Air Plains Services, a world leader in General Aviation engine and avionics upgrades, announced today it has added a second adjustable PMA airbox bracket to its product lineup for Cessna 172 aircraft.
“The trouble with OEM brackets is the inconsistent fit due to manufacturing variability in bracket height,” said Shane O’Day, Air Plains engineer. “Once installed, an OEM unit can either be too short or too long and that puts additional stress on the bracket.
“This stress, coupled with normal engine vibration, can cause cracks to form in the bracket and airbox which is often not feasible to repair properly.”
Air Plains solved this variability by adding adjustable sections that compensate for any misalignment of the installed components, assuring a perfect fit that reduces stress on the components and increases the life of the assembly.
While the company’s first adjustable bracket includes one adjustable piece where the unit attaches to the engine, this newest PMA bracket provides a second adjustment where the bracket connects with the engine baffles. These pieces are made from steel which is more resistant to the cyclic loads caused by vibration of the engine.
The new Air Plains bracket (APS0555216-16) replaces part number 0555216-16 and is approved for Cessna 172M Serial Numbers 17262572, 17262605, and 17262613 thru 17267584 as well as F172M serials F17201225 Thru F17201514 produced under license by Reims Aviation in France.
Over more than 45 years in business, Air Plains has replaced or repaired hundreds of airbox assemblies and studied the shortcomings of OEM parts, leading the company’s engineers to develop an exclusive line of PMA airboxes and brackets that eliminate those shortcomings, resulting in parts that last much longer while costing much less.
“We often see issues with airboxes that can be attributed to broken or misfitting airbox support brackets,” said O’Day. “Due to this, we typically recommend customers with of our PMA airboxes install our improved brackets to ensure they get the life they should out of the airbox.”
Air Plains introduced its first PMA adjustable airbox bracket in 2020 which is approved for certain Cessna 172L and 172M models as well as for all 172B through 172M models upgraded with the Air Plains 180hp Lycoming O-360 engine upgrade (STC SA4428SW). Air Plains bracket part number APS0552120-2 replaces either 0552120-2 or 0552120-1 and fits all approved models.
All Air Plains brackets and PMA airboxes are available for purchase online at https://shopairplains.com/.
For more information about any of Air Plains’ products or services, call 1-800-752-8481 or +1-620-326-8904, or send us an email: sales@airplains.com
