{"id":10899,"date":"2024-11-13T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/?p=10899"},"modified":"2024-11-07T11:33:24","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T16:33:24","slug":"purdue-aviation-experts-create-safety-guard-for-piper-archer-aircraft-in-the-purdue-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/2024\/Q4\/purdue-aviation-experts-create-safety-guard-for-piper-archer-aircraft-in-the-purdue-fleet","title":{"rendered":"Purdue aviation experts create safety guard for Piper Archer aircraft in the Purdue fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. \u2014 When they approach a Piper Archer aircraft at Purdue University Airport<\/a>, student pilots and maintenance personnel know with certainty that the engine and propeller are turned off thanks to a safety device created by Purdue Polytechnic Institute<\/a> experts, which is now available for licensing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Davis<\/a> and Jon Ziulkowski<\/a> have designed and implemented patented magneto safety guards for all 18 Piper Archer aircraft in Purdue\u2019s fleet. Davis is the director of aircraft maintenance, and Ziulkowski is a senior lecturer and Part 141 flight operations quality assessment manager in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe guard is a clip that fits over the magneto switch at the top of the flight deck only when it is turned off,\u201d Ziulkowski said. \u201cWhile the clip is in place, the engine cannot be powered on; when the engine is on, the clip cannot be placed over the switch. A footlong \u2018remove before flight\u2019 ribbon attached to the clip provides a visual indication to people outside the flight deck that the clip is in place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Michael Davis, left, and Jon Ziulkowski of Purdue Polytechnic Institute have designed a safety guard that fits over the magneto switch of Piper Archer aircraft in Purdue University\u2019s fleet. (Purdue University photo\/John O\u2019Malley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Davis said, \u201cWe also have designed the clip to accept a lock that keeps the guard in place. This prevents our students from accidentally attempting to power up an aircraft that is down for maintenance or inspection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davis and Ziulkowski disclosed the magneto safety guard to the Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization<\/a>, which has applied for a patent that protects the intellectual property. Industry partners interested in commercializing it should contact Matt Halladay, senior business development manager and licensing manager \u2014 physical sciences, at mrhalladay@prf.org<\/a>, about track code 69452<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magnetos and safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A magneto is a self-contained electrical generator that provides spark plugs in an aircraft\u2019s internal combustion engine with the energy needed to ignite the fuel-air mixture. When the magneto switch is on, the craft\u2019s engine and propeller remain on with no external indication of their status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A Purdue-designed magneto safety guard hangs in place in a Piper Archer aircraft at Purdue University Airport. (Purdue University photo\/John O\u2019Malley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The magneto switch in the Piper Archer aircraft is part of an overhead line of switches in the flight deck. Davis said before the magneto safety guard was implemented for the Purdue fleet, it was a common occurrence for student pilots to forget to turn off the switches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPurdue students fly the 18 Piper Archer aircraft five to six times per day, six days per week and, weather permitting, extra time on Sunday,\u201d Davis said. \u201cAround 25 safety reports were filed for these occurrences after the Purdue fleet was upgraded to the newest models in 2020. Since the magneto safety guard and lock have been used, no safety reports have been filed for accidentally leaving the magneto switch on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The safety guards for the Purdue fleet were manufactured in the Indiana Manufacturing Institute, located in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe rapid design-to-prototype step afforded through our School of Aviation and Transportation Technology colleagues in the IMI helped us to greatly shorten the time between modifications to find the perfect design in far less time than in similar projects I have done in industry,\u201d Ziulkowski said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization<\/a> operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university\u2019s academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. In fiscal year 2024, the office reported 145 deals finalized with 224 technologies signed, 466 invention disclosures received, and 290 U.S. and international patents received. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Contact otcip@prf.org<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Purdue University<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue\u2019s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap \u2014 including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative \u2014 at https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/president\/strategic-initiatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n Media contact:<\/strong> Steve Martin, sgmartin@prf.org<\/a> <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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