Avionics News May 2023 - 34

TODAY'S SMALL ELECTRONIC FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS
Continued from page 33
You're adding new features and fixing potential bugs and errors.
The OEMs are improving their feature sets all the time. "
Little displays deliver significant benefits
" Along with being extremely reliable, they bring a lot of
flexibility and an array of concise information to any aircraft's
panel, " said Thom Duncan, owner of Thom Duncan
Avionics. " For example, a pair of Garmin GI 275s allows
you to remove all of the old analog gauges - airspeed, altimeter,
vertical speed, etc. You keep the whiskey compass,
and everything else can go. It makes for a very clean panel
layout. "
But, he explained, while a pair of GI 275s can do that, a
couple of Garmin G5 electronic displays can't.
" Not all of the units provide the same capabilities, " Duncan
said. " For example, the G5s have particular capabilities.
While they can function as an ADI or DG/HSI display, they
still require you to have the other instruments in the panel.
" On the other hand, the GI 275 is much more advanced.
But not all GI 275s have the same capabilities, either. You
have to know what you want and which units provide
those capabilities. Of course, the Aspen Pro MAX is also
a fantastic solution if you want to upgrade the ADI/HSI at
the same time. "
Although installing select electronic displays does afford
the option to remove mechanical instruments, Duncan
said most of his customers would keep their legacy steam
gauges.
" Making the transition from pointers to numbers can
be a little discombobulating for some pilots, " he said. " Us
old-school guys get used to a quick scan to see that all the
pointers are pointing in the right direction. It's ingrained in
us to quickly spot when a needle is pointing in the wrong
direction. Once you get used to the digital displays and the
trend indicators, it becomes second nature. "
Just because they fit doesn't
mean they're the right fit
As mentioned earlier, not all of these new compact
display units are the same regarding the capabilities they
provide and, more importantly, how well and whether they
even work with the other systems the owner plans to keep
in the panel.
" A lot of owners come in knowing pretty much what
they want, and others have no clear idea, " Duncan said.
" Either way, we start with their current autopilot and their
plans for it.
34 avionics news * may 2023
" The autopilot is at the center of any product decision
because not all of the electronic displays from Aspen or
Garmin can integrate with all of the common autopilots.
For example, the Garmin G5s do not provide roll and
pitch information, so they won't work with a legacy
gyro-based autopilot. Aspen integrates with most legacy
autopilots and has the most capable of all the offerings.
" If you have a rate-based autopilot like the Genesys/STEC
System 30 or 55X, they work fine with the G5s. If
you have a gyro-based autopilot, that requires that we
keep the vacuum system. "
But, he added, if owners go with the more capable
(and costly) Garmin GI 275s or Aspen Pro MAX, which
have a built-in or available optional autopilot driver
board providing pitch, roll, heading, and course information,
you can eliminate the vacuum system with many
older autopilots.
" In cases where the aircraft's owner wants a Garmin
GFC 500, it comes down to needing to install the G5s or
GI 275s now because they're integral to the autopilot's
operation, " Conroy said. " So if you want to install the Aspen
Pro PFD now, which is a great unit, and want the GFC
500, you will have to install at least a G5 to drive it.
" Also, if you have a King autopilot and it's working
great and meeting your needs, then it's much cheaper to
go with an Aspen or a pair of GI 275s than to pay for a
new autopilot. It's a huge consideration when you start
planning out your panel. "
If you have BendixKing or Avidyne GPS navigators,
a popular solution is installing the Aspen PFD and the
Genesys/S-TEC 3100 digital autopilot. Conroy said integration
typically isn't an issue with a package like that.
" Another thing to consider in your going-forward
strategy is that the Garmin G5s aren't wired the same
way as the GI 275s, so if you install G5s now, planning
on upgrading to the GI 275s later on, it's pretty much a
'new' installation, " he said.
So, you might be better off paying the extra for the
GI 275s now because the out-of-pocket cost will be the
same.
If all this sounds confusing, it is. Knowing what units
work best with what's in a panel takes a lot of experience
and expertise. And the game is always changing, because
avionics manufacturers are constantly upgrading the
capabilities found in the various components.
That's why, before owners spend too much time
researching what a dream panel may well look like and
cost, it's a great idea to spend some time with an avionics
provider of choice - preferably an Aircraft Electronics
Association member shop.
Avionics News May 2023

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