IFR Glass

I have a question for everyone. My Dad and I are in the process of acquiring an RV-7A and I was wondering if you could all chime in and tell me your recommendations on equipping this A/C to fly IFR.

Right now it has a Dynon D100 Display and a very low end moving map. I've seen the quick panels from Advanced and was wondering if there is a cheaper way to get a very basic IFR (glass) panel with an autopilot? Which autopilot would you recommend? I'm looking for one that has a dedicated heading knob and would be the easiest to use. Thanks in advance.

Jeff - the legacy Dynon glass is very capable for IFR work. Add the appropriate external equipment (HS4 to get your knobs) and an all-in-one navigator like a 430W and you're in business. If you go with the Dynon Autopilot servos then the A/P can be controlled directly from the D100 screen. I think I'd be much more inclined to go with the external autopilot controller to keep the D100 screen a little less cluttered, but that's my personal take on things. Likewise I'd keep the VFR moving map GPS for situational awareness.

Now all you have to do is think about what you're doing for backup instruments. Needle, ball and airspeed, or another EFIS like a D10A or similar so you always know which side is up in case your primary display goes Tango Uniform.

Your question is a little too broad in search of the perfect IFR panel with minimal expenditures. Then add the "primer wars" scenario, in which each of us have different opinions and usually promote whatever vendor is installed in our panels.

The AFS Quickstart Panels are a nice option if you want a turnkey solution, guaranteed to work, and all the planning and design work done for you. You are paying AFS for the convenience and your time savings.

You can also do the same going with a Aerotronics or SteinAir, although it may cost a tad more and you have to cope with their current queue lengths.

All of these are excellent choices.

Then there is the discussion about mission to ensure you have the correct avionics to support you mission. For example, if you are just going to pop up through the clouds occasionally, you may install different gear than if you are going to fly in IMC all the time. For example, how much redundancy does your mission require and how much risk you are willing to manage?

I'm with Mark, in that my personal preference is for an external AP head so if the EFIS takes a dump, I can control the AP head to give me more think time. The counter argument is that an EFIS failure is so rare that the risk is minimal and not work the additional expense.

What is basic IFR mean to you? ILS and VOR approaches only? What about a certified GPS? Some AP heads require an EFIS to translate the older analog signals (ILS/VOR) and will only work with GPS. There are some AP heads that can work with all the technologies.

I don't think there is a single "silver bullet" here. If there were, you want to buy stock in that company. Once you define your exact requirements, then find the equipment that can meet those needs at the best price you can find.

Can you fly IFR on a D100? Sure you can. But it won't have all the bells and whistles that the Skyview or other competitive products may have.

I know I didn't answer your question, but hopefully I did give you a few things to think about before making a decision. BTW, Paul Dye wrote some excellent articles on Mission and Redundancy that I would recommend reading if you can find copies of them.

Any recent panel purchasers?

I am getting ready to buy an RV-7A project and trying to come up with a budget. Some items are pretty easy to research, like the prop.

My intent is to use Aerotronics or Stein for the panel. Synergy (who will help with the completion) has a lot of experience with Aerotronics. Some of my neighbors here in Locust Grove have used Stein and my pilot and A&P son lives near them in Minneapolis. I'm also building an RV-10 and would probably use the same company for that as well.

I need to have an general ballpark figure on what an ADS-B in/out, autopilot, GTN-650, G3X (doesn't have to be Touch) complete panel will run. I know there are tons of options and variables, but has anyone done this recently with either company and willing to share what it cost?

Canadian_JOY said:

I think I'd be much more inclined to go with the external autopilot controller to keep the D100 screen a little less cluttered, but that's my personal take on things. Likewise I'd keep the VFR moving map GPS for situational awareness.

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I fly a 6A with D100 glass and I am getting my Inst. rating in it now. I have the Dynon A/P and it doesn't take any real estate from other functions. I engage and disengage the A/P via the CWS button on my stick. You do need a couple of button presses to change the Roll type (Nav, Trk, etc.), but once set, I just use the CWS button. When you change TRK or ALT via the HS34 knob, a pop-up window appears with the values and disappears after a few seconds.

Larry

KatanaPilot said:

I am getting ready to buy an RV-7A project and trying to come up with a budget. Some items are pretty easy to research, like the prop.

My intent is to use Aerotronics or Stein for the panel. Synergy (who will help with the completion) has a lot of experience with Aerotronics. Some of my neighbors here in Locust Grove have used Stein and my pilot and A&P son lives near them in Minneapolis. I'm also building an RV-10 and would probably use the same company for that as well.

I need to have an general ballpark figure on what an ADS-B in/out, autopilot, GTN-650, G3X (doesn't have to be Touch) complete panel will run. I know there are tons of options and variables, but has anyone done this recently with either company and willing to share what it cost?

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$40-45K Mostly Garmin - IFR - with some redundancy for electrics. Not too fancy, breakers, toggles. Ease of installation is based on up front design and planning for wiring. A well spent hour now will save a week later. YMMV, get quotes.

KatanaPilot said:

I am getting ready to buy an RV-7A project and trying to come up with a budget.

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Feel free to contact me offline or give me a call and I can talk you through the options and rough pricing on doing what you want to do.

Thanks Bill and Jesse. Your estimate was in the ballpark of what I guessed. I am going to try to visit both Stein and Aerotronics later this week.