Some aircraft were manufactured with built-in oxygen systems. These are commonly found in high performance aircraft with turbocharged engines. When these aircraft were made, each manufacturer could pick which connector to use in their system. Portable manufacturers entered the fray and used different connectors. What we are left with is a whole lot of connectors without much consistency.
You might think it will take a special decoder ring to figure out what connector you need for your 1972 Cessna T210 (PB-2 for the record), but it doesn’t have to be that hard. There are six main connectors to consider.
Available connectors:
- PB1/Puritan 750 Connector - Found on Cessna aircraft manufactured in 1980 or later, Aeospatiale, Diamond, and pressurized Cessna Twins
- PB2/Puritan 566 Connector - Found on Cessna aircraft manufactured 1979 or earlier
- Scott Connector (NVSC) - Found on most Piper, some Beech, Mooney, and some retrofit oxygen installed systems.
- Aerox Connector (Plug 202) - Found on Aerox systems. Many of these are portable.
- SkyOx Connector - Found on SkyOx systems. Many of these are portable.
- Cirrus Connector (CPC) - Found on most Cirrus aircraft with factory installed systems.
There are plenty of exceptions to this list. When in doubt, consult your POH.
Aircraft with built-in oxygen systems normally came with enough masks or cannulas for the pilot and passengers. When these aircraft are sold on the used market, most pilots will discard the old oxygen stuff and buy new stuff. After all, who wants to put a cannula in their nose that someone else used? Rather than just update the part that goes in your nose (cannula), most pilots opt to replace everything from the plug on. This ensures that you're not dealing with 30 year old mold someplace in the line or fitting.
Sporty’s has several options for complete kits available and they can be found here.
Watch this video for more details:
