Human nature sure is entertaining : )
Real world experience is what decides this sort of thing for me.
Several here have related experiences where a breaker got then out of a
jamb. I could add a couple of more examples but I've given them before and
it's a long story. Can anyone give an example (no theoretical ones please)
of where a fuse saved them and a breaker would not?
Jim's point about PROPER fuse sizing (being as good as a breaker) has
some validity but the crux is "proper". It is not arguable (IMO) that
mistakes are made by us humans. We may not anticipate some situation
that can cause the fuse to blow or the CB to open. Which one gives you a
second chance?
In other news, Finally got 600 feet of dry runway (my personal
minimum) and flew the RV-4 home from Lake City. Practiced short field
approaches for 30 minutes then touched down at 60 mph.
Didn't touch down prematurely (in the water) like last time.
Hardly any brakes needed and stopped in 400 feet. Good to have the
bird home again.
Tracy (departing for Colorado Wednesday)
>
>Here is Bob K's and
his well reasoned argument FOR fuses
>
><http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/Rev9/ch10-9.pdf>http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/Rev9/ch10-9pdf
>
>
The
keystone of Bob's endorsement of fuses:
When the failure manifests
itself by opening the breaker or
fuse likelihood of recovering the system
by replacing a
fuse or pushing in a breaker is very, very
small.
Beneath it all,
this is what all the fuse versus circuit breaker
discussions hinge
on. It is an incorrect assumption, in my
experience.
A very
large percentage (but by no means all) of electrical
problems in vehicles
are intermittent in nature. You can very often reset
the breaker and
restore the critical system long enough to safely land the
aircraft. A
fuse does not give you this option, at least not in a timely
manner.
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