Hawk Wind

On Friday, 30 April 2021 at 05:14:26 UTC+1, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 4/29/2021 3:15 PM, jfitch wrote:
It does not sound like an inertial solution, but rather a more sophisticated pneumatic and magnetic calculation. It will be interesting to compare it to a Butterfly. In their paper, they erroneously claim that no instant wind calculation method existed before theirs - marketing I guess.
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 10:27:19 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Has anyone any experience yet with the new Lxnav Hawk Wind program? Sounds superficially to me like it might be an alternative to the Butterfly wind solution which is no longer readily available. And this program seems to avoid some of the Butterfly installation challenges?
I don't think it uses magnetic sensing, as it does not require the optional
compass. So, it's all inertial and GPS, and I think doing it without a compass
was an important goal. 990eur for wind equal to the Butterfly, and a AHRS, is at
reasonable price for me. A separate AHRS is in the $800-$1000 range, so I'd bet
getting the Hawk features for about $200-$400 dollars with the Hawk/AHRS.
--
Eric Greenwell - USA
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

The HAWK article referenced on the LXNAV website makes it very clear that it doesn't use magnetic sensing and why:

https://gliding.lxnav.com/news/segel...magazines-eng/

Except for people with a Butterfly vario already installed that vario is now history so for the rest of us there isn't much value in comparing the two systems.

On 4/30/2021 12:43 AM, John Galloway wrote:
On Friday, 30 April 2021 at 05:14:26 UTC+1, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 4/29/2021 3:15 PM, jfitch wrote:
It does not sound like an inertial solution, but rather a more sophisticated pneumatic and magnetic calculation. It will be interesting to compare it to a Butterfly. In their paper, they erroneously claim that no instant wind calculation method existed before theirs - marketing I guess.
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 10:27:19 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Has anyone any experience yet with the new Lxnav Hawk Wind program? Sounds superficially to me like it might be an alternative to the Butterfly wind solution which is no longer readily available. And this program seems to avoid some of the Butterfly installation challenges?
I don't think it uses magnetic sensing, as it does not require the optional
compass. So, it's all inertial and GPS, and I think doing it without a compass
was an important goal. 990eur for wind equal to the Butterfly, and a AHRS, is at
reasonable price for me. A separate AHRS is in the $800-$1000 range, so I'd bet
getting the Hawk features for about $200-$400 dollars with the Hawk/AHRS.
--
Eric Greenwell - USA
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

The HAWK article referenced on the LXNAV website makes it very clear that it doesn't use magnetic sensing and why:

https://gliding.lxnav.com/news/segel...magazines-eng/

Except for people with a Butterfly vario already installed that vario is now history so for the rest of us there isn't much value in comparing the two systems.

There is for me: I have a new glider ordered, and I considered keeping the
Butterfly vario that's in my current glider. Now, I'm willing to let it go with
the current glider when I sell it.

It should also be a useful comparison for people that want a vario with a fast
wind update, and now know there is something that may be as good (or maybe even
better) than the now unavailable Butterfly.

--
Eric Greenwell - USA
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

On Friday, April 30, 2021 at 7:06:28 AM UTC-7, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 4/30/2021 12:43 AM, John Galloway wrote:
On Friday, 30 April 2021 at 05:14:26 UTC+1, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 4/29/2021 3:15 PM, jfitch wrote:
It does not sound like an inertial solution, but rather a more sophisticated pneumatic and magnetic calculation. It will be interesting to compare it to a Butterfly. In their paper, they erroneously claim that no instant wind calculation method existed before theirs - marketing I guess.
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 10:27:19 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Has anyone any experience yet with the new Lxnav Hawk Wind program? Sounds superficially to me like it might be an alternative to the Butterfly wind solution which is no longer readily available. And this program seems to avoid some of the Butterfly installation challenges?
I don't think it uses magnetic sensing, as it does not require the optional
compass. So, it's all inertial and GPS, and I think doing it without a compass
was an important goal. 990eur for wind equal to the Butterfly, and a AHRS, is at
reasonable price for me. A separate AHRS is in the $800-$1000 range, so I'd bet
getting the Hawk features for about $200-$400 dollars with the Hawk/AHRS.
--
Eric Greenwell - USA
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

The HAWK article referenced on the LXNAV website makes it very clear that it doesn't use magnetic sensing and why:

https://gliding.lxnav.com/news/segel...magazines-eng/

Except for people with a Butterfly vario already installed that vario is now history so for the rest of us there isn't much value in comparing the two systems.

There is for me: I have a new glider ordered, and I considered keeping the
Butterfly vario that's in my current glider. Now, I'm willing to let it go with
the current glider when I sell it.

It should also be a useful comparison for people that want a vario with a fast
wind update, and now know there is something that may be as good (or maybe even
better) than the now unavailable Butterfly.
--
Eric Greenwell - USA
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

To get the Hawk option you first have to buy the AHRS option, so the total cost will be something in the neighborhood of $1,200 (the only price I have seen was about 975 euro). If you don't have an AHRS this might make sense, but I already do (a Garmin G5 PFD), so I would have to evaluate it on the wind option alone. I already get real-time wind by comparing my true airspeed to GPS ground speed (which I have displayed side-by-side in Nav boxes). And you can get a stand alone artificial horizon for as little as $335 (https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...-11-16581.php).

Tom

On Friday, 30 April 2021 at 15:06:28 UTC+1, Eric Greenwell wrote:


There is for me: I have a new glider ordered, and I considered keeping the
Butterfly vario that's in my current glider. Now, I'm willing to let it go with
the current glider when I sell it.

It should also be a useful comparison for people that want a vario with a fast
wind update, and now know there is something that may be as good (or maybe even
better) than the now unavailable Butterfly.
--
Eric Greenwell - USA
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1


I would hold off making that decision until we get more positive feedback on HAWK. My friend who set up HAWK on his S10 a few days ago was disappointed on his first flight with it - a flat-land thermalling flight. On that flight at no time did it give different wind from his LX 9070, or different vario behaviour. I hope we will get better news in due course.