CiES fuel quantity senders approved for more aircraft

Aircraft joining the list of those eligible for replacement of their existing fuel senders include the Piper PA–46 Malibu, Mirage, and Matrix; Cessna 190/195 Businessliner; Cessna 337 Skymaster, Cessna TTx/Columbia; Socata TB Trinidad, Tobago, and Tampico; Rockwell Commander Series 112 and 114; and Grumman American AA-5 Series Traveler, Cheetah, and Tiger aircraft.

With the expansion, approval to use digital CiES CC284022 senders as replacements for “existing automotive or agricultural fuel senders used in most general aviation aircraft” covers “the majority of active single engine aircraft and adds to our growing approval for popular twin-engine aircraft,” said Bend, Oregon-based CiES Inc., in a news release.

The company expects to add the Cessna Caravan; Cessna 300 and 400 twins; and the de Havilland Beaver and Otter soon.

The system uses “an advanced technology sensor system that allows repeatable, reliable and accurate measurement of fuel in the aircraft fuel tank. This patented sensor system allows fuel measurements down to 100th of a gallon,” CiES said, adding that the non-contact fuel-measurement method is safer because it “eliminates electrical contact with the fuel that is prevalent in resistive or capacitance systems.”

“It is a tragedy that general aviation pilots have suffered with marginal fuel quantity systems,” said CiES President Scott Philiben. “The situation is so bad that many pilots don’t trust or rely on this FAA required fuel quantity instrument. Aircraft fuel quantity systems were really crying out for a new and better technology.”

In more than 790,000 hours of operation, the senders have “an outstanding record of a handful of in service removals with over 18,000 senders fielded.” More than 4,750 aircraft fly with CiES digital fuel quantity sensing systems, and the units are included on all new Cirrus, Quest, Vulcanair, Tecnam, Gippsland, Pipestrel, CAIGA, Octens, Guanyi, and Jiucheng aircraft, “with more manufacturers to be added in the coming months,” the announcement said.

For more product information, visit the CiES website.