Thread: EFIS in Gliders
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Old August 3rd 16, 11:26 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Craig Funston
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Default EFIS in Gliders

On Wednesday, August 3, 2016 at 2:07:11 PM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
My Stemme came equipped with a Dynon D10a and I love it! It's so much
easier to read indicated airspeed and altitude on the digital displays
plus there tape indications of airspeed and altitude, clock, stall
warning, and probably many other features which I just haven't looked at
yet. I still use my 57mm airspeed indicator, but the little altimeter
is a pain to read.

On 8/3/2016 8:47 AM,
Google, Dynon and probably others are offering low-cost instruments such as this one for the Experimental market:
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/prod514383.html
Since the G5 includes attitude information it would be illegal under current rules to take it to a glider contest, but... What we have here in a very compact 3 1/8" space is all the flight data you need including airspeed, altitude, heading information, vertical speed and slip/skid. The built-in GPS will indicate ground speed and of course you have attitude info. I wonder if this would satisfy regulations as a stand-alone basic instrument. You would only have to add a vario, flight computer, radio and transponder (PFlarm integrated in moving map) for a very compact panel. Redundant altitude info would come from the vario/gsp which also today often displays airspeed if so desired.
With back-up batteries, what could go wrong?
Herb


--
Dan, 5J


Garmin lists the G5 as a Primary Flight Instrument. For experimental gliders without specific equipment lists it should be fine to replace the steam gauges (at least that's the way I'm reading Part 23 regs). It may well be more complicated than that & I'd definitely want the battery backup. It's a pretty attractive option, especially having the AHRS.

Craig
7Q