STC?

As far as I can tell it would be a minor alteration. Many Skymasters have that access panel.

Dan

I asked Owen about this earlier this week, and he is currently offering (through December) the kit for $2k, down from 3k, and $2.5k for installation vs 3.5k normally.

What is required for installation??
 

I can see the benefit, but $4,500 installed buys a lot of AP time.

How complex to install?

Any installation manual available to get an idea of it?

There's a theory in the Bonanza world that if an option was offered on a later model, it can be added to an earlier model without an STC. There's reasonable limits to this line of thinking of course.

An example is installing a modern instrument panel in an older Bonanza. This is done frequently, and I don't think there is any STC for it. You just do it.

Same thing with switching out the early nose gear brace with a beefier one from a later model. Again, you just do it. Its a factory part approved for later models.

Or upgrading the controls to modern ramshorns - you just do it.

There are many other examples I could cite, but you get the idea.

This line of thinking could potentially be applied to the rear access hatch.

A couple years ago it was around $4000 for the rear access hatch STC when I talked to Aviation Enterprise without install. Was looking at a number of items they had or had STC for. As reported, price is down. However, get nervous thinking about cutting that rear firewall. Would hate to contemplate replacing it if something screwed up.

I also have to get some real world feedback on the impact to cabin noise. Sure enough, there is the argument to be made that all bets are off on noise issues, at least on early models. But noisier is worse no matter how I slice it, ANC be damned.

There can be no arguing this point. The inner conflict comes in when you try to get a price check on the safety aspect of it. You unfortunately cannot pay an IA to not get frustrated and give up early when checking the two bolts on that mag.

I think Owen's estimate on labor was 40 hours.

Access hatch…another line of thinking
 

AC 43.13b gives some good advice on making repairs to metal skins and structures. Imagine your rear non-pressurized firewall had corrosion or a crack and your remediation efforts resulted in a hole in the rear firewall. A forward-thinking A&P & IA team would be expected to fabricate an acceptable repair to that area, consulting the appropriate service manuals. The same enterprising A&P & IA team could agree to make the repair removable, thus creating an access hatch where one was not previously. Such a repair would probably be a minor repair logbook entry or at most a major repair needing a form 337 citing the appropriate repair manual as approved data.

I like the way you all think! As we know, if you look in the FAR definitions, "common sense" is not listed. The old models do not have the embossed area like the picture of the pressurized version. Based on the description of the STC, it appears that you cut the access hole, reinforce it with angle and then add nut plates to which a cover/seal would be screwed down to.

Unfortunately in this day and age, it is harder to find a mechanic willing to do minor alterations. I have also heard of other mechanics going through log books and disagreeing with the previous mechanic who did something as a minor alteration. That was the subject of an article in AOPA's legal section.

I think it is a good addition, but until I get it installed I am just going to have to ask the mechanic to spend the extra time and take out the baffles to check all that stuff and charge me for it......