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deliver the power I needed on a 15- amp circuit. The GPUs are designed for worldwide service and can accom- modate 120-240VAC power.
When you use an external power supply, it is useful to see the energy consumption of various systems, and with the Best Power GPU, that is easy to accomplish. The Best Power GPU not only provides a display of volts and amperage but also provides cur- rent watts and total watts consumed for those that are really interested in power engineering.
Mark and his team’s engineer- ing prowess is visible even in the packaging for the GPU. Many of the Best Aviation team are pilots, and they want full control over the com- ponents that power, tow, or go inside the aircraft. To that end, they design and manufacture many of the com- ponents in-house. And for parts pur- chased from others, they frequently modify them as well. For example,
The Best Power GPU display when connected to the Premier with the avionics turned on.
the team modifies the protectives cases to not only fit the power supply but to also include a 12-gage exten- sion cord, 8-foot power cable, and two screwdrivers! I’m always looking for a screwdriver to remove my GPU access panel – something you don’t have to worry about with Best Power.
GPU Testing
The best way to evaluate the GPU is to use it on various aircraft. I started with the smallest power requirement, the SR22. It easily handled the data- base updates, as expected, and draws 12 amps powering the avionics. I also tested the amp draw for a complete flap deflection – 14 amps.
The next test was on my Eclipse jet. It easily handled the higher current loads of avionics and flap extension. I tested the GPU to 10 amps over its limit (67 amps) to see what happened. It simply provided a lower voltage, which was still above the batteries’ (the Eclipse has two), however, the new higher load was shared between the GPU and them.
I then tried the unit on the Beechcraft Premier, which has a much higher electric current requirement. The 57-amp GPU accommodated the load of the basic systems, and if I turned off the automatic AC system, it would also handle the avionics, pulling 50 to 55 amps from the GPU. The loads will drop after the initial connection since the GPU is also charging the batteries simultaneously. As they reach full
charge, then the GPU only has to provide power to the aircraft systems. The voltage was rock steady through- out my tests – 28.5VDC, up to the load limit of the GPU, as advertised.
Summary
This GPU is the first in series of ground power units from Best Power. They are currently shipping the 57- amp ($1,495) and 114-amp (BP-114/200 – $1,995) power units. Best Power anticipates shipping the 171-amp (BP-171/300 – $2,395) and their larg- est, 288-amp continuous/400-amp surge (BP-288-400 – $2,895) by the end of the first quarter of 2021. All units other than the 57-amp BP- 57/100 will require 220VAC power. They are also developing a series of battery-powered power supplies for starting aircraft.
The larger units weren’t available for my testing during this evaluation, but I would recommend selecting the appropriate model for the load of your aircraft. In my case, with multiple airplanes, it is best to choose the unit that will meet the need of the aircraft with the highest electrical load requirements.
On top of tugs and GPUs, the com- pany is also adding another prod- uct line – Best Scrubbers – a line of floor scrubbers. As with their other products, these incorporate a number of innovations, and they are offer- ing two models. With their expand- ing line of products, they are orga- nizing Best Tugs, Best Power, and Best Scrubbers companies under a new entity – Best Aviation Products. I’m not sure what their next product line will be, however, it is sure to be innovative.
AvFab
With 12,000+ hours of piloting more than 100 aircraft models Rich Pickett still has a passion for flying. Rich holds an ATP, CFII SME, SES, glider licenses, and type ratings in the L29, L39, Citation 500/510s/525s, Eclipse 500S, Beechcraft Premier and DA10. His company, Personal Wings, provides training, mentoring and aircraft services. He is also a proud owner of an Eclipse and Cirrus SR22. You can contact Rich at rich@personalwings.com.
8 • TWIN & TURBINE / March 2021