I’ve got 100 hours on my SR20, S/N 1137. My vacuum pump just failed. I thought I read early on where someone else had a series of pump failures, but I searched the site and couldn’t find anything. Has anyone had any cronic engine driven vacuum pump failures?
Steve C.
Has anyone had any cronic engine driven vacuum pump failures?
Yes, lots of people. The record, AFAIK, is Walt Conley, who has gone through 7 so far. Our plane has been through 4, and the local Cirrus demonstrator has consumed 3.
Continental are still trying to work out what is causing it.
The good news is that the standby pumps seem to work just fine (I know Walt’s has quite a few hours on it by now!)
Happens all the time. I’m on my third (230 hours).
Happens all the time. I’m on my third (230 hours).
Begs the question:
Does CD publish failure rates for engine components and, more importantly, why is it that new aircraft, designed for reliability, appear to have significantly high failure rates in critical components? Having driven my Honda Insight (gas/electric hybrid) over 27,000 miles w/o a single equipment failure makes me wonder why people get used to unacceptable failure rates in aircraft (can’t remember the last time I heard of an “engine out” incident in a new Honda). My hybrid car has technology far more advanced than any GA aircraft in production and appears to have greater reliability. I’m aware of the “low production rate”, “weight”, “limited market”, and “extreme elements” arguments in defense of the complexity of GA production but I’m left unconvinced. Any better explanations???
Ken
I’m aware of the “low production rate”, “weight”, “limited market”, and “extreme elements” arguments in defense of the complexity of GA production but I’m left unconvinced. Any better explanations???
Well, those are all good reasons, but another important one is certification - we might pay several times the price for inferior equipment, but at least we know it’s FAA/JAA/CAA/CASA certified!
Seriously, the cost and complexity of certifying anything new means we get stuck with old technology. Add that to the reasons you listed above, and the end result are expensive, handbuilt and unreliable aircraft.
Counter to that, most of the problems that have arisen with the Cirrus SR2x are in the components that Cirrus buy from outside - engines, accessories and avionics. The airframe has had surprisingly few problems, given that it’s new.
Any better explanations???
Why should planes be any different than cars. When and if Honda starts making airplanes you will have reliability and the American airplane industry will announce that they have suddenly discovered reliability and now their are planes are much more reliable than they used to be.
I never used to keep a car more than 2 years until I started driving Honda. Now I keep them 10 years and the only maintenance I do is oil changes every 6000 miles.
I fly a 1985 Warrior with 1500 hours. So far, never a failed engine, vacuum pump, or other critical item. I too am dismayed to hear about these problems on the SR-2x’s. I fly a lot of IFR, so the reasonable probability of a vacuum pump failure (with backup or otherwise)is totally unacceptable to me. For the low total hours of the fleet, the failure rate on these types of things should be zero. It’s not like vacuum pumps and engines are new, untested technology. There are other new aircraft in recent years, eg, the Katanas, that don’t have anywhere near the same failure rates of critical items.
I’m aware of the “low production rate”, “weight”, “limited market”, and “extreme elements” arguments in defense of the complexity of GA production but I’m left unconvinced. Any better explanations???
Well, those are all good reasons, but another important one is certification - we might pay several times the price for inferior equipment, but at least we know it’s FAA/JAA/CAA/CASA certified!
Seriously, the cost and complexity of certifying anything new means we get stuck with old technology. Add that to the reasons you listed above, and the end result are expensive, handbuilt and unreliable aircraft.
Counter to that, most of the problems that have arisen with the Cirrus SR2x are in the components that Cirrus buy from outside - engines, accessories and avionics. The airframe has had surprisingly few problems, given that it’s new.
Any better explanations???
Why should planes be any different than cars. When and if Honda starts making airplanes
Have you been to Greensboro NC lately?
Piedmont Triad International Airport?
Have you been to Greensboro NC lately?
Piedmont Triad International Airport?
I’ll bite. What is there?