Backup instruments

[109JB]

Your cell phone can make a pretty good backup with any number of cheap apps. While it can't give you airspeed, it can give you GPS ground speed and that is close enough to get on the ground. Plenty of apps to show speed, altitude, even efis type displays.

The other thing you can do is buy a Stratus and it will give you an AHRS system that can play on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device and have ADS-B in.

I also agree that a competent pilot should be able to get one on the ground without any flight instruments whatsoever. I have practiced this on all of the airplanes I have owned. The Kitfox is on the low end of that spectrum and the Twin Comanche was the highest performing I have owned. I do it with another CFI who can monitor things while I fly circuits without being able to see the ASI or altimeter.

[desertdave]

23,000 hour airline guy here. My Kitfox has very basic VFR instruments and it is more than what I need. Honestly, a compass, airspeed indicator and an altimeter will get you anywhere with a paper map. An iPad and Foreflight will more than get you anywhere and spoon feed you every bit of information you would ever require. No Kitfox has deicing capability so why would you even think about putting yourself in that type of situation. and Iced up wing on a 750ish pound airplane would turn into an NTSB hearing in a New York minute.
Save your money and save the weight. Use your iPad and think of all the beer you could buy with that backup instrumentation money.

[Meyer]

I am following what all the others said.

If I was forced to the next step, I would do a G5.

With all that said, I guess if it helps you sleep better put a couple of steam gauges in. I'll spend that money on beer (and tacos).

[neville]

My SS7 with Rotax 912iS has one characteristic that after 280 hr. of flight time has demonstrated one issue that prompted me to install one back up device. The engine will overspeed in a heart beat ( 5800 is max RPM). That coupled with a Rotax operating parameter that max continuous cruise rpm is limited to 5500 RPM, caused me to install an optical prop RPM sensor with a table converting prop RPM to engine RPM. I agree that any pilot should be able to fly an aircraft VFR with no instruments. But with the normal high engine RPM it is difficult to judge engine speed by sound alone.

[PaulSS]

I wish I'd known now what I thought I knew a couple of years ago. Back then I was going to kit build my Eurofox under LAA regulations. This requires backup instruments and, if you're going to use electronic backup instruments, they have to have their own backup power. With this in mind I bought the Funke BFI57. It's a great bit of kit for getting you on the ground very safely and can easily be used as a primary instrument for a microlight etc. As it was, I ended up going down the 'microlight' route in order that my aircraft could be factory-built (in the UK). There is no requirement for backup instruments in this case. If I knew I'd have been doing that in the first place I would have had a 10" EFIS and that would have been it. Like others have stated, it is not difficult to safely fly a light aircraft such as the Eurofox/Kitfox by looking out of the window.

Learn from my mistakes and don't buy your avionics too early. I have so many redundant (expensive) parts now that it is silly; all because I'm impatient and like to get gadgets immediately I see them. Sit on your hands and wait until the last minute so you can see what you REALLY want and can get the latest, greatest and (maybe) cheapest nearer the time you need them.

It's a good bit of kit but expensive and (unfortunately) a bit surplus to requirements. I've got the hole in the panel now so it will be fitted

https://funkeavionics.de/en/products/displays/bfi57

[Denalifox]

Nine months into a year wait for my STi. Actually glad i had this time to wait. Ive lurked on here daily and learned a TON. Stay tuned for my Alaskan S7 STi. Glad I ordered when I did!

[Slyfox]

23,000 hour airline guy here. My Kitfox has very basic VFR instruments and it is more than what I need. Honestly, a compass, airspeed indicator and an altimeter will get you anywhere with a paper map. An iPad and Foreflight will more than get you anywhere and spoon feed you every bit of information you would ever require. No Kitfox has deicing capability so why would you even think about putting yourself in that type of situation. and Iced up wing on a 750ish pound airplane would turn into an NTSB hearing in a New York minute.
Save your money and save the weight. Use your iPad and think of all the beer you could buy with that backup instrumentation money.

maybe not beer, but for sure fuel for my next flight. . I have no plans to use an efis on my kitfox. will always have steam. basic mind you. I agree all way on, "why would you want to fly into icing conditions with a kitfox", so true. On my RV I have a dynon d180 although a very good system, it does have it's problem, I also have an altitude, airspeed on steam and I have a rpm gauge (constant speed prop) . One of my problems is when it is real cold like 5 degrees the dynon won't fire up. I haven't called dynon on this for I don't fly very much when it's that cold. but because I have the important gauges in steam, I just go fly, a few minutes with good heat in the plane the dynon fires up. I always have in the back of my mind someday the whole system is going to fail inflight, my thought, who cares, I can still fly the plane. One last note, maybe I'm old school, but take off and landing is always by the dial. In other words my eyes go right to the steam gauges.

[Shadowrider]

Steve I used to think the same way. Steam gauges you can tell your speed without even looking at them based on location of the needle using your peripheral vision. Then I started flying glass and never looked back. Of course that is applies to IFR flying as your scan is reduced and more information compacted in front of you. VFR flying I still like glass but not as easy to tell airspeed looking out the window using just peripheral vision. Of course I am really liking the garmin AOA and just having the noise is super helpful. On final I am not looking at airpeed but listening to it. Of course when I get more time I will be able to feel it better and not listen or look. These kitfox still make me cringe on final as I feel like I am almost going backwards they are so slow.

[Slyfox]

Steve I used to think the same way. Steam gauges you can tell your speed without even looking at them based on location of the needle using your peripheral vision. Then I started flying glass and never looked back. Of course that is applies to IFR flying as your scan is reduced and more information compacted in front of you. VFR flying I still like glass but not as easy to tell airspeed looking out the window using just peripheral vision. Of course I am really liking the garmin AOA and just having the noise is super helpful. On final I am not looking at airpeed but listening to it. Of course when I get more time I will be able to feel it better and not listen or look. These kitfox still make me cringe on final as I feel like I am almost going backwards they are so slow.

once I'm flying along my attention in the rv goes right to the efis and the 696. so yes I see where you are coming from. in the kitfox, right out the window and stays there until I go to land.

[109JB]

Steam gauges are absolutely fine, but with EFIS you can get a lot of benefits.

1. Even though I don't consider a Kitfox an good IFR platform, an EFIS would be fantastic to have in case of an inadvertent IMC encounter.
2. A small EFIS is likely less weight than steam gauges depending on how many it replaces.
3. Some small EFIS systems are easier to connect than even steam gauges requiring only one static, one pitot, and a dc power connection.
4. An EFIS can take up less panel space leaving room for say a tablet running a moving map display and ADS-B in.
5. Some EFIS systems can also have the engine instruments incorporated.

I'm actually thinking about replacing my "steam" gauges in my Kitfox IV with a G5X.