Amateur-built and experimental aircraft - Australian Transport Safety ...

challenging (χ 2 = 2.89, p = 0.09, odds ratio 2.23, 90 per cent confidence intervals
1.01 to 4.91).
Figure 60: Build challenge for fuel system
Fuel systems did not generally present as much challenge as aircraft engines and
airframes, using the quite challenging and very challenging ratings as a reference
group. The descriptions of how fuel systems were modified in this report are not
generally detailed enough to examine exactly what people found challenging.
Avionics challenge
Survey respondents found avionics quite a significant build challenge (Figure 61).
About 30 per cent or 80 of 269 respondents found avionics to be quite challenging
or very challenging, but the challenge appears to be independent of the type of
instruments installed in the aircraft (χ 2 = 2.03, p = 0.36). Certain general skills are
required to build an aircraft such as following plans; what Gardner (1983) calls
visual-spatial intelligence. However, it appears that avionics challenges this
intelligence in a special way. The most challenging part of installing avionics
usually lies in integrating different components (Figure 62).
Figure 61: Build challenge for avionics
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