BH2

SafeAir1 & Avery Tools... A partnership, bringing you the best in creative solutions for Experimental Aviation

Installing the Battery Hawk
by Cairn Aviation

Battery Hawk installation is quick and easy. Everything required is in the kit.

As shown in the image below, the connector plate can be mounted on the engine mount in the area just inside the oil filler door.

The mounting bosses in the socket are used as a drill guide to match drill the .032 plate and the socket is then fastened into the plate.

The socket can be mounted in front of or behind the plate - but we have found that connecting and disconnecting is easier when the socket is mounted in front of the plate.

Battery Hawk
Introduction

Installing the
Battery Hawk

Exact placement of the holes for the Adel clamps to attach to the engine mount is at the discretion of the builder. For our installation, we placed the Adel clamps around the engine mount tubes with the loop facing downward. This puts the plate closest to the oil filler door for easier access. With the Adel clamps in position, you can easily mark the back of the plate for drilling with a #19 to #21 drill bit to fit the #8 screws. The #19 bit drills a larger hole, but provides a bit of flexibility in placement prior to tightening the screws. The #21 bit provides for a tighter installation.

From the socket, it's just a short wire lead run to the firewall forward battery location on the RV-7s and 8s. The power cord is long enough for a standard battery forward installation and should be connected red to positive and black to negative. A fuse block is integrated into the wire lead.

Aft-firewall battery installations, such as with the RV-6, may require mounting the connector in a different location. One possibly convenient location would be up under the instrument panel on a bracket mounted to the bottom flange of one of the instrument panel mounting ribs. Please contact us if you need a custom length power cable.

Note: Please do not run the wire lead through your airplane's firewall to accomodate an aft battery location. If your battery is aft of the firewall and you like the idea of having the socket connector in the location shown below, please contact us. We are developing a kit that will contain a small metal canon plug for proper firewall penetration.

If you would like to be able to power other devices while on the ground, (such as a handheld VHF, power screwdriver, or worklamp), you can install a higher rated fuse in the in-line fuse block to handle these loads. Do not exceed a 5-amp rating fuse.

While charging, the unit will produce some EMI/RFI interference that may prevent you from using your aircraft radios while on the ground when the charger is plugged in. Generally, this is not a negative factor and certainly the unit should always be unplugged from the aircraft and the dust cover put on the socket during preflight. This item should be an update to your preflight checklist.