Portable IMC emergency panel

Howdy,

I fly a Cirrus SR22, an all-electric plane. It has dual-redundant power
busses, which makes total electrical failure unlikely, but if it does
happen in IMC it can really ruin your day, so I'm thinking about a
backup plan. Obviously a portable GPS and Comm unit are first on the
priority list, but I'd also like to get a portable AI, since it's really
hard to keep the wings level with just a GPS. Most of the portable AIs
seem to be part of a complete EFB solution about which I know very
little, but as long as I'm heading in that direction anyway I thought
I'd ask if anyone had any experience or recommendations in this
direction. I want to optimize for portability first. This is just a
backup plan, so I don't want to shlep around a lot of extra weight that
I'm likely never going to use. Beyond that I'm curious about two
things: 1) what's the cheapest portable AI solution out there, and 2)
what can I get that's still portable if price is no object. XM weather?
Portable stormscope? Electronic approach plates? The kitchen sink? (I
suppose a portable autopilot is too much to ask :-)

Thanks,
rg

On 2005-03-27, Ron Garret wrote:
backup plan. Obviously a portable GPS and Comm unit are first on the
priority list, but I'd also like to get a portable AI, since it's really
hard to keep the wings level with just a GPS.

I built a solid state turn coordinator with LED display that would run
for about 24 hours on a pair of alkaline batteries. I never got around
to moving it off the breadboard and into a nice package. There is a
company that sells something I suspect is very similar. It's about
the size of a deck of cards with row of LEDs on one edge, but of course
now I can't find the name of it.

Anyway, in concert with a portable GPS or even just a magnetic compass
a solid state turn coordinator could keep you going under some pretty
dire circumstances.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

In article ,
Ben Jackson wrote:

On 2005-03-27, Ron Garret wrote:
backup plan. Obviously a portable GPS and Comm unit are first on the
priority list, but I'd also like to get a portable AI, since it's really
hard to keep the wings level with just a GPS.

I built a solid state turn coordinator with LED display that would run
for about 24 hours on a pair of alkaline batteries. I never got around
to moving it off the breadboard and into a nice package. There is a
company that sells something I suspect is very similar. It's about
the size of a deck of cards with row of LEDs on one edge, but of course
now I can't find the name of it.

This perhaps?

http://www.pcflightsystems.com/egyro.html

It's $500. Is that a reasonable price?

rg

Garmin 296 with a bag full of batteries? Or, with a long-duration power
supply?

Second engine?

Trade the bird in for a Citation X and a professional crew?

Ron Garret wrote:

Howdy,

I fly a Cirrus SR22, an all-electric plane. It has dual-redundant power
busses, which makes total electrical failure unlikely, but if it does
happen in IMC it can really ruin your day, so I'm thinking about a
backup plan. Obviously a portable GPS and Comm unit are first on the
priority list, but I'd also like to get a portable AI, since it's really
hard to keep the wings level with just a GPS. Most of the portable AIs
seem to be part of a complete EFB solution about which I know very
little, but as long as I'm heading in that direction anyway I thought
I'd ask if anyone had any experience or recommendations in this
direction. I want to optimize for portability first. This is just a
backup plan, so I don't want to shlep around a lot of extra weight that
I'm likely never going to use. Beyond that I'm curious about two
things: 1) what's the cheapest portable AI solution out there, and 2)
what can I get that's still portable if price is no object. XM weather?
Portable stormscope? Electronic approach plates? The kitchen sink? (I
suppose a portable autopilot is too much to ask :-)

Thanks,
rg

1) what's the cheapest portable AI solution out there, and 2)
what can I get that's still portable if price is no object. XM
weather?
Portable stormscope? Electronic approach plates? The kitchen sink?
(I
suppose a portable autopilot is too much to ask :-)

Thanks,
rg

A couple of thoughts:

1. If it's not on line when your primary attitude indicators/turn
coordinators fail in IMC, you'll probably die while digging through
your flight bag looking for it,
2. Control Vision makes AnyWhereMap moving map software for Pocket PC
PDA's and has an AI option available for it. This takes care of the
portable GPS, too. About $2200 complete with nice PDA.
http://www.anywheremap.com/detail.aspx?ID=111
3. Mid Contintent makes an electric AI that has onboard battery backup
good for an hour of use from the time aircraft power is lost. (about
$3900)
http://www.mcico.com/pdf/4300.pdf

David

www.pcflightsystems.com
PC EFIS and Nav GPS software. Runs on a Pocket PC
I have had them for a year and like the feeling of security.
Michelle

Ron Garret wrote:

Howdy,

I fly a Cirrus SR22, an all-electric plane. It has dual-redundant power
busses, which makes total electrical failure unlikely, but if it does
happen in IMC it can really ruin your day, so I'm thinking about a
backup plan. Obviously a portable GPS and Comm unit are first on the
priority list, but I'd also like to get a portable AI, since it's really
hard to keep the wings level with just a GPS. Most of the portable AIs
seem to be part of a complete EFB solution about which I know very
little, but as long as I'm heading in that direction anyway I thought
I'd ask if anyone had any experience or recommendations in this
direction. I want to optimize for portability first. This is just a
backup plan, so I don't want to shlep around a lot of extra weight that
I'm likely never going to use. Beyond that I'm curious about two
things: 1) what's the cheapest portable AI solution out there, and 2)
what can I get that's still portable if price is no object. XM weather?
Portable stormscope? Electronic approach plates? The kitchen sink? (I
suppose a portable autopilot is too much to ask :-)

Thanks,
rg

In article . com,
"Cheetah236" wrote:

1) what's the cheapest portable AI solution out there, and 2)
what can I get that's still portable if price is no object. XM
weather?
Portable stormscope? Electronic approach plates? The kitchen sink?
(I
suppose a portable autopilot is too much to ask :-)

Thanks,
rg

A couple of thoughts:

1. If it's not on line when your primary attitude indicators/turn
coordinators fail in IMC, you'll probably die while digging through
your flight bag looking for it,

Yep, I figure I'll set it up whenever I'm going into hard IMC.

2. Control Vision makes AnyWhereMap moving map software for Pocket PC
PDA's and has an AI option available for it. This takes care of the
portable GPS, too. About $2200 complete with nice PDA.
http://www.anywheremap.com/detail.aspx?ID=111

This looks like just what I'm looking for. Thanks!

rg

On 2005-03-27, Ron Garret wrote:

http://www.pcflightsystems.com/egyro.html

It's $500. Is that a reasonable price?

That's the one I'm thinking of. I can't tell you if the price is right,
only that I think it's a great idea but I still don't have one.

I toyed with the idea of making something like that (turn only, no pitch)
in kit form. The basic idea is really very simple with the solid state
gyros that are available now. About the only complexity is temperature
compensation. I just made the project too complicated by trying to
include a DG-like reference which requires far, far higher precision
than just a TC display.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

In article ,
Ben Jackson wrote:

On 2005-03-27, Ron Garret wrote:

http://www.pcflightsystems.com/egyro.html

It's $500. Is that a reasonable price?

That's the one I'm thinking of. I can't tell you if the price is right,
only that I think it's a great idea but I still don't have one.

I toyed with the idea of making something like that (turn only, no pitch)
in kit form. The basic idea is really very simple with the solid state
gyros that are available now. About the only complexity is temperature
compensation. I just made the project too complicated by trying to
include a DG-like reference which requires far, far higher precision
than just a TC display.

Yeah, any time you start integrating things get hairy. But if all you
care about is keeping the wings level then maybe all you need is one of
those cheap rate gyros they use in model helicopters and a couple of
LEDs. On the one hand, betting your life on a part made for RC models
seems like a foolish thing to do, but on the other hand, this is just a
backup in case the entire electrical system on a dual-redundant plane
craps out.

Might be worth getting a model gyro just to play around with. Hm, where
did I put that soldering iron?

rg

I frankly think that the best solution would be a panel mounted GPS
with battery backup. I have practiced under the hood and I can keep my
plane level with just my IFR GPS when in Track Up mode, the line moves
right and left with the plane, keep the line straight up and the plane
is not turning. Display the altitude and you can keep a rough pitch
also. Needs to be panel mounted so it is always there and ready. It
doesn't have to be one of the panel mount IFR GPS's, you could fashion
a panel mount for a handheld. But the key is to have it on, on track
and ready. If you get an electrical failure in IMC you aren't going to
be able to set anything up. ALL you attention will be needed keeping
the plane wings level.