From Multi-Engine Turboprop Communiqué # ME-TP-0011:
Dated: February 2019
ATA 00 – Model 90, 200 and 300 Instructions for Continued Airworthiness
Textron Aviation has recently made a number of Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) documents available on the txtavsupport.com website. These ICAs are for factory installed supplemental type certificates (STCs) installed in recent production aircraft as well as several common kit installations which could have been installed after aircraft delivery.
Links to vendor sites have been provided for STC ICAs not owned by Textron Aviation. To access these ICAs, log in to txtavsupport.com, select the aircraft model on the left, then in the “Aircraft Publications” block, select “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness.”
ATA 56 – Electronic Window Shade – Description and Operation
LJ-2129 and after; BY-207, BY-239, BY-250 and after; BZ-1 and after; FL-954, FL- 1010, FL-1031 and after
NOTE: The Electronic Window Shades are covered in the appropriate Maintenance Manuals Chapter 56 for System and Operation; the Wiring Diagram Manuals Chapter 44 and the Illustrated Parts Catalogues Chapter 25.
Introduction
The Fusion King Air Electronics Window Shades are programmed to default to dark on the ground in normal operation, in order to prevent sunlight from overheating the cabin. When powered, each window shade draws less than 50mA to be in a clear state. The purpose of the following paragraphs is to describe the timing, operation, and source of the power used to drive clear window shades.
On each cycle of the cabin door or entry switch, the cabin window shade system draws its power from the main ship battery for 10 minutes to power the windows to a “clear state” to provide light to safely enter or exit the cabin.
Each of these cycles will also cause the Emergency Egress Window Power Supplies (EEWPS) to go through a 45-minute cycle. Multiple instances of this without the whole aircraft being powered up long enough to recharge them could cause them to fail the 45-minute requirement. The EEWPS is a separate battery that only powers the emergency egress window shade.
Pre-Boarding Operation
On C90/B200 Fusion King Air opening the cabin door triggers the Main Switching Unit (MSU) to command all shades to a clear state for approximately 10 minutes.
On B300 [models] this initial Pre-Boarding timer is not activated by opening the door but rather by the Entry Switch Located on the LH side wall of the entry vestibule.
If the door is closed or the entry switch turned off prior to the Furnishings/Interiors Master switch being turned on will result in the MSU immediately switching off. In this instance the windows not on EEWPS would immediately return to a dark state. The windows on EEWPS will begin a 45 +/- two-minute cycle of a clear state before returning to a dark state.
In-Flight Operation
When the Furnishing/Interiors Master switch has been placed in the on position the MSU will cause all windows to assume whichever state is commanded by the cabin shades master switch located in the cockpit. This will terminate the 10-minute pre-boarding timer if it was still in effect. If the Cabin Shades Master switch is set to “DARK” this will override the individual control panels and cause all cabin shades to assume a dark state.
If the Cabin Shades Master switch is set to “CLEAR” this will override the individual control panels and cause all cabin shades to assume a clear state.
If the Cabin Shades master switch is set to “PAX,” then the individual control panels at each window location will become active and will initially default to full clear.
Window shades are designed to cycle from dark to clear or clear to dark in 10 seconds using a continuous press or five momentary presses at typical indoor temperatures. The factory acceptance test is performed in a hangar. It has been noted that at altitude, the extreme cold on the outside of the window can cause window shades to take much longer to transition.
There is also a lightning bolt switch which will cause the shade to skip to either be clear or opaque at its current level of shade.
Post Flight / De-Boarding Operation
At the end of the flight when the aircraft is shut down and the Furnishing/Interiors Power Switch is turned off, the windows all go to a clear state for approximately five minutes. At the end of this time period if the cabin door hasn’t been opened then the windows will return to dark. If the door has been opened, or the B300’s entry light switch has been pressed, then the windows will begin a new timer to remain clear for 10 +/- one minute before returning to full dark.
Emergency Egress Window Operation
The windows located just forward of the door on the LH side or in the emergency escape hatch are equipped with independent emergency power supplies. When either the five-minute timer at system shutdown or the 10-minute timer door open/entry switch end or if the main control unit loses power on its battery bus connection then the emergency egress windows will switch to their independent power units and operate clear on a 45 +/-two-minute timer.
These independent power supplies are connected such that when the Furnishings/Interiors Master switch is on they charge from the ship power. They have a red charging LED on them to which extinguishes when the unit is at full charge. Brand-new and fully charged they have enough power for two 45-minute cycles.
Switch Locations C90 and B200
The Furnishing Master is located on the Co-Pilot Sub Panel. The Cabin Shades Master is located on the Overhead Lighting Panel.
B300
Both the Interior Master and Cabin Shades Master are located on the Overhead Lighting Panel.
ATA 56 – Electronic Window Shade Power Supply Capacity Test
LJ-2129 and after; BY-207, BY-239, BY-250 and after; BZ-1 and after; FL-954, FL- 1010, FL-1031 and after
The test for power supply capacity is performed after insuring the battery is fully charged. The recharge time for a fully discharged battery is approximately 2.5 hours. To recharge the battery where it can complete a 45-minute cycle would take approximately 45 minutes of charge time. Charging can be achieved by either placing the ship on a ground power source with the Main Ship Power and Furnishings/Interior Master switch on for more than 45 minutes or visually confirming the red charge LED located on the power supply is extinguished before starting. The test then when the aircraft is powered down the 45 +/- two-minute timer does not start until the non-emergency egress windows have gone dark.
If the emergency power supplies do not have enough power to complete the 45-minute timer then the shades may strobe as the timer tries to continue placing them in a clear state.
ATA 56 – Electronic Window Shade Switch Upgrades
C90GT, Serials LJ-2129 thru LJ-2132 which came with 130-384089-33 Switches.
To replace these switches with the new style 130-384089-35 Switches will require Kit 101-3305-0005. This kit includes seven new switches and the procedure and engineering information needed to modify the window shrouds to clear the back guard of the improved switch.
B200GT, Serials BY-207, BY-239, BY-250 thru BY-253 came with 130-384089-23 Switches. Serials BY- 255 thru BY 281 and BZ-1 have 130-387089-33 Switches.
The 130-384089-23 Switches can be replaced directly with 130-384089-33 Switches. Both the 130-384089-23 and 130-384089- 33 switches can be replaced with the new style 130-384089-35 switches using Kit 101-3305- 0003. Like the C90 kit, this B200 kit includes a full set of the new switches and the procedure and engineering information needed to modify the window shrouds.
B300, Serials FL-954, FL-1010, FL-1031 thru FL-1155 currently use the 130-384089-29 switches.
At Serial FL-1156 we began use of the 130-384089-39 switch assemblies. These are also the recommended spares replacements for the previous switches. They will require the use of new spacers and washers. These are in the IPC but the stack up per each stud of the switch will be a NAS1149D0632J Washer, a NAS43DD6-10FC Spacer, a MS15795-847 Washer and a MS21044N08 Nut. Kit 101-3305-0001 is no longer applicable for use on the B300.
ATA 25 – Operations with 9 Passenger Seats or more
B300 Series
The number of passenger seats allowed for a commuter category aircraft operated without a Second in Command pilot under Part 91 is defined by 91.531. Section (a)(3) states that the aircraft can be operated single pilot for aircraft with up to 9 passenger seats. In the Model 350 under Part 91 you cannot operate with one pilot and 10 passengers even though there are 2 crew seats and 9 cabin seats. If you choose to use the co-pilot seat as a passenger seat then you need to install Kit 130-5015-1 which makes one of the cabin seats unusable to a passenger and keeps the total passenger seats to 9 or less.
For operators outside the United States please check your local regulations as this may vary from country to country.
Part 91 91-531 Second in Command Requirements reads as follows as of February 2019.
§91.531 Second in command requirements.
- Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate the following airplanes without a pilot designated as second in command:
- Any airplane that is type certificated for more than one required pilot.
- Any large airplane.
- Any commuter category airplane.
- A person may operate the following airplanes without a pilot designated as second in command:
- Any airplane certificated for operation with one pilot.
- A large airplane or turbojet-powered multi-engine airplane that holds a special airworthiness certificate, if:
- The airplane was originally designed with only one pilot station; or
- The airplane was originally designed with more than one pilot station, but single pilot operations were permitted by the airplane flight manual or were otherwise permitted by a branch of the United States Armed Forces or the armed forces of a foreign contracting State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
- No person may designate a pilot to serve as second in command, nor may any pilot serve as second in command, of an airplane required under this section to have two pilots unless that pilot meets the qualifications for second in command prescribed in §61.55 of this chapter.
[Docket FAA-2016-6142, Amdt. 91-351, 83 FR 30282, June 27, 2018]
ATA 25 – Center Aisle Cabin Floor Board Flexing
Technical Support has received reports that the center aisle cabin floor board at the aft side of the main spar, flexes and sometimes falls through. Investigation revealed that the channel that supports the floor board gives away under heavy weight. Textron Aviation has developed Standard Repair SR-KA-00075 to resolve this condition. The Standard Repair adds a reinforcement angle to add rigidity to the floor board support.
ATA 31 – Fusion Equipped B200GT King Air Phase 3 Production Update
Textron Aviation recently began deliveries of B200GT Pro Line Fusion Phase 3 aircraft. The serial effectively for factory production is BY-324 and after; BZ-3 and after. Phase 3 production aircraft will include the equipment changes and additional options shown [on this referenced Communiqué online].
There are changes to software, databases, electronic activation keys, and manuals with this release that should be noted. With the introduction of Phase 3, the Rockwell Collins Pilot’s Operating Guide 523-0824675; Pro Line Fusion Aircraft Maintenance Manual 523-0824677; FMS Quick Ref Guide 523-0823290; Fusion Quick Ref Guide 523-0822518 and Fault Isolation Manual 523-0824683. The list for production phase 3 aircraft software is shown [on this referenced Communiqué online]. The field loadable software files are available on the txtavsupport.com website. The phase 3 AFD software is bundled into a load set as part number 434-310011-0009 file on the website.
An upgrade path for the serials prior to Phase 3 cut-in is in work.
ATA 34 – Universal Avionics Flight Management System Week Number Roll Over
Universal Avionics has issued service bulletin (SB) 34-3719 to address possible loss of approach capability affecting legacy Universal Avionics GPS external sensors, Flight Management Systems (FMS), Navigation Computer Unit (NCU) with internal GPS sensor and the GPS Landing System (GLS-1250) GPS receivers. Some of these systems covered by this SB were installed in production Pro Line 2 King Airs as well as through field installations.
For background, GPS Time as defined in the legacy GPS navigation message, uses 10 bits to count GPS Week Numbers. This representation can only cover a finite period of 1024 weeks (19.7- year epoch). GPS Time is presently in its second Epoch, which will end on April 6, 2019. The degradation of almanac data affecting RAIM predictions will begin at 02:00 UTC on Thursday 4 April 2019. During and after this week rollover event, Universal Avionics GPS product lines will be impacted differently, although GPS satellite tracking and navigation integrity will be unaffected.
To determine if the unit(s) installed in the aircraft are affected, inspect the nameplate on the FMS, NCU or GPS sensor and refer to the table below for the effects possible with each system.
If your unit could be affected, please contact a Universal Avionics repair station or their customer support group for possible solutions at repairs@uasc.com or customersupport@uasc.com. A full copy of the SB can be downloaded from https://secure.uasc.com/uninet/Default.aspx by registered users.
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