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Blackbox like functionality: record and download flight data

tyconnell

tyconnell

Well Known Member
I'm interested in knowing if there are any current systems that:

1) record flight data parameters (altitude, airspeed, pitch, roll, etc.)
2) Provide that data to be used later for analysis.

I've done some searching w/in this forum, but my searches seem to turn up download / upload support software for glass cockpits and GPS maps.
 
GRT, AFS, and Dynon all do for sure.. Slight variations in how it's done, what's recorded etc.. but they all do it and they all collect the data that's important :)
 
Like this you mean? See the two graphs and double click to enlarge. You can down load to Excel, I then wrote a simple macro to present it the same way each time. Very quick to see the data after the flight. They came off an AFS3400.
 
MGL does this with the Odyssey/Voyagers. You can collect pretty much every parameter you can think of. I've used their "Black Box" utility and viewed flight data, engine data and even exported the data (with MGL's utility) to Google Earth and viewed my flight in 3D. :D Pretty cool stuff.
 
The GRT allows you to record (automatically even!) all of the flight parameters, and then play it back on the screen (really nice if you are trying to shoot a video of the screen while doing something "interesting"...), or download to a computer. There is a great free software package developed by an RV builder that takes the data and puts in tabular format for post-flight review - I reduced most of my Phase 1 data that way. Makes test flying easy - fly precisely, and let the EFIS b the Flight Test Engineer!

Paul
 
The Dynon system records a mind boggling amount, from all the EFIS parameters and with an D180 you get all the engine data as well as the GPS data so you know exactly what you were doing where you were doing it and when. You also get all the alarm flags etc as well.

Very handy info when debugging things too!
 
As said before, the Dynon's do record the data, at least the last 30 minutes. Sometimes more depending on the sampling rate.

Here is a simple graph I made based on the G loading experianced on two different flights.


(click to enlarge)

The flight on the 25th was very smooth and the flight the next weekend was less than pleasent for my passenger.
 
Our D180 samples at 1 sec, and we average about 12 hours I think.

The D120 holds only 30 minutes at that rate.

I think the D100 will also hold 12 hours, I have sent a lot of data to Dynon this way for A/P testing but never looked at the total time logged on the D100.

DB :cool:
 
Back in former life I did some data work with Cummins Engine Co. Analysts would spend days going over data, then pass the results on to engineers. I rigged a movie camera to record like once per second and engineers could watch instruments in a couple minutes per test run. I have done the same thing with a video camera over my shoulder in the 9A. I think there is a lot to be learned that way. Of course, it depends on what you are trying to learn...

Bob Kelly
 
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