I continually get private emails from KRNet members concerning my use of glass panel technology in my current airplane. I thought it might be educational to post a public message addressing the current state of glass panel for use in KR's. I upgraded my panel when I had to do the rebuild after the jump school airplane ran over my RV. The advancement of glass panel technology took giant leaps in just the last couple of years. I am using the Grand Rapids Technology HX flat screen with synthetic vision and high def screen. Although a little pricey, and more suited for IFR flight, it is incredible to me just what is in that little box. I have AOA, Hightway in the Sky, Flight Directer, sythetic approach along with 3D synthetic vision, weather and terrain with an interal artificial GPS couple externally to my Garmin 430 and autopilot. I can pretty much run the entire airplane from that one flat panel primary flight display. This technology is well under 10K and can be seen in the following youtube videos. I have a back up flat panel along with a main buss, battery buss and an essential buss along with internal battery backup on fone flat panel EFIS. I opted to go no heavy steam guages, no vac. Joe and Mark stopped by my place not too long ago. I tried to spend some of there money by showing them the flat stuff:-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu1Pqa1409Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8SID85-BQk&feature=related There are two companies offering flat panel display which would be well suited for the KR. Dynon is coming out with there syntetic vision but are still offering the D10A or their Flight Deck version which you could have split screen EFIS and engine monitering. For VFR flight you are looking at one instrument giving you a world of information. Highly recommended you look at Dynon for KR needs. http://www.dynonavionics.com/docs/news_technology_preview.html The new kid on the block, which a lot of RV'er are using is MGL. They offer a wide range of flat panel with internal GPS and radio built right in. I have a friend who just got his, I'll report back what he has in it money wise. Meanwhile, check them out at http://www.mglavionics.co.za/ the newest on is the Odyssey. Point here is for VFR flight, you could easy and affordably put flat panel display in a KR that would be reliable, light weight and have a pleathera of information at your hands. Pretty nice combination in my book. Dana Overall 1999 & 2000 National KR Gathering host Richmond, KY i39 RV-7 slider "Black Magic" Flying..well sorta, useta, kinda Barrett Precision O 360 A1A Hartzell C2YR-1BFP/F7497-2 http://rvflying.tripod.com/blackmagic.jpg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMi05-WU2D0#GU5U2spHI_4 http://rvflying.tripod.com do not archive _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_70faster_032009
