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Flight Instruments
When I bought
my Sinus kit, I omitted the Brauniger primary flight display that is standard for Pipistrel aircraft at this point.
I plan to purchase instruments of my own selection, lay out the panel and do my own installation. In keeping with standard
practice for selecting and purchasing anything electronic these days, I'll delay my choice until the last moment, so as
to take advantage of ever-increasing capability for little or no increase in price.
My thinking is preliminary,
but I'm leaning toward the Dynon FlightDEK-D180, which combines compass, airspeed, altimeter, artificial horizon (and
more) for flight instrumentation, plus engine instrumentation, all in one bright, crisp 7-inch diagonal sunlight-readable
display. When I flew with Tine Tomazic at the factory, he said that they were evaluating the Dynon unit, and he was
very favorably impressed with its display clarity and its in-flight performance. The Dynon should weigh less and take
up less panel space than all the separate conventional instruments.
I'll mount the wet compass that came with
the kit, and will likely add backup "steam gauge" altimeter and airspeed, although some would argue that for
the strictly VFR flying that I plan to do, the backups aren't necessary. We're all taught to fly and land
safely with no instruments at all, right? As they say even for large aircraft design, "Simplicate and add
lightness."
I'll also have an electric total energy variometer for soaring, from which there are many
to choose, and I don't have any special preference at this point. Michael Coates recommends the Borgelt B40, so
I'll certainly take a look at that one.
For GPS and moving map cross-country navigation, I plan to install the AvMap EKP-IV.
For communications, I recently took advantage of an introductory special from X-Air Australia to purchase a pair
of their headsets, and while I was doing that, I also ordered an XCOM 760 VHF radio. With the radio I included a wiring harness tailored for the Sinus, an antenna and a capacitor that goes
with the installation.
I'll leave a spot on the panel for an autopilot, but am undecided about whether
or not to install one. I'll see how the Sinus handles on cross country flying before I decide. Michael thinks
it's best to have the factory install autopilot servos when ordering the kit, because their preferred servo location is
difficult to access after the fuselage shell is done, but we'll see...
Panel Layout
Today (4 Jan 2007) I got some very useful ideas from Janusz, a Pipistrel enthusiast in Australia. He is contemplating
purchase of a Sinus, and while doing so, he has put some thought into a potential suite of instruments and avionics, and has
worked on a panel layout. Coincidentally, Janusz had selected almost exactly the same combination as I had. He
even went so far as to do some electronic cutting and pasting to see how the instruments might be arranged on a Sinus panel.
This picture shows his suggestion, and I like it very much. I doubt that I'll install a backup artificial horizon,
however.
Janusz also suggests powering the panel such that the Dynon and Avmap in the center can be shut
down during soaring flight, thus using battery power only for the vario and radio (and perhaps transponder, depending on your
local airspace regulations).
Thanks, Janusz -- great ideas! Isn't the web a wonderful resource?
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