Glider EFIS anyone?

A lot of people seem inordinately attached to old-style airspeed and altitude indicators. But they were just the best that could be done in analog, pre-computer display days. At the speeds and rates of climb we experience in our gliders, all that is really needed is a big number. You glance at it, read the value, and fly accordingly. With a smart display, you can add color for speed limits, change the intervals so the digits change at a recognizable rate, and provide a trend arrow for "at a glance" monitoring (in the pattern, for example). Tapes have disappeared from Fighter HUDs for that reason - there is just a box with the airspeed, and another with the altitude. With less clutter, it's easier to lookout for traffic!

Lots of new cars have a digital speedometer in addition to the old needle - I at least find it a lot faster to check - just read the number directly, instead of finding the needle, then looking and reading the closest number under it.

If it works at 600knots and 200 ft, it will work at 60 knots and 2000 ft.

So add a big legible airspeed and altitude readout to the top of your glass panel, and stick a small mechanical backup airspeed at the bottom of the panel.

Kirk
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