Tempest (left) and Rapco pumps (far right) have wear inspection ports. Aero Advantage dual chamber pump, center, is a good, albeit expensive, back-up option.

by Coy Jacob

Is the vacuum pump—one of the more irritating accessories an aircraft owner has to suffer—an endangered species? Cirrus, Lancair and Diamond have converted to all-electric instruments for their new airplanes. Cirrus has even canned vacuum-driven mechanical gyros entirely in favor solid-state primary flight display technology.

These developments, and the fact that owners grow increasingly disgusted with dry vacuum pumps, have touched off significant changes in the vacuum pump industry. Also, one former major player in the field, Parker Hannifin’s Airborne Division, has abandoned the pump business due to liability worries and Champion also bailed out after dabbling in the business. …