Oz build SS7

[rosslr]

Hi Chris,

thanks for the encouragement! as for the panel layout, sure, I can take one today and post tonight - it is really useful to make those life size pice and move them around. took a bit of fiddling in finding the pics and then resizing them. I'm using MGL but noticed that Dynon have actual sized photos - perhaps something others could follow.

cheers for now - a wing awaits!

Ross
Mt Beauty, Victoria
OZ

[alanr]

Hi Ross,

Your blog is so inspirational...I am following you every step of the way, living it with you!
I still have not yet ordered my kit. I sort of got sidetracked looking at the Eurofox and then found a partially built S7 but the guy is talking unrealistic figures so I am back to crunching the costing numbers and trying to pluck up the courage to call John McBean and place the order..any day now, must stop dithering!

Alan

Derby, England.

[rosslr]

HI Alan,

glad the posts are of some use! All I can say is that it is fun and satisfying. also, I think investing in going over to the factory and flying in the backcountry with Stick and Rudder was a turning point for me. I know it is a chunk out of the budget, but I rethought of it as a part of the budget - arguably the decision making part is the most important.

Anyway, got the top of the wing done today. I love that part when it is all glued up and you get to shrink it! Guess we all do - it all of a sudden makes it a wing rather than a heap of spars and ribs and cloth and glue!

Hope your decision making goes well!

cheers

ross
Mt Beauty, Vic
OZ

[rosslr]

HI Chris,

here is the latest way I have laid out the panel. I think the main idea is to keep the main scans in one plane - perhaps the radio can come down a bit. Also installing Mode S remote Garretch transponder that will read through the EFIS. Any thoughts suggestions?

cheers
Ross
Mt Beauty, Vic
Oz

[Pilot4Life]

Rosslr,
Looks good for field of view. Another option, nothing wrong with yours, but another option...The pic below keeps all the displays in the field of view. Also, I would like to be able to, with a slight movement of my "throttle hand", tune the radio. If I had (big "if" I know, but...) the equipment you desired, this would be a likely set up for me...for now, I'll live vicariously through you...

Panel Design 1.jpg

[Jono]

Keep up the good work Ross!

I love seeing the progress as it reminds me of when I was a kid and Dad was building the MK IV at home!

I'll look at getting the Fox over to see you in the not too distant future.
Jono

[jiott]

Why don't you get the Dynon Skyview and have everything on one piece of glass? Or have you already purchased the D10 units? Or are you looking for redundancy?

[Flybyjim]

I have been flying for 15 years now and includes hang gliding, ultrlights, owned a Champ and now fly an Rans S-7. I will soon be building a Kitfox SS7. I state this just to set the tone for these questions, I like so many flying today are in my middle age years and I only fly VFR. I have a few friends that range in age from 30 to 82 that have put in the glass units just to fly around the local ares maybe out 100 miles or so and when I'm in their planes I want out as soon as possible as I find them fixated on their glass screens and not out the window, remember they are VFR. I too love new gadgets and love the resolution of some of the units but really why spend the $$$$ for this, am I missing something here? I welcome the input from all as I want to keep an open mind but I want to feel better knowing the guys and gals in the air are looking for me with their own eyes. The 30 year old has had to send his Dynon back now for the third time and he regrets not have some basic steam backup, he's on the ground for weeks on end waiting for his replacements or repairs.

[rosslr]

Well, interesting responses and all good points/questions. One of the nice things about building our own planes is that we get to make some things reflect our preferences - whatever they are based on. I find it really useful and instructive to listen to other builders talk about their choices, especially as most of you are much more experienced than myself.. I can identify with your sentiments FBJ. And yes Jim, it is for redundancy ... and value ... and a preference for small, relatively uncluttered glass etc. Having previously owned an IFR Mooney M20J with steam instruments, I just wanted simple, VFR, uncluttered and relatively cheap. Yes, only interested in VFR. By the way Jim, they are MGL instruments, not Dynons - they look similar don't they?

As for personal preferences:
I don't like the nav and synthetic vision on the EFIS;
I don't like big screen TV's in houses, and certainly not in airplanes;
I do like 'feeling' the aircraft and looking outside;
I do like spending less than more! - (the MGL Xtremes represent fantastic value and have tremendous capabilities);
The electronic flight bag that the IPad allows makes it a no brainer to get a place in the panel - the apps are amazing;
The Garmin 695 is a legacy from the Mooney (yoke mounted there) - the 695 has pretty amazing capabilities, a lot that I realise overlap with Ipad apps but there is that redundancy again! Also, in remote areas in OZ it has never lost satellite signals.

So, if we leave out the Garmin and the Ipad, the MGL instruments ( EFIS, EMS and radios will cost me about $6k ( Aus). I reckon that is pretty good value.

Anyway, no photos today as I had to go up to town for business. I did get 2 hours later this afternoon to clean up the hanger though.

And yes, Johnno, look forward to seeing the Kitfox over here soon - well done to you and Laura for organising the young persons gliding event too! should be a lot of fun ... and good gliding too!?

cheers

ross
Mt Beauty, Victoria
Oz

[jiott]

Here are my personal reasons for going glass screen EFIS (Dynon Skyview):

1. Was very little difference in cost compared to 6-pack steam gauges.
2. I am a new pilot so I don't already have a built-in preference one way or another.
3. I trained in an airplane with a glass screen and was taught to keep my eyes outside. The tendency to fixate on the screen is a personal thing that can be easily overcome. Also I find that when I need info for a new airport, I can get it off the EFIS much quicker and more accurately than trying to read all the small print on a paper chart (this means less time with eyes inside).
4. The info available when you need it is amazing; stuff you just cant get from a 6-pack: wind & xwind vectors, distances, ETE's, airport info, taxi diagrams, terrain proximity, density altitude, TAS, AOA, gyros that won't tumble, no moving parts (reliability), weather, traffic, flight planning, audible & message alerts, and it goes on.
5. I realize that much of this is available on a separate GPS (Garmin 696) but it is so nice to have it in one place and then have your Garmin or iPad as backups.
6. It allows a very simple panel layout.
7. I think the synthetic vision is not very useful and is kind of a gimmick, but it can be turned off and I do not find that it is distracting.

I do totally agree that keeping your eyes outside is paramount, but when you need info you have to get it one way or another-paper chart, iPad, separate GPS, etc.