgrade. Thanks!
 
Used Autopilots & Certified Aircraft

In order to have it legal, you will need to have STEC provide you the STC and documentation for your particular airplane. They charge for this. Last guy I heard paid $1500.

Cobham sold STEC to new ownership, I'm hoping all of their costs go down a bit.


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Re: Used Autopilots & Certified Aircraft

Marauder said:
In order to have it legal, you will need to have STEC provide you the STC and documentation for your particular airplane. They charge for this. Last guy I heard paid $1500.

Cobham sold STEC to new ownership, I'm hoping all of their costs go down a bit.


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At one point (I think it was when Cobham first purchased S-Tec) they wouldn't transfer their STC for any price. Now they require you to buy a new installation kit ($1000-3000) and have the components bench checked at the factory for another $1500 or so IIRC.

Also, FWIW, the S-Tec system 30 does everything a series 50 will do and is considerably less expensive to install.
 
You have to go to stec for a field approval,it's not cheap.
 
$1,500 for documents? No thanks.

Recently I paid about $1,500 for a 2 axis fully coupled autopilot which will fly gps or heading horizontal navigation and vertical navigation provides altitude control, climb/descent rate with airspeed limiting, and altitude pre-select. Climb/descent on airspeed is also included and will fly fully coupled approaches. This is one of the benefits of the experimental world.

If I planned to stick with a certified plane, I would look into buying another plane with the autopilot already installed.
 
JC150 said:
Is it legal to install a used STEC 50 for example into a certified aircraft? Currently the aircraft in question has the Autocontrol IIIb and is in need of an upgrade. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Last I heard and checked, for all intents and purposes with S-TEC, no. S-TEC assigns the STC to an airframe serial number. In order to install that equipment in your plane, you need an STC from S-TEC to put it in your plane. When I checked a few years back, the answer was flat out 'no', they would not sell a new STC. Later I heard that they revised the policy and would issue an STC after you send them the gear and they overhaul it. Thing is, it cost as much to overhaul as to buy new.

Some other manufacturers will issue a new STC at a nominal processing fee.

It'll be a rule change before I install an autopilot so I can use an experimental unit from Garmin or True Track. Either that or I can install a Cessna 400 under the TC and have an autopilot anybody can work on, and needs to...:rolleyes: I don't think I'm destined for an AP :nonod::lol:
 
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The question is...in today's litigious society...can you blame them for taking that approach?
 
timwinters said:
The question is...in today's litigious society...can you blame them for taking that approach?
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Meh, even in the litigious society it's a low risk anyway, all they are doing is assuring each owner that exposes them to liability compensates them for the liability rather than each unit produced that exposes them to liability. It's just maximizing profit is all, their risk exposure has not changed by a unit changing ownership. They are no more exposed than when the plane as a unit sells to a new owner, and actually less exposed since a sale of the unit they are not involved in does not reset the 14 year (pretty sure that's what it is, I might be wrong there, but there is a liability limit) liability clock. If they rebuild the unit at the cost of a new unit, then that would well arguably in court reset that clock.

Personally I can't stomach the business ethics at S-TEC enough to give them my money, I don't need an autopilot that bad. If I want an autopilot, there are others I can install from the boneyard for <$10k under either the TC or from companies that will sell an STC for the cost of doing the paper work.
 
Certified A/P prices are completely nutso-insane.

I saw a used 2-axis TruTrak ADI Pilot II complete system (experimental only, of course) for only $2K on another forum's classifieds just yesterday. Wish I had the spare cash at the moment as it would be the perfect upgrade for the 1-axis A/P in my RV-6.
 
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