I'm not sure I can answer all the previous questions...but I'll put in my 2 cents as usual! Regarding unusual attitudes, I frankly dont' think it matters all that much, because even my $1200 cageable certified sigmatek is worthless at the top of a loop or on the downside of a cuban 8. I was out flying today and realized, when doing wifferdill, I've never relly paid attention to most of my instruments other than airspeed. I'm usually paying more attention to keeping the upline on my loop straight, then the downside correct, and the speed across the top ok.
Anyway, my point is that in unusual attitudes of more than 45 degrees of bank and 30 degrees of pitch 99% of standard gyros do you no good either. Since the huge majority of regular gyros are only 360 in roll and not 360 in pitch, they are worthless beyond a point. So the fact that they Dyno shows all blue or all brown at least should be an improvement over my normal gyro which at that point is just useless.
Outside the clouds you should be able to recover from any most attitudes anyway (just step on the sky) and if you're in the clouds there are very few instruments that I'm aware of (EFIS or standard) that will do you much good if you're inverted or pointing straight up/down anyway. I too come from the big iron birds....I'll have to check out the 57 or whale (I'd try it in the 320, but the @#$^ computer won't let you go beyond a 60 degree bank or 30 degree pitch unless you spend a bunch of time - the computer always gets the last vote) the next time I'm goofing around in the sim and see what they show when pointed straight up or down (I know it's possible to loop and roll all the Boeing stuff). The only units out there that I'm aware of that give you any indication of what to do in those scenarios are the Chelton unis (which flash huge red arrows on the screen) or the trutrak ADI which also flashes arrows at you for recovery. Other than that I'm unuaware of any lower end GA EFIS systems which will help you.
My opinion is they are already far superior to my certified gyros which are completely useless after most "departures from straight and level flight". Today after a couple cuban 8's I had both my DG and Attitude indicators both spinning and tumbling wildly (but my trutrak was still spot on).
Regarding Dynons decision for placement of the ASI and ALT windows, I have no knowledge as to why it was done that way, other than I'm guessing the though was having it higher on the display was a human factors decision.
Your idea (and mine in the airline world) of "industry standard efis" really isn't apples & apples to GA. So far I've yet to see any sort of standards among all the EFIS builders that I represent. Each one has it's own characteristics that are very unique to each one. Even in the certified world there really isn't much for standards. Hell, in the 757 sim at good ole NWA, you can quickly change the EFIS screens to show the "standard displays" for NWA, Continental, Delta, American, United, (depending on who's being trained) etc.. and it's amazing to see all the sometimes subtle (and sometimes huge) differences between how each airline has their particular units and displays configured. For example, some use typical FD displays, some use cross hairs, some use velocity vectoring....and the most amusing to me...some airlines have the airspeed tapes running from top to bottome (high to low) and some of them are just the opposite! Then, you mix in the airbus stuff with the Boeing stuff and you really get a bizarre mixture of standards.
My point to this rambling monologue is that until this all gets sorted out, each company has their own way of doing things for their own reasons (not always known to us) and I think each one of them truly believes they want to set the standard. All of the leaders currently selling EFIS's, be it Dynon, BMA, GRT, Chelton, etc.. has chosen to do things certain ways, and if you choose those units you have to learn each ones characteristics. The only one I've seen that is truly configurable from a display perspective is once again the Chelton stuff which allows you to select the old "meatball" Attitude indicator replete with Flight Directors, or a mix of plain PFD with or without terrain, HSI, VOR, velocity vectors, etc.. but that's what you should expect out of the higher buck units....not out of the $2K ones.
Just my 2 cents as usual!
Cheers,
Stein.
