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The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

Duncan Aviation Releases December Duncan Intelligence

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Fri, Dec 15, 2017 @ 10:49 AM

Do you know how to close the outside baggage door on your Falcon 900 without having to turn on any generator or battery switches? Or have you heard we expanded our Honeywell Primus II Capabilities? No? Then you haven't read the December issue of the Duncan Intelligence.

December Duncan Intelligence


Falcon 900: Closing the Baggage Door
Want to know how to close the outside baggage door on your Falcon 900 without having to turn on any generator or battery switches in the cockpit?


Citation Sovereign Inspection Safety
Citation Sovereign has many items that come due at high hours/cycles. We have performed work on items that the rest of the fleet has yet to realize will be required.


CASP Elite And ADS-B
There are many advantages offered with the CASP Elite aftermarket warranty program that specifically target ADS-B upgrades.


Cessna CIL-21-03: Water Separator Corrosion Repair
Duncan Aviation has the proper tooling to provide Cessna operators a more cost-effective option with a reasonable turntime on Cessna CIL-21-03.


Duncan Aviation Adds To Honeywell Primus II Capabilities
We've added repair and overhaul capabilities for the primary interface used to control the Primus II radio system in the Primus 1000 and Primus 2000 flight decks.  

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Scott Kruce Joins Duncan Aviation’s Avionics Install Sales Team
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Duncan Aviation Parts & Rotables Sales Open 24/7/365
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The Duncan Intelligence is a free, technical newsletter for business aircraft owners and operators. Written in-house by Duncan Aviation's technical representatives, each edition includes technical tips and advice on topics and trends in business aviation. It is a free, monthly e-mail subscription for aviation enthusiasts around the world.

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Tags: Cessna, Parts & Accessories, ADS-B, Announcements, Falcon

Duncan Intelligence September 2017 Issue

Posted by Duncan Download Blog on Wed, Sep 20, 2017 @ 01:00 PM

Are you aware of the reletively new 7X task card 53-60-00-900-601?  No? Then you haven't read the September issue of the Duncan Intelligence.

September Duncan Intelligence

Falcon 7X Body Fairing Screw Installation

Duncan Aviation Falcon technicians have noted a few Falcon 7X aircraft with screws pulling through the composite fuselage body fairings.

Hawker Corrosion Control: Don’t Let Out of Sight Be Out Of Mind

Whenever access to the upper surfaces of your aircraft is possible, inspect and remove minor corrosion.

Bombardier Learjet: Piston Care on Main Landing Gear Actuators

During recent inspections, Duncan Aviation Accessory Technicians have found corrosion on the pistons in the Main Actuator of a Bombardier Learjet 55 aircraft.

ART-2000/2100: Proper Shutdown Procedures to Prevent Unwanted Squawks

If your ART 2000 or ART 2100 screen is blank, only showing half a screen, sending you FAIL messages, or creating a noise/vibration when getting powered down, you may not be following proper shutdown procedures.

 
 Duncan Intelligence Subscribe Now
 

Susie Corn Joins Duncan Aviation’s Turbine Engine Service Sales Team

Duncan Aviation CJ3 Pro Line Fusion® Integrated Avionics Upgrade Program in Full Swing

Tags: Parts & Accessories, Avionics & Instruments, Falcon, Hawker

Duncan Aviation Releases a Different Kind of Falcon

Posted by Duncan Download Blog on Thu, Aug 17, 2017 @ 09:00 AM

Falcon release.jpg

Earlier this summer, three American Kestral Falcons attempted to take their maiden flight out of the nest that was high in the rafters of a Duncan Aviation maintenance hangar. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it far and landed on the floor. 

They were discovered, rescued and taken to the Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery Center in Elmwood, NE, where Elaine Bachel, center volunteer, fed and cared for them.

The Raptor Recovery Center sees between 450-500 birds of prey, such as eagles, falcons, hawks, owls, and vultures, in need of immediate assistance every year. They rely on concerned citizen to report the injured raptors and a network of dedicated volunteers across the area to receive the calls and then potentially drive countless miles to retrieve the birds and get them back to the trauma care unit. The birds are evaluated immediately upon arrival and if necessary, provided treatment, medication, and surgery by trained professionals. Once the birds are healthy again, they are banded and released back to the wild near where they are found.

Elaine said the falcons discovered at Duncan Aviation were uninjured and just needed a little bit more time to grow and get stronger. After only a few weeks, she brought the birds back to Duncan Aviation where some of the technicians who found them were able to release them.

 

 

Tags: Falcon, Community

Duncan Aviation Releases March Duncan Intelligence

Posted by Duncan Download Blog on Thu, Mar 09, 2017 @ 09:00 AM

Have you heard about the Honeywell HTF7500E Stator Vane Seal Inspection Program? How about the cause behind those intermittent software failures on your Avidyne EX-500 MFD? 

No? Then you haven't read the March issue of the Duncan Intelligence. 

 March Duncan Intelligence

Falcon 7X Flap Rigging Precautions

 Caution is needed when rigging the flaps on a Dassaut Falcon 7X aircraft.

ADS-B Solution for Bombardier Challenger 800/850 SE Aircraft

 This was an industry-first installation in the United States and was performed in the customer’s hangar.

Honeywell HTF7500E Stator Vane Seal Inspection Program

 This inspection program is applicable to the HTF750E model engine.

Why Is My Avidyne EX-500 MFD Experiencing Intermittent Software Failures?

 Completing a proper shutdown every time will prevent this.

Got a crack in your APU Exhaust Support? Don’t Replace It. Repair It.

 Duncan Aviation has AWS D17.1 certified welders and inspectors on-site, all capable of welding all types of materials for aerospace applications.

The NBAA Tech Committee Wants To Hear From You

Progress can only be accomplished if we have regular interaction with and feedback from you, the Citation operator.

Get The Duncan Intelligence In Your In-box

The Duncan Intelligence is a free, technical newsletter for business aircraft owners and operators. Written in-house by Duncan Aviation's technical representatives, each edition includes technical tips and advice on topics and trends in business aviation. It is a free, monthly e-mail subscription for aviation enthusiasts around the world.

Duncan Intelligence Subscribe Now

Tags: Avionics & Instruments, Engine Maintenance, ADS-B, Falcon, Challenger

VIDEO Falcon 900: Everything and the Galley Sink

Posted by Duncan Download Blog on Tue, Jan 05, 2016 @ 09:48 AM

N183WW0347_blog.gifRead the Fall 2015 Duncan Debrief to see more gallery photos and details of this project.

The best laid plans often go awry. Business aviation maintenance is no exception. Most maintenance directors will tell you it’s almost impossible to plan for everything that might pop up during a large inspection that is coupled with a variety of updates and upgrades.

So how can Duncan Aviation guarantee turntimes? The answer is really pretty simple but often overlooked by those who don’t have the right people and the right processes.“We plan ahead and work hard,” says Finish Team Leader Tony Houk. “We still encounter hurdles, but we work together as a team to overcome them.”

Business jets are incredible assets. When they’re in our hangars for months, we recognize the owners are missing a valuable resource, so we do our best to meet turntimes and set efficient schedules to get customers in, out and safely on their way.

When an 18-year-old Falcon 900 was added to the schedule at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Nebraska, location, promising a finite out date seemed far-fetched—because it was. A laundry list of inspections, avionics, interior upgrades and new paint packed the to-do list.

During the inspection, a handful of corrosion squawks required extra hours, making serious teamwork mandatory in order to adhere to a tight schedule. With some teams needing access to the same areas at the same times, schedules were changed to second or third shifts so progressing could be maintained at the same rate.

Everyone realized they needed to make it happen, even if that meant working in hourly blocks, or changing shifts and working weekends.

And all that teamwork paid off. The aircraft delivered, the customers were ecstatic and Duncan Aviation was able to add another success story to the books.

Watch this video and witness firsthand, how all the teams (airframe, paint, interior and avionics install) accommodated each another to do what was right for our customer.

 

Tags: Videos, Falcon

How Are You Planning to Budget for NextGen Without Numbers?

Posted by Melissa Raddatz on Tue, Sep 15, 2015 @ 11:19 AM

How are you planning to effectively budget for the upcoming mandates on your Falcon airframe when you don’t know how much the ugrades will cost or how long your aircraft will be down? The answer is, you can’t…

…until know.

For years it has been a Duncan Aviation mission to help our customers become “smarter” business aircraft operators by providing valuable and relevant information in order for them to make the best-informed decisions.

Our Falcon specific Mandate Service Guides contain estimated costs and downtimes to be used for budgeting purposes as you look ahead to the coming months and years.

Available Falcon Service Guides
Falcon 2000
Falcon 2000EX
Falcon 900EX
Falcon 7X

Reguest your Falcon NextGen Service Guide now. 

Falcon NextGen Service Guides

 

A lot more goes into planning and budgeting for mandates than just numbers. When you are ready to gather proposals specific to your aircraft (all airframe models) and schedule, reach out to anyone in Duncan Aviation Avionics Sales.

Tags: Falcon, NextGen

Making a 14 Year Old Falcon 900 New Again

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Tue, Jul 14, 2015 @ 08:00 AM

It was a massive amount of work completed in a short amount of time. However, it still delivered on time and squawk-free with a transformation nothing short of spectacular. 

When this Falcon 900B arrived at Duncan Aviation, the interior workscope completely changed at the last minute, allowing very little time to preplan the changes and nearly nothing for material lead time.

We think we nailed it. What do you think? 

Interior Transformation

Before and after

Falcon900B_1Falcon900B_2

Left-hand aft divan added replacing two club seat and a closet. Read the 2015 Spring Duncan Debrief for more interior before and after photos.

"This was a very large project with little planning time. As quickly as this project came together, I was extremely impressed with how the individual shops at Duncan Aviation responded and prepared. Everyone involved acted with a sense of urgency and had a positive attitude. It is remarkable to see a project of this magnitude come together, a true testament of hard work and commitment. Thanks to everyone involved for putting in the time and effort to make this a successful project. The owners of this aircraft are extremely thrilled with the outcome as all expectations were exceeded!" 
-Chief Pilot Franciso Angarita

Avionics Upgrade

Falcon900B_5

 EFIS to CDS/R. Read the 2015 Spring Duncan Debrief for the complete list of avionics upgrades.

Exterior Enhancements

Falcon900B_3Falcon900B_4

New LoPresti BoomBeam landing lights. Complete new exterior paint scheme. Read the 2015 Spring Duncan Debrief for more exterior enhancements. 

Tags: Avionics Installation, Interior Refurbishment, Falcon

Transformation on Display at NBAA in Las Vegas

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Wed, Oct 23, 2013 @ 08:52 AM

Contributed by Kaela Paseka, graphic design lead

At static on the first day of NBAA, business aviation owners, operators and enthusiasts continually flowed through this Falcon 900B aircraft on display and were impressed by its transformation with a stunning interior and avionics package upgrade.

Falcon 900B on display at NBAA 2013 in Las Vegas

Duncan Aviation representatives are on hand to answer questions and give tours of this beautifully transformed aircraft.

Avionics Transformation

Duncan Aviation and Universal Avionics partnered to transform a Dassault Falcon 900B by installing Universal’s EFI-890 glass box cockpit. This cockpit upgrade replaced 25 older instruments, significantly improving reliability and situational awareness, and offers advanced capabilities like WAAS-LPV and FANS 1/A.

“If you want an aircraft that’s predictable to operate, properly supported and can hold its value this newly retrofitted aircraft is the way to go,” says Gary Harpster, senior avionics installation sales rep for Duncan Aviation.

Additional avionics installed include Rockwell Collin’s Venue Cabin Management System that allows passengers to watch movies on demand on high-definition displays and conduct business, seamlessly. With Collin’s new Skybox cabin sharing, passengers can securely share movies, TV shows and music wirelessly between the on-board Apple iTunes library, Apple iOS devices and the cabin displays.

Interior Transformation

In addition to the avionics installations, Duncan Aviation completed several interior upgrades, including complete soft good refurbishment, new cabinet veneer, Duncan Design Collection PSU overlay panels, EMTEQ LED lighting and much more.

You still have time to visit and walk through this Falcon 900B today and Thursday. The aircraft is currently at NBAA static display #140 at the Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gary Harpster and Duncan Aviation’s Avionics Tech Rep, Chris Christenson, will be on-site for a personal tour and demonstration.

Click here to view more NBAA photos on Duncan Aviation's facebook page.

Kaela Paseka is Duncan Aviation’s Graphic Design Lead at its Lincoln, Nebraska, headquarters. She is responsible for all elements of visual communication, including publication design, industry advertising and companywide branding. She is currently attending NBAA 2013. Her aviation career began 2006.

Tags: Avionics Installation, Interior Refurbishment, Conventions & Exhibitions, Falcon

Falcon 900B: On a Clear Path to Meet Upcoming Mandates

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Thu, Oct 17, 2013 @ 07:00 AM

Submitted by Gary Harpster, senior avionics installation sales rep

Right now there are approximately 20 to 25 Falcon 900Bs on the market available for sale. In talking with these owners, I’ve learned the majority of these aircraft were placed up for sale over the concern there was no upgrade path to meet the upcoming mandates and essentially rendering the aircraft as domestic use only.

I totally get it. Who wants an aircraft capable of Mach .84 - .87 that can travel 4,600 miles and only be able to fly it in the 48 contiguous states? 

Universal EFI-890

On the Falcon 900B, the engines, airframe and accessories are still highly supported. Therefore, the weak link in this analysis becomes the avionics. However I am hear to tell you, when it comes to meeting the needs of the mandates for both the U.S and abroad, there is a clear path.

With the installation of the Universal EFI-890 solution, a Falcon 900B gains many of the same capabilities of new production aircraft and in some cases, even more. Charts, weather, synthetic vision, electronic engine gauges, camera input, new LED displays, WAAS FMS with LPV and the necessary accuracy to fly in Minimum Navigation Performance Specifications (MNPS) airspace.

Want to fly to Europe and fly in the most favorable tracks doing so? This is the solution.

Want to jump up into the airspace over Europe on the bosses schedule and not when air traffic allows you to depart? This is your solution.

Add winglets, new custom interior and paint, a state of the art entertainment system and you have yourself one heck of an aircraft that will meet the needs of the future for the next 10 years.

Or as an option you could buy a used aircraft with these capabilities for more than seven and a half times what this upgrade would cost you.  Keeping in mind that if you wanted the custom paint, interior and entertainment – that would all be additional.

On Display at NBAA

Falcon 900B with the first EFI-890R cockpit retrofit upgrade.On display at NBAA 2013, Falcon 900B with the first EFI-890R cockpit retrofit upgrade, newly designed interior and new CMS. Click to enlarge. 

Why just read about it when you can come see it. During NBAA at static display #140 on the Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas, I personally invite you to walk through and see a Falcon 900B with the first EFI-890R cockpit retrofit upgrade. I will be on-hand to answer any of your questions, as well as representatives from Universal Avionics.

Also featured on this aircraft is a newly designed interior, new paint and new cabin/management/entertainment system; all completed by Duncan Aviation. 

How weak is that link now? 

Gary Harpster is a member of Duncan Aviation’s Avionics Installations Sales team and is the current Chair on the AEA Board of Directors. He is an industry expert on the subject of Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), co-authoring  the Straight Talk About WAAS booklet and Upgrading to WAAS guide, as well as hosting a WAAS video series. His aviation career began in 1997.

Tags: International Considerations, Avionics Installation, Conventions & Exhibitions, Falcon

Duncan Aviation Custom Solution for Dassault Falcon Lav, Storage Swap

Posted by Diane Heiserman on Fri, Aug 02, 2013 @ 11:12 AM

Falcon Lav

Duncan Aviation’s design and engineering teams collaborated to craft a custom cabinet to replace the forward lavatory in Falcon aircraft so customers could choose from a variety of dedicated storage options or a preparation station instead of struggling to utilize it as a provisional closet.

Interior engineers often need to think outside the box to come up with one-of-a-kind solutions for customers, and one of those solutions—a forward lavatory conversion to a storage space in two Dassault Falcon models—has caught on among Duncan Aviation customers.

A portion of Falcon 900 and 2000 aircraft have two lavatories. In those aircraft, the front lavatory often remains unused for its intended purpose and is transformed into a makeshift storage compartment. Duncan Aviation’s design and engineering teams collaborated to craft a custom cabinet to replace the forward lavatory in both Falcon aircraft so customers could choose from a variety of dedicated storage options or a preparation station instead of struggling to utilize it as a provisional closet.

“The problem is a lot like your closet at home. If you just stack and throw things in there, an avalanche of belongings is always looming,” says Jeff Beaudette, engineering team leader.

The collaboration resulted in a cabinet solution that completely replaced the lavatory while retaining the plumbing. Duncan Aviation has modified three aircraft since creating the solution.  

“We capped all the lines from the toilet and built a cabinet insert that molded around the old chute just in case the next owner wanted to reinstate the lavatory,” says Steve Rosenow, cabinet team leader.

The lavatory is nestled between the galley and the jump seat, and the space is anything but standard.

Steve says the initial Falcon 900 customer requested a large ice drawer in the bottom and a coat closet up top, but the space looks a bit like a soda bottle, so it took a bit of finagling to ensure they utilized every square inch.

“Customers just want the option—the opportunity to define that space when they sell the aircraft or if their needs change while they own the aircraft,” says Rosenow. “And that’s what we’re here to do. We create a custom solution that affords them countless options.”

As for the Falcon 2000, the modification was very similar to the previous 900 storage swap.

Duncan Aviation provided a cooled catering box storage, crew closet, upper storage and a lower drawer. The storage conversion was done in addition to a partial paint, left-hand forward crew closet modification, left-hand entertainment cabinet modification, removal of tray storage, removal of a microwave and the addition of a passenger coat closet.

Duncan Aviation will accommodate almost all requests and provides customers versatility in both design as well as engineering. The company requesting the modification owns another Falcon 2000 with significantly more storage and preferred those capabilities.

“All three of the modifications we completed are similar, but differ greatly in their final function. There is no such thing as a standard part or design. Many items may be very similar, but the customization for the customer is the key,” says Beaudette.

Duncan Aviation's custom interiors have come to be admired around the world not only for their beauty but also for their innovative style and durability. View Duncan Aviation's interior galleries here

Tags: Interior Refurbishment, Falcon

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