I've replaced the original incandescent bulbs in the original overhead light fixtures with 24V LED bulbs that have the same socket. It makes a big difference. Come to think of it, I can probably read the breaker labels when they're on but I don't like things that don't work as intended, so I will b...

One reason why I like the circuit breaker panel arrangement in mine. All the breakers are together, and as I mentioned, the floodlight illuminates them. I don't think that is really necessary (or desirable for that matter) to change the labelling to be completely specific. Rich, you know what unit h...

Wow. What a pain. Assuming one had the serial port connector, could you not just run the laptop and avionics off of their batteries long enough to download the data? How long does it take? A couple of times I had to connect to my KAP140 via its serial port to my laptop for some diagnosis. The aircra...

I have also added circuit breakers (3 of them) for new avionics: IMG_4814.jpg Labels were made on a Brother label printer, and in the case of the CO Detector and ELT, were in empty spots with no illuminated label. The ADS-B is on the same breaker as the Transponder, and the label does not obscure th...

Welcome to the Forum - and thank you! I have been trying unsuccessfully for the past several months to get over the recent 28% increase in my hangar rent to $900/mo. After reading your post I don't feel so bad...

The carbon fiber hinge pieces attached to the hatch fracture. The portions remaining within the hatch must be routed out and then new ones epoxied in.

Shortly after I bought my DA40 (must have been 2002 or 2003), I flew over to Houston (KEFD) to do some work with NASA (talk about a rush for a child of the Space Age - flying your own airplane, parking next to the NASA T38s, and working with NASA engineers and some of the astronauts). At any rate, I...

Matt: Yours is a completely different latch design than the one that Rich and I have on our airplanes (even forgetting about the spring vs gas cylinder design change). I like the old, dependable design - mine is 23 years old and no maintenance has been required (other than lubricating the rear hatch...

One can develop a rationale for installing the cap in either direction. That, however, doesn't mean that either approach is better. I do like Russ' approach, using the direction as reminder of a preflight check item. Also, irrespective of direction, if the O-ring seals are faulty you can get water i...

How unfortunate. My co-owner and I learned about the importance of weight and balance early in our training, when our instructor crashed an overweight DA20 on a 100 degree summer day on takeoff. Our instructor didn't make it, but his student survived. Ever since we've both been extremely cautious a...