Glider Cockpit with 4 Varios! Why?

http://www.canadabizmart.com/bootstr...ockpit-photos/

This web site has some nice pictures of aircraft cockpits, including
two gliders. If you scroll down you will find an LS-4 flying
inverted.

What caught my eye is that there appears to be four (4) varios in the
instrument panel. My soaring friends have been scratching our heads
trying to understand why you would ever need four varios in a single
glider.

Can anyone give some valid reasons why this would be useful?

Thanks, John DeRosa

On Jul 16, 10:57*am, ContestID67 wrote:
http://www.canadabizmart.com/bootstr...ectacular-cock...

This web site has some nice pictures of aircraft cockpits, including
two gliders. *If you scroll down you will find an LS-4 flying
inverted.

What caught my eye is that there appears to be four (4) varios in the
instrument panel. *My soaring friends have been scratching our heads
trying to understand why you would ever need four varios in a single
glider.

Can anyone give some valid reasons why this would be useful?

Thanks, John DeRosa

Hmm looks like he has a Peschges VP4 installed which would account for
three of the four varios. The VP4 has a vario, and a speed to fly
output. I think those are the 2 top ones. So in essence there are only
2 vario systems installed in the LS. One electronic, and one manual.

Pete

ContestID67 wrote:


What caught my eye is that there appears to be four (4) varios in the
instrument panel.

Hmm,
I only see three.

Still, seems a bit much.
I usually fly with the electric and one mechanical.

I'm interested in hearing rationale for more than that.

--
Message posted via AviationKB.com
http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forums...aring/200807/1

Kloudy wrote:
What caught my eye is that there appears to be four (4) varios in the
instrument panel.

Hmm,
I only see three.

Duuuh.

I see the Peschges now.

--
Message posted via http://www.aviationkb.com

I only see three. Still, seems a bit much.

Not at all. I fly with one mechanical (in case of battery failure) and
two electric -- a 302 that is my backup logger, and an LX7007 that is
my primary.

The mechanical uses pure TE compensation, of course. The 302 is set to
netto compensation, the LX's to relative netto. So while there are
three varios, there is no redundant information.

~ted/2NO

Just a thought - why would you install a mechanical vario in a new glider? (flame suit on)

Just thinking - you can easily have two completely separate electrical systems. Solar panels are expensive, but not
relative to the cost of all that carbon. It causes all sorts of nasty interference mixing capacity flasks and transducer
varios on a single TE probe.

So why would you not have two electronic varios - there is so much more you can do with them. They have no- or virtually
no moving parts to wear, and they are in my experience faster and more accurate.

So why install mechanical varios in a new high tech glide? Convince me.

Bruce

Tuno wrote:
I only see three. Still, seems a bit much.

Not at all. I fly with one mechanical (in case of battery failure) and
two electric -- a 302 that is my backup logger, and an LX7007 that is
my primary.

The mechanical uses pure TE compensation, of course. The 302 is set to
netto compensation, the LX's to relative netto. So while there are
three varios, there is no redundant information.

~ted/2NO

Well, to tell you the truth, my "mechanical" vario, isn't -- it's a
B40 (electric), that lets me switch to an internal battery if I have a
problem with the main batteries, bus, or fuse.

But it was mechanical in my last glider -- a Sage that came with the
V2C.

2NO

On 16 Jul, 20:37, Bruce wrote:

So why install mechanical varios in a new high tech glide? Convince me.

How well do electric ones react to nearby lightning bolts? Apart from
that, isn't it an awful lot easier to fit a mechanical vario than it
is to fit a complete second electrical system?

Ian "All mechanical cockpit" J

Hi Ian

Lightning is best avoided. But in the event it is not avoidable, my limited experience is that a strike that is near
enough to knock out a GPS has no effect on a Tasman vario. Presume this is because of the aerial on the GPS.

My guess would be that - If you get hit hard enough to knock out your electronic varios you will probably not be
particularly worried about thermalling.

Bruce

Ian wrote:
On 16 Jul, 20:37, Bruce wrote:

So why install mechanical varios in a new high tech glide? Convince me.

How well do electric ones react to nearby lightning bolts? Apart from
that, isn't it an awful lot easier to fit a mechanical vario than it
is to fit a complete second electrical system?

Ian "All mechanical cockpit" J

On Jul 16, 4:35*pm, Ian wrote:
On 16 Jul, 20:37, Bruce wrote:

So why install mechanical varios in a new high tech glide? Convince me.

How well do electric ones react to nearby lightning bolts? Apart from
that, isn't it an awful lot easier to fit a mechanical vario than it
is to fit a complete second electrical system?

Ian "All mechanical cockpit" J

I'm totally in the "all electric" camp. Tossed my mechanical 8 years
ago, replaced with a nice Ilec electric backup (with audio), and
haven't had a problem since. Primary is an SN10. Both agree all the
time.

And 2 electrical systems are only slightly more work than one, if done
at the same time.

Given more funds, I would replace the Ilec with something that has
electronic TE, so that losing the probe wouldn't fail both varios - my
current single point of failure...

Mechanical varios belong with barographs - on the shelf behind the
club bar. Especially on club ships, where good varios with audio are
really needed, yet rare (at least in the US).

Cheers,

Kirk
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