I think it is pretty cool when you can play with a new toy right after you get it, don?t you? That?s why I though it was pretty cool to climb out of Oshkosh this morning with the Dynon D1 ?Pocket Panel? sitting on the Val?s glareshield ? I was able to pull it out of the box, turn it on (it was fully charged) and start using it immediately. It?s so bloody simple that even an old-fashioned steam gauge pilot can turn it on and understand it ? there are virtually no settings to adjust, and precious few buttons on the case. It just?works!
Think about what this little box represents ? it has an attitude and rate platform to show you where you are pointed and which direction you are moving. It shows you GPS-derived altitude and speed. It is, in fact, a pretty good six-pack replacement, and it seemed to reflect what I was seeing on the GRT HX?s pretty darn well. Imagine the confidence you?d have slotting into an empty instrument hole (they have a VERY cool mount) in a rental Cessna or Cherokee ? it would be a lot easier to hand fly such an airplane if the vacuum pump fails than it would be to keep going with needle, ball, and airspeed. Ten years ago, I never dreamed of such a thing.
I found the display to be readable and stable. This was a cross-country, so I didn?t do any Acro (I am looking forward to giving it a good work-out in the RV-3!), but it didn?t seem unduly sensitive to vibration sitting directly on the metal dash. It used about ? of the battery indicator in the 1:45 flight ? one charge should be good for at least a full tank of gas in an RV. As cool as this is for anyone, I almost think it?s niche market might be folks still flying older certified airplanes who want a more reliable (and easier to fly) backup. But you could build a super-light RV with a single 3-1/8?hole in the middle of the panel?.and not much else! Speed is (of course) ground speed ? but that gives you a fairly good idea what?s going on, assuming you?re not flying near a hurricane, and add a little margin to protect above stall.
I?ll update this thread when I get a chance to shake it up a bit in flight.
Paul
Think about what this little box represents ? it has an attitude and rate platform to show you where you are pointed and which direction you are moving. It shows you GPS-derived altitude and speed. It is, in fact, a pretty good six-pack replacement, and it seemed to reflect what I was seeing on the GRT HX?s pretty darn well. Imagine the confidence you?d have slotting into an empty instrument hole (they have a VERY cool mount) in a rental Cessna or Cherokee ? it would be a lot easier to hand fly such an airplane if the vacuum pump fails than it would be to keep going with needle, ball, and airspeed. Ten years ago, I never dreamed of such a thing.
I found the display to be readable and stable. This was a cross-country, so I didn?t do any Acro (I am looking forward to giving it a good work-out in the RV-3!), but it didn?t seem unduly sensitive to vibration sitting directly on the metal dash. It used about ? of the battery indicator in the 1:45 flight ? one charge should be good for at least a full tank of gas in an RV. As cool as this is for anyone, I almost think it?s niche market might be folks still flying older certified airplanes who want a more reliable (and easier to fly) backup. But you could build a super-light RV with a single 3-1/8?hole in the middle of the panel?.and not much else! Speed is (of course) ground speed ? but that gives you a fairly good idea what?s going on, assuming you?re not flying near a hurricane, and add a little margin to protect above stall.
I?ll update this thread when I get a chance to shake it up a bit in flight.
Paul
