Originally Posted by
43Inches
Just out of interest, what power loss are we talking here? So if you lose the electrical system in the aircraft does the engine fail, or is it more like larger turbines that have an integrated alternator for engine only systems. The turbine not really requiring the alternator to sustain though if the alternator fails, although you do lose some automated control functions. With a spark and fuel injection related piston that would mean total power loss if your electrics were fried, would make lightning strikes possibly interesting. I've never had great trust in aircraft electrical systems, compared to power plants, like boats everything a plane is exposed to is anti wiring and electronics. And talking of IO-360s, the Arrow engine set-up used to blow/drip oil directly into the alternators reducing their life by about 70%.
I have great trust in the electrical systems of most of the the GA aircraft that I fly. Well thought out architectures are simple and reliable and provide for comfortable continuation or termination of the flight after a failure. In fact I've never run across anyone who has had any problem with a GA electrical system that didn't boil down to "The alternator died and I didn't notice until way too late"
On the other hand, this aircraft has a very complex engine and electrical system. The electrical system is powered by two batteries and an alternator. There's a fancy bus manager that should isolate a battery or bus fault and also has an emergency switch to directly connect one battery to the engine bus. The engine system has two independent ECUs, each of which is capable of running the engine. Unfortunately, between electrical system and the engine control system is a single 15A breaker so if that breaker fails, the engine quits with no way to recover it. There are a few additional less probable but still worrying single points of failure. Lightning strikes are not really a concern but nevertheless, trust is low.