An instrument bench tech in the gyro lab at Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics puts a Century NSD360A HSI to the test. A quality overhaul for these vacuum-driven instruments could run we'll north of $2500 after removal and installation.
On The Cover: An instrument bench technician works on an old Century NSD360A vacuum-driven HSI. Like many, we assumed spinning iron gyros like the NSD and other vintage models were all but extinct. Turns out, there’s a lively market for overhauling old gyros because of the long wait times on the shop level for avionics upgrades. For many gyros, overhauling them is still cheaper than upgrading. We talk it through starting on page 4.
When we talk with busy avionics shops around the country, it’s clear that electronic flight displays are tops for major upgrades. For aging aircraft, that means yanking out spinning iron gyros and usually the vacuum systems that feed them.
These upgrades replenish the used gyro market, making it easier to maintain older panels still sporting round-gauge flight instruments.
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Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano has been a staple at Aviation Consumer since 1995. An active land, sea and glider pilot, Larry has over 30 years’ experience as an avionics repairman and flight test pilot. He’s the editorial director overseeing sister publications Aviation Safety magazine, IFR magazine and is a regular contributor to KITPLANES magazine with his Avionics Bootcamp column.
