iStart Partners has introduced the iStart system, an electronically controlled aircraft piston engine starting system that automates the delivery of fuel during engine startup.
iStart is simple to install by any person with reasonable mechanical skills in just a few hours, according to company officials. The system is comprised of only two components. There are no additional switches or pumps to install. The iStart control module is installed behind the instrument panel. A throttle body injector plate is installed between the fuel servo and intake manifold.
“Operation is as simple as setting mixture to cutoff, throttle cracked to approximately 1,000 RPM, turn on mags and energize the starter,” officials said in a prepared release. “iStart controls fuel delivery to ensure a perfect starting mixture regardless of whether the engine is hot or cold (iStart monitors the engine temperature to determine the best mixture). iStart will idle your engine and indicates to the pilot when it is time to transition the mixture control to rich. Once the pilot advances the mixture, iStart will automatically conclude its control of fuel delivery and the aircraft will operate as normal by pilot control. iStart cannot interfere with normal operations of the engine until the next engine start.”
iStart is currently available for Lycoming powered experimental aircraft. FAA certification is in process. Development for Continental engines is nearly complete, company officials note.
Based in Granbury, Texas, iStart Partners is the brainchild of many of the same brains that brought you Sky-Tec Starters and Plane-Power Alternators.
For more information: istartair.com or 817-219-0007.