Much has been written about the frailties of the vacuum pumps that power our crucial flight control instruments. Most recently, AVweb published the first article in this series ("How Can I Fail Thee? Let Me Count the Ways"), which took a close look at some of the weak links in vacuum systems and components installed on piston-powered airplanes. At the end of that article, I promised to take a look at some of the alternatives to back up these systems. For example, what, if anything, is being done about their frailties? What can you do about it? How much will it cost? Following are some answers to these questions.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/ownership/vacuum-pump-substitutes-from-500-to-300000