Simple robust IFR panel.
Simple - less wiring and as few separate devices as possible means easier installation and higher reliability, less weight.
Robust - maximum capability with minimal number of devices.
Cheaper than other options. Nothing is cheap in aviation though.
Assumptions:
1. You want to get your instrument rating and/or fly light IFR (pocking thru clouds occasionally, filing IFR routes, approaches etc).
2. Be able to execute an instrument approach to a maximum number of small airports maximizing the utility value of your airplane.
After a lot of research, let me introduce you my panel.
a). iCom IC-A210 com radio. Takes only 1.3" in your avionics stack.
- Modern OLED display and flip-flop frequencies.
- Dual-watch capability (listen to ATIS while on ATC frequency) makes it equivalent to two coms.
- Build-in intercom - eliminate a separate intercom making wiring easier - less mess under the panel. The intercom actually works really well.
- In addition, iCom IC-A210 has 3 aux audio inputs, make it sort of replacement for an audio panel. We are going to use these inputs for audio out from
other radios.
- Also, iCom IC-A210 can automatically store the nearby airport frequencies fed over RS-232 from GPS. We are going to use this function as well.
- Finally, the com has speaker output, if you need/want it.
- What about redundancy? Well, modern Japanese electronics is very reliable. You most likely to have total electrical failure, in which case
even 3 coms won't help. Besides, you did not forget to grab your handheld and program the tower phone number into your phone connected to
your headset by bluetooth, did you? If something happens, you are better of using your handheld or simply calling the tower on approach.
Besides, you will need an audio panel for > 1 com radio, adding complexity. Not all audio panels have fail safe mode as well, in which case, loosing your
audio panel means loosing both coms. Do not ask me how I know this.
There is a Garmin version of this radio, for twice the price.
b). Narco NAV-122 VOR/LOC/GS/MB - a full blown ILS system built into the indicator. Does not take any space in your avionics stack.
Installation is very simple: power and dimmer light wires + audio out (to iCom IC-A210 aux input). You will have to crank the volume up at NAV-122
to ident a station and turn it down after. Big deal? You already have to do the same on many NAV/COMs anyway.
If you only have one NAV antenna, you can use a splitter to feed GS and MB. We will loose some signal here, but we are not B-787 that needs
to pick up the station signal from 100s miles away. Alternatively, you can connect your NAV antenna to VOR socket, add small GS antenna under
the windshield and forego the MB all together (is it really needed these days?). Or you can split your NAV antenna between VOR and MB adding
GS antenna. It is all up to you. I split NAV antenna between three and was happy with that. Just be sure you NAV antenna is in good shape.
These units are usually very reliable. Plastic gears do fail once in 20 years, but gears are available.
We are technically almost IFR now. Just need to add a certified clock with second handle. But wait, here comes the bomb:
c). King KLN-94 approach certified GPS with color moving map + Collins IND-350 indicator.
This GPS only takes 2" in your avionics stack but give you the following:
- Ability to legally file and fly IFR routes and GPS approaches (non-precision. If you need LPV approach capability, we are not talking about
"light IFR" anymore and you are in the wrong price range).
- Legally substitute as a DME and a second VOR. You can legally do this if your GPS is IFR certified (installation should also be IFR certified,
a bit later about this). Means you can legally execute VOR/DME approaches as well as those very rare approaches that require dual VOR.
- You can continue to illegally use your grand-grand watch to time the holds and approaches. KNL-94 has built in clock which certifies your
plane as IFR.
- If you have a fuel flow meter, you can connect it to KLN-94 and it will calculate fuel remaining at the destination. This might eliminate some
intermediate landings as you do not have to be ultraconservative since you know exactly how much fuel you will have left at the destination.
It is no longer 45 min +/- 1 hour. It is 1 hour +/- 5 min. Does it makes a difference?
- It will send the airport frequencies to you iCom IC-A210, give you altitude alerts
- etc etc
To make all this happen, you need to connect power and dimmer lights wires, audio out wire to your iCom IC-A210 and 9 wires to your blind encoder
in parallel to your transponder. Since this particular GPS has build in anounnciators, you do not have to install any additional lights on your panel
to make your installation IFR certified. This is one of the reasons this GPS made it to my list. KLN-89b is cheaper, but does not have a moving map and
requires separate announciators. What about GNS-430? Well, if you have extra $$$$ to spend you are in the wrong department.
Collins indicator is correctly wired to the GPS. That is it, the GPS is capable to read the OBS allowing you to execute any intercepts. People often omit this
step.
You have to drill your roof to install a GPS antenna. But since you are using your GPS antenna for the second VOR, you do not have to steal signal from your
NAV antenna for this. It is a real plus. Also, you are using the same GPS as DME. No need to poke extra holes at the bottom of your lovely RV-6 to install
DME antenna (think about all those knots you do not have to loose). Also, you do not have to bring it to a certified shop each time you want to pull the GPS out.
DME on the other hand, just like any transponder, requires a certified shop each time you need to touch it. I am sure you have your transponder signed off
each time you have to pull it out!
These GPSs are very relaible. Just protect the display from overheating (put a towel on the panel in the sun) and, most important,
stop poking it hard with your dirty fingers! It is not a touch screen!
The total price for all this stuff prewired $4995 +shipping (so that you can tell your wife it is < $5K).
Is it expensive? Definitely not cheap, but much more affordable that any other option with comparable capabilities.
What are we lacking? LPV approaches. The reality is that 1000s of small airports have non-precision GPS approach, while very few
have LPV published. So, we are not missing much. Again, if you must have LPV approach capability, it is in the next department. Just add $5K or so.
Besides, if things go really bad, you have ILS, which has lower minimums than LPV. Remember that NAV-122? That is why you have it.
It is all used avionics after all. What if a component fails and can not be fixed? Well, you are screwed. You will have to spend $1-2K to replace it with the same.
Just slide the sucker out and slide in the new one. Log book entry if you care. Do not tell your wife! What if your GNS750 fails right out of warranty?
Now you are really screwed since your wife will notice those loan papers coming in the mail! In the absence of a new car, she will fugure out where the money went
Conclusion: you can get a very robust and capable IFR panel with very modest (by aviation standards) investments taking only 3.3" on the panel space and
leaving the rest to you real, but illegal, navigator - that $100 Chinese made tablet running AVARE. For the snobs - go with that over (priced, heating) iPad
running Foreflight, which is a really good software, but a rotten apple dropped on those electronic charts making them unreadable
Seriously, if you have to have Foreflight, you are a professional pilot. This is the wrong department.
Now, I am opened to your critical comments. Did I miss something? Are my assumptions wrong? Can the same be done easier and/or cheaper?
Why I am selling such a marvelous cow? I got a fully IFR equipped airplane with GNS480 installed. I do not think it is a good idea to fix perfectly working panel.
Simple - less wiring and as few separate devices as possible means easier installation and higher reliability, less weight.
Robust - maximum capability with minimal number of devices.
Cheaper than other options. Nothing is cheap in aviation though.
Assumptions:
1. You want to get your instrument rating and/or fly light IFR (pocking thru clouds occasionally, filing IFR routes, approaches etc).
2. Be able to execute an instrument approach to a maximum number of small airports maximizing the utility value of your airplane.
After a lot of research, let me introduce you my panel.
a). iCom IC-A210 com radio. Takes only 1.3" in your avionics stack.
- Modern OLED display and flip-flop frequencies.
- Dual-watch capability (listen to ATIS while on ATC frequency) makes it equivalent to two coms.
- Build-in intercom - eliminate a separate intercom making wiring easier - less mess under the panel. The intercom actually works really well.
- In addition, iCom IC-A210 has 3 aux audio inputs, make it sort of replacement for an audio panel. We are going to use these inputs for audio out from
other radios.
- Also, iCom IC-A210 can automatically store the nearby airport frequencies fed over RS-232 from GPS. We are going to use this function as well.
- Finally, the com has speaker output, if you need/want it.
- What about redundancy? Well, modern Japanese electronics is very reliable. You most likely to have total electrical failure, in which case
even 3 coms won't help. Besides, you did not forget to grab your handheld and program the tower phone number into your phone connected to
your headset by bluetooth, did you? If something happens, you are better of using your handheld or simply calling the tower on approach.
Besides, you will need an audio panel for > 1 com radio, adding complexity. Not all audio panels have fail safe mode as well, in which case, loosing your
audio panel means loosing both coms. Do not ask me how I know this.
There is a Garmin version of this radio, for twice the price.
b). Narco NAV-122 VOR/LOC/GS/MB - a full blown ILS system built into the indicator. Does not take any space in your avionics stack.
Installation is very simple: power and dimmer light wires + audio out (to iCom IC-A210 aux input). You will have to crank the volume up at NAV-122
to ident a station and turn it down after. Big deal? You already have to do the same on many NAV/COMs anyway.
If you only have one NAV antenna, you can use a splitter to feed GS and MB. We will loose some signal here, but we are not B-787 that needs
to pick up the station signal from 100s miles away. Alternatively, you can connect your NAV antenna to VOR socket, add small GS antenna under
the windshield and forego the MB all together (is it really needed these days?). Or you can split your NAV antenna between VOR and MB adding
GS antenna. It is all up to you. I split NAV antenna between three and was happy with that. Just be sure you NAV antenna is in good shape.
These units are usually very reliable. Plastic gears do fail once in 20 years, but gears are available.
We are technically almost IFR now. Just need to add a certified clock with second handle. But wait, here comes the bomb:
c). King KLN-94 approach certified GPS with color moving map + Collins IND-350 indicator.
This GPS only takes 2" in your avionics stack but give you the following:
- Ability to legally file and fly IFR routes and GPS approaches (non-precision. If you need LPV approach capability, we are not talking about
"light IFR" anymore and you are in the wrong price range).
- Legally substitute as a DME and a second VOR. You can legally do this if your GPS is IFR certified (installation should also be IFR certified,
a bit later about this). Means you can legally execute VOR/DME approaches as well as those very rare approaches that require dual VOR.
- You can continue to illegally use your grand-grand watch to time the holds and approaches. KNL-94 has built in clock which certifies your
plane as IFR.
- If you have a fuel flow meter, you can connect it to KLN-94 and it will calculate fuel remaining at the destination. This might eliminate some
intermediate landings as you do not have to be ultraconservative since you know exactly how much fuel you will have left at the destination.
It is no longer 45 min +/- 1 hour. It is 1 hour +/- 5 min. Does it makes a difference?
- It will send the airport frequencies to you iCom IC-A210, give you altitude alerts
- etc etc
To make all this happen, you need to connect power and dimmer lights wires, audio out wire to your iCom IC-A210 and 9 wires to your blind encoder
in parallel to your transponder. Since this particular GPS has build in anounnciators, you do not have to install any additional lights on your panel
to make your installation IFR certified. This is one of the reasons this GPS made it to my list. KLN-89b is cheaper, but does not have a moving map and
requires separate announciators. What about GNS-430? Well, if you have extra $$$$ to spend you are in the wrong department.
Collins indicator is correctly wired to the GPS. That is it, the GPS is capable to read the OBS allowing you to execute any intercepts. People often omit this
step.
You have to drill your roof to install a GPS antenna. But since you are using your GPS antenna for the second VOR, you do not have to steal signal from your
NAV antenna for this. It is a real plus. Also, you are using the same GPS as DME. No need to poke extra holes at the bottom of your lovely RV-6 to install
DME antenna (think about all those knots you do not have to loose). Also, you do not have to bring it to a certified shop each time you want to pull the GPS out.
DME on the other hand, just like any transponder, requires a certified shop each time you need to touch it. I am sure you have your transponder signed off
each time you have to pull it out!
These GPSs are very relaible. Just protect the display from overheating (put a towel on the panel in the sun) and, most important,
stop poking it hard with your dirty fingers! It is not a touch screen!
The total price for all this stuff prewired $4995 +shipping (so that you can tell your wife it is < $5K).
Is it expensive? Definitely not cheap, but much more affordable that any other option with comparable capabilities.
What are we lacking? LPV approaches. The reality is that 1000s of small airports have non-precision GPS approach, while very few
have LPV published. So, we are not missing much. Again, if you must have LPV approach capability, it is in the next department. Just add $5K or so.
Besides, if things go really bad, you have ILS, which has lower minimums than LPV. Remember that NAV-122? That is why you have it.
It is all used avionics after all. What if a component fails and can not be fixed? Well, you are screwed. You will have to spend $1-2K to replace it with the same.
Just slide the sucker out and slide in the new one. Log book entry if you care. Do not tell your wife! What if your GNS750 fails right out of warranty?
Now you are really screwed since your wife will notice those loan papers coming in the mail! In the absence of a new car, she will fugure out where the money went
Conclusion: you can get a very robust and capable IFR panel with very modest (by aviation standards) investments taking only 3.3" on the panel space and
leaving the rest to you real, but illegal, navigator - that $100 Chinese made tablet running AVARE. For the snobs - go with that over (priced, heating) iPad
running Foreflight, which is a really good software, but a rotten apple dropped on those electronic charts making them unreadable
Seriously, if you have to have Foreflight, you are a professional pilot. This is the wrong department.
Now, I am opened to your critical comments. Did I miss something? Are my assumptions wrong? Can the same be done easier and/or cheaper?
Why I am selling such a marvelous cow? I got a fully IFR equipped airplane with GNS480 installed. I do not think it is a good idea to fix perfectly working panel.