Van's Air Force
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Vans prepunched panel
- Thread starter Mycool
- Start date
I have one you can have for the shipping.
From Dike Iowa.
From Dike Iowa.
Bill_H
Well Known Member
Build the plane you want! But look at the Skyview 6-Pak display and realize that for about the same cost you can get about 2 orders of magnitude more performance! http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=110983
Mycool
Well Known Member
misleading
I've looked into dynon and no question its an amazing product, but the price listed just gets you through the door. you still have all the add on's.
who here has an IFR equipped dynon with all the bells and whistles? What was your grand total? was it anywhere near $3995 as advertised?
Right now I have about $1900 into with instruments, which includes a mid-continent VOR/glideslope. All i need is a nav/comm and transponder. i have $2500 budgeted which would bring my total up to $4400.
Any thoughts?
I've looked into dynon and no question its an amazing product, but the price listed just gets you through the door. you still have all the add on's.
who here has an IFR equipped dynon with all the bells and whistles? What was your grand total? was it anywhere near $3995 as advertised?
Right now I have about $1900 into with instruments, which includes a mid-continent VOR/glideslope. All i need is a nav/comm and transponder. i have $2500 budgeted which would bring my total up to $4400.
Any thoughts?
comfortcat
Well Known Member
6 pack...
hmmm... The Mid-continent VOR CDI with GS is not actually part of the 6 pack. You can still use this. I have a KX-155 with CDI that I'll include in my panel.
So how much of your current investment includes: ALT/DG/VSI/AS/AH/TB and vac system with regulator. Does that include having them checked at a shop before install? Gyro instruments do not sit well on shelving.
Many companies have a nice unit for just the six pack at pretty close to the price of a refurbished vac pump, regulator and AH. I think there was a small unit announced here on VAF for $1000.
I'd think pretty carefully about a steam 6 pack.
Just my opinion, your mileage may vary. See your dealer for details.
CC
hmmm... The Mid-continent VOR CDI with GS is not actually part of the 6 pack. You can still use this. I have a KX-155 with CDI that I'll include in my panel.
So how much of your current investment includes: ALT/DG/VSI/AS/AH/TB and vac system with regulator. Does that include having them checked at a shop before install? Gyro instruments do not sit well on shelving.
Many companies have a nice unit for just the six pack at pretty close to the price of a refurbished vac pump, regulator and AH. I think there was a small unit announced here on VAF for $1000.
I'd think pretty carefully about a steam 6 pack.
Just my opinion, your mileage may vary. See your dealer for details.
CC
NYTOM
Well Known Member
Have a plan and stick to it
Michael I started out exactly like you. Then I went to Oshkosh, Sun n Fun and got deep into this site and now I'm just finishing up my panel after the forth attempt and I have over 14 thousand extra in it that I didn't need to spend and what seems like thousands of wires to run.(Sorry long sentence)
I know it's hard, but think about the mission you want to fly and what you really need to fly it.
All the fancy wiz bang stuff is nice and if you have even a little extra cash it's real easy to justify to yourself that you must have it to be safer in some way.
Trouble is, if your slow to build like me a improved or newer version will come out before you even get it installed.
Build the plane and get flying. You can always upgrade your panel later and by then something even better will come out.
I can't tell you how many times I wish I had stuck to the six pack I already had on the shelve. 14 K would have bought a boat load of 100LL.
If anybody tries to tell you that you really need that stuff just look at Vlad's plane. He goes farther and to more places than any pilots I know and he does it without any bells or whistles.
Just my opinion.
Michael I started out exactly like you. Then I went to Oshkosh, Sun n Fun and got deep into this site and now I'm just finishing up my panel after the forth attempt and I have over 14 thousand extra in it that I didn't need to spend and what seems like thousands of wires to run.(Sorry long sentence)
I know it's hard, but think about the mission you want to fly and what you really need to fly it.
All the fancy wiz bang stuff is nice and if you have even a little extra cash it's real easy to justify to yourself that you must have it to be safer in some way.
Trouble is, if your slow to build like me a improved or newer version will come out before you even get it installed.
Build the plane and get flying. You can always upgrade your panel later and by then something even better will come out.
I can't tell you how many times I wish I had stuck to the six pack I already had on the shelve. 14 K would have bought a boat load of 100LL.
If anybody tries to tell you that you really need that stuff just look at Vlad's plane. He goes farther and to more places than any pilots I know and he does it without any bells or whistles.
Just my opinion.
Charles in SC
Well Known Member
I looked long and hard at all the wizbang panel stuff and went with steam gages and King radios for several reasons with the main one being that I like being able to fix each piece if needed down the road. I have seen to many cases where the electronics companies moved on and no longer support their old offerings or as in some cases do not exist anymore. What do you do then.
One of the reasons we build our own planes is so we can build the way we want them. This is the way I want mine.
One of the reasons we build our own planes is so we can build the way we want them. This is the way I want mine.
LifeofReiley
Well Known Member
I have 6 PAK metal layout jigs at the hangar... $25, will save you a bunch of time.
Glass or Steam?
I bought a Dynon Skyview with single large display, single ADAHRS, EMS and navigation for just under $5,000 CDN from aircraft spruce in 2012, and I love it. My only other equipment is an Icom A210 com radio with intercom, which I also liked after I got it set up. I subsequently installed the dynon mode S transponder, and love it too, especially around busy American airspace. I have 140 hours on the plane and system
I built my panel with an air gizmo to take a back up garmin 296, however I chose an iPad with foreflight instead, and love that product too (anyone need an air gizmo for 296?)
I have 800 hours day and night VFR, with some marginal Vfr and accidental IMC. All my hours prior to my RV were on steam gauges. I prefer modern glass panels because they do a better job for less money:
-Situational awareness is improved under all conditions. Good pilots are aware with steam gauges, but they may improve with glass. It certainly is easier.
-Fuel gauges program to your tanks, and they really work.
-Fuel flow meter helps plan flight around economy or max range
-Blinking warning lamp alerts to warning conditions that are easy to miss on a scan, such as high oil temp.
-Full EMS helps you understand your engine better
-No more DG precession, and the remote compass seems to work better too
-Option to upgrade to auto pilot for minimal extra cash
-Software upgrades help your system stay current with industry developments
-Option to interface radio with navigation data base (I flew before dynon radio was available)
-Angle of attack gauge makes everyone safer once you get used to it. Also provides an effective audible stall warning easier than mechanical version
-Calibrate your own transponder at known field elevation with altimeter setting from the tower
-on screen traffic in congested areas if you have transponder. This worked really well near Phoenix a few weeks ago
And, it looks really cool!
I hope the glass will have a lower operating cost than steam, but I my last 6 pack was 30 years old, so it needed constant care. Likewise, I hope the glass is more reliable; my old Piper horizon failed in IMC smoke, and man did I need a beer after that landing. Again, old equipment vs new is not that fair to compare
If I could not afford glass panel right away, I would go with minimal legal VFR steam gauge, augmented with foreflight or similar tablet application. I like my $500 tablet a lot better than my more expensive portable gps, and it really helps your copilot take an active part in flight management. I would keep a TSO'd nav com if your goal is fly IFR
I don't have an opinion on the best glass panel, Dynon is my only experience, and it has been trouble free
Jay
CFXPT
I bought a Dynon Skyview with single large display, single ADAHRS, EMS and navigation for just under $5,000 CDN from aircraft spruce in 2012, and I love it. My only other equipment is an Icom A210 com radio with intercom, which I also liked after I got it set up. I subsequently installed the dynon mode S transponder, and love it too, especially around busy American airspace. I have 140 hours on the plane and system
I built my panel with an air gizmo to take a back up garmin 296, however I chose an iPad with foreflight instead, and love that product too (anyone need an air gizmo for 296?)
I have 800 hours day and night VFR, with some marginal Vfr and accidental IMC. All my hours prior to my RV were on steam gauges. I prefer modern glass panels because they do a better job for less money:
-Situational awareness is improved under all conditions. Good pilots are aware with steam gauges, but they may improve with glass. It certainly is easier.
-Fuel gauges program to your tanks, and they really work.
-Fuel flow meter helps plan flight around economy or max range
-Blinking warning lamp alerts to warning conditions that are easy to miss on a scan, such as high oil temp.
-Full EMS helps you understand your engine better
-No more DG precession, and the remote compass seems to work better too
-Option to upgrade to auto pilot for minimal extra cash
-Software upgrades help your system stay current with industry developments
-Option to interface radio with navigation data base (I flew before dynon radio was available)
-Angle of attack gauge makes everyone safer once you get used to it. Also provides an effective audible stall warning easier than mechanical version
-Calibrate your own transponder at known field elevation with altimeter setting from the tower
-on screen traffic in congested areas if you have transponder. This worked really well near Phoenix a few weeks ago
And, it looks really cool!
I hope the glass will have a lower operating cost than steam, but I my last 6 pack was 30 years old, so it needed constant care. Likewise, I hope the glass is more reliable; my old Piper horizon failed in IMC smoke, and man did I need a beer after that landing. Again, old equipment vs new is not that fair to compare
If I could not afford glass panel right away, I would go with minimal legal VFR steam gauge, augmented with foreflight or similar tablet application. I like my $500 tablet a lot better than my more expensive portable gps, and it really helps your copilot take an active part in flight management. I would keep a TSO'd nav com if your goal is fly IFR
I don't have an opinion on the best glass panel, Dynon is my only experience, and it has been trouble free
Jay
CFXPT
Jesse
Well Known Member
You don't have to go with the Dynon Skyview system. I flew for years on a D10A and an EMS D10 (which they still sell and support, by the way), then for several years on a D180 (which they still sell and support, by the way), then finally updated to the Skyview. When we priced out a panel with steam gauges, we discovered it was cheaper to put in a D10A. You can get a D6 for $1,600 or a D60 for 1,900. Compare that to a vacuum pump and plumbing (with regulator and yearly filter change), then 6 flit instruments, and you will likely blow right through $1,600. There is nothing wrong with going this route, and you can add on down the road if you want. The D6 or D60 do nothing but replace your six-pack in a way that, IMHO, improves safety and greatly reduces maintenance. A D-180 adds the engine monitor and HSI options for navigation, but with the CDI you already have, the HSI function isn't required.
So, I will divulge the actual cost. $1,600 for a D6 or $1,900 for a D60. Wire it in much less time than it takes to plumb your vacuum system, and add a backup battery for $180 for redundancy of power sources, if desired.
If you go for a non-vacuum six-pack, you will be $1,500+ for just the attitude indicator. It goes up from there. There's your D6.
