A Glass Panel for my old airplane?

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 04:16:47 -0400, Ron Natalie
wrote:

Brenor Brophy wrote:
Well my 1980 Skylane might not be exactly old by airplane standards, but its
panel is really showing its age. It has the original factory installed
avionics package, (Cessna ARC radios...).

I've been planning a major panel upgrade/replacement since I got the plane
two years ago. The current plan is a GNS480 GPS/NAV/COM, an SL30 for COM2,
and an S-TEC System 30 AP.

I came to the same realization you did.


I have a complete Silver Crown stack including the KNS80 RNAV and
digital ADF, but they are getting kinda shabby although they still
work well. The panel is a non standard layout and should be changed,
but it actually is easier to fly partial panel than the standard "T".

I've got an MX20, GNS480, GDL69A, SL30, GTX33, and STEC 55X and a

I wear bifocals and find the 480 display to be a bit on the small
side. I'd really like the new MFDs, but I'd easily pass the value of
the airplane in the panel not counting labor or some of the sensors
I'd need to purchase.

Still... were I 20 years younger I'd put in a full glass panel. The
air frame is low time. It's the ideal airplane for me, and I'd not be
concerned about a rapid return on my investment.

traditional steam guage King HSI in my Navion. I could have gone
with an Sandel HSI, but didn't see why I needed another display.

What I'm probably going to end up doing is getting a 396, a backup
electric AI, and convert the panel to a standard lay-out :-))
Although I'd sure like to have an HSI coupled to the S-Tec 50 AP
that's already there.

I might make Oshkosh for a day, late in the week if the weather is not
too hot. If I did that I should keep right on heading for Minneapolis
and have the tip tanks replaced. They're old and I was offered a good
trade to replace them with new ones with strobes. As I already have
strobes top and bottom (no rotating position light) it'd look like a
flying Christmas tree.:-))

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com