Articles

BETTER SHORT FIELD PERFORMANCE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY:
Dive into our latest article regarding performance. Mike thoroughly discusses energy output and variable timing.
Enjoy! ...read more

ELECTROAIR'S STC ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM PROMISES TO REDUCE FUEL CONSUMPTION AND INCREASE POWER AT A COST-EFFECTIVE PRICE. OWNERS TELL US HOW IT WORKS:
There have been a number of attempts to bring electronic ignition to the piston general aviation world with varying rates of success. One we have been following is Electroair, a Howell, Michigan, company that developed an electronic ignition system (EIS) originally for homebuilts, and went on to get an STC for production airplanes - four-cylinder engine models first, then six-cylinder machines. It's in the application process for turbocharged engines and may have that approval soon after this article appears. ...read more
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ELECTROAIR LETS ELECTRONIC IGNITION KIT DO THE TALKING (General Aviation News Article)

ELECTROAIR RECEIVES NOD FOR 4-CYLINDER CONTINENTAL IGNITION SYSTEM; 6-CYLINDER IN THE WORKS
At the AOPA Aviation Summit held earlier this month, Electroair revealed several new electronic ignition systems and developments.

Electroair has received FAA approval for its four-cylinder Continental Electronic Ignition Systems (i.e. O-200/IO-240). The approval of this ignition system includes many four cylinder Continental applications, including the Cessna 150 and Diamond DA-20, and many others, according to company officials. Continental four cylinder electronic ignition kits will be available within the next three to four weeks.

Now in development is a six cylinder electronic ignition system for certified aircraft. Electroair is working on systems for both Continental and Lycoming six cylinder engines. Electroair officials say they expect to begin receiving design approvals within the next four to six months. The projected list price for the six cylinder systems is $5,500. These systems will be available through the Electroair distribution network. The initial approved systems will be for normally aspirated engines.

Meanwhile, Electroair reports that flight testing of the Piper Light Twins is nearly complete and expects to finalize the documentation required for adding the Piper Light Twins to the Approved Model List shortly. This addition to the AML will include the Seminole, Twin Comanche, and Apache. Company officials said they hope to receive these approvals by the end of the year.

For more information: 866-494-3002 or Electroair.net.

EAA: AIRVENTURE
A spark of innovation: Electroair STCs new electronic ignition
Sometimes it takes more than a spark of imagination to advance an innovation. The imagination is, of course, crucial, but so is the talent to execute the innovation and the stamina to see it all through to fruition. Electroair’s President Michael Kobylik and staff showed their stamina in earning a supplemental type certificate (STC) for a pure-electronic general aviation piston engine ignition system—believed to be only the second option approved for certificated aircraft to provide an alternative to the venerable mechanical magneto. According to the company, the STC’d system is the first pure-electronic option and leverages the more than 2,500 systems in use on experimental-category aircraft—the product of their imagination and innovation that evolved into the approved system. ...read entire article

GENERAL AVIATION NEWS
#OSH11: Electroair gets STC for electronic ignition system, By Janice Wood
Electroair has received the first FAA Supplement Type Certificate (STC) for a pure electronic general aviation piston engine ignition system. The initial STC is for all Lycoming four-cylinder engines installed on Cessna aircraft, with additional aircraft expected to be added over the next several months, company officials said on opening day of AirVenture.

Performance and economy improvements have been documented in the use of Electroair’s ignition systems, according to company officials, who note that when installed on the company’s test plane powered by an O-360, fuel consumption dropped from 11.2 gallons an hour to 9 gallons an hour. “Users can see a 10% to 15% fuel savings,” said Michael Kobylik, the company’s president.

AIRVENTURE
Electroair: Sparking a new option in ignition systems By Peter Lert

Our aircraft may be made of the latest carbon composites; their instrument panels doubtlessly boast more computation capability than the Manhattan Project.

Yet chances are, if they’re powered by piston engines, their ignition systems are based on magnetos that Henry Ford could overhaul blindfolded.

Meanwhile, the cheapest econo-box goes motoring off to the supermarket with electronically-controlled ignition that starts instantly, hot or cold, and continually adjusts its timing to reflect engine loads and conditions.

Enter, at this point, Michael Kobylik and Peter Burgher of Electroair, in Howell, Michigan. Both have EAA pedigrees: Peter is a lifetime member, while Mike first came to Oshkosh in 1974 and has hardly missed a year since, even while getting an aeronautical engineering degree from Michigan State along the way. ...read entire article

EAA SPORT AVIATION
Electroair's Electronic Ignition

ELECTROAIR HAS DEVELOPED an electronic ignition system currently in use and expects a supplemental type certificate for use on four-cylinder Lycoming engines by mid-August. ...read entire article

AOPA Pilot Magazine
Frugal Flyer: Save some gas By Dave Hirschman

Add right magnetos to the list of soon-to-be-obsolete airplane parts. Electronic ignitions have proven time and again that they can increase the top-end performance and fuel efficiency of aircraft engines, and they’ve flown hundreds of thousands of hours in mostly Experimental-category aircraft with impressive results. Now, ElectroAir expects to become the first to offer an FAA-certified retrofit electronic ignition for Standard-category aircraft using one magneto (the left one) and a single electronic ignition. (Unison was the first to offer FAA-certified electronic ignitions in 2000 with its LASAR system that includes dual electronic ignitions and two magnetos.) ...read entire article