Serge wrote: > Which ASI did you settle for?
I'm almost too embarrased to answer that question. Last night I'd decided to go with a $422 TSO'd version (I got zero input from anybody) based on nothing more than the fact that it was TSO'd. But then I noticed Vans is selling the cheapo UMA with markings installed and started wondering if maybe they weren't so bad after all, so I ordered one from AS&S (after gaining assurances that I could return it with no restocking fee if it's not accurate). The number is 10-02870 and it's about $143. If it's not accurate, I'm returning it and ordering a TSO'd one. I just heard from John Martindale that he bought the same UMA as I did, at the same timeframe (7 years ago), and that there was a whole rash of bad ones at the time! Maybe I'll be luckier this time. Thanks for the comment on the calibration website. That link that I provided to the EAA 1000 website had a few pages of calculations that I muddled through for two hours before I finally gave up. Although I sucessfully calculated my pressure altitude to about 8 significant figures (never mind that my altitude came from a GPS that was plus or minus a few feet) I had an absolute pressure of 11,0000 psi or something. So I dug around on the web and found the numbers that I posted, and they matched the numbers in Jim Wier's Kitplanes article. His method was a little more cumbersome, so I guess I improved on it slightly. You can do this same test without even taking the ASI out of the plane. Just hook the tubing to your pitot tube. It doesn't mean your whole pitot/static system is checked, but it'll give you an idea of how accurate your ASI is. Although I don't know diddley about flying KRs yet, I DO know that an accurate indication of airspeed is vital for first flights if you are not an experienced KR pilot! Mark Langford, Huntsville, Alabama see KR2S project N56ML at http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford email to N56ML "at" hiwaay.net
