Electroair Information

Electroair was started in 1992 by Jeff Rose in Chattanooga, TN. Jeff became interested in electronic ignition systems and their application on experimental aircraft. Jeff has built several experimental aircraft including two Vari-Ezes, a Long-Ez, an Avid Flyer and a Kitfox. Jeff selected an Electromotive high performance ignition system as the basis of his original investigation and began developing methods for coupling that ignition system to typical aircraft engines. The Electromotive system is dependent on a 60 minus 2 tooth trigger wheel that rotates at the same speed as the crankshaft RPM to deliver both engine speed and engine position information. With that information, the ignition system can deliver spark energy at the appropriate time needed for each cylinder. Jeff's original systems attached this trigger wheel directly to the crankshaft, and using a magnetic sensor, delivered the engine information from that point. Later iterations included the development of the Mag Timing Housing (MTH), which utilized a magneto position for coupling the ignition to the engine. Jeff's MTH design served as the basis for the current MTH used in Electroair's present day system. As the technical challenges of coupling the ignition system to an aircraft engine were overcome, Jeff turned his attention to developing an appropriate timing curve which would take advantage of an important feature available with modern, electronic ignitions: variable timing. In aircraft applications, efficiencies in both power and fuel consumption can be realized if ignition timing is varied based on altitude changes. Magnetos have fixed timing, which was based essentially on highest load conditions for an engine. Those conditions would exist at full-power, sea level operations. Jeff developed a Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor that would detect changes in MAP (varies based on altitude) and supply a signal (voltage in this case) to the ignition system. A power increase from the engine can be achieved by adjusting ignition timing as MAP changes. Jeff's research showed that ignition timing curve to be a linear, fixed curve and is incorporated into the analog circuitry of the Electroair MAP Sensor. As time moved forward, Jeff continued to focus the efforts of Electroair in the experimental world. Jeff developed systems not only for the 4cyl Lycoming engines, but for 6cyl Lycoming, TCM engines, Franklin engines, Volkswagen engines (& their variants e.g. Rotorway, Hirth, etc.), Corvair conversions, and Subaru engines. (After Jeff sold the business, Electroair continued to develop systems for large Continentals, Lycoming 720s, and Jabiru engines). Because of Jeff's efforts and the continuation of those efforts under the new leadership at Electroair, we can safely say that amongst our competitors, we can offer ignition systems for the widest range of aircraft engine applications.