Vertical Power demonstration in Phoenix, AZ

Marc Ausman from Vertical Power, Inc. is going to be the guest speaker this Tuesday the 8th of May at 7PM, at the EAA538 chapter monthly meeting at Deer Valley Airport (KDVT) in Phoenix, AZ.

From the Vertical Power Website http://www.verticalpower.com
"Think of it as your very own first officer."
Take the Vertical Power Virtual Flight tour: Be amazed in 3 minutes." http://www.verticalpower.com/Take-a-Flight

"Vertical Power offers you a new way to wire and fly your experimental aircraft. Wiring is simplified by using a centralized, fault-tolerant Control Unit to control the electrical power to the devices and contactors on your aircraft. Most switches, circuit breakers, and various modules are replaced by modern, solid-state circuitry. Routine pilot tasks are handled by an intelligent, microprocessor-controlled system that allows you to spend more time flying with your head outside the cockpit. It?s like having a virtual co-pilot with you."

It should be a great meeting. Marc is bringing a demo unit with him and will be showing its functions at the meeting.
Anyone interested is invited to attend this meeting.

The meeting will be held at the Pan Am building at Deer Valley Airport in Classroom "A". Pan Am has 3 buildings, the classrooms are located in the one story building behind (or East of) the hanger building. From the main Deer Valley Airport parking lot (7th Ave and Deer Valley Road) go through the fence gate just north of the hanger building to the South-East building. There is also a small parking lot between the hanger building and the classroom building. If it's full, you can walk from the main parking lot down the access road to the classroom building.

Has anybody done a cost analysis on the Vertical Power offerings vs "standard" electronic configuration? For instance, it looks like the Vertical Power VP-200 Duo package supports the Aeroelectric dual alternator "all electric" configuration. The price is $9,995. That's a lot of CB's/fuses/etc.. that one could buy! I realize the value of what Vertical Power is offerring, and it is very cool stuff! If you have not gone through the online demo as listed above, I would encourage you to do so.

Before anybody gets too excited, I will acknowledge that the offerring is new and, so, untested by the masses. That being said, it does give us a glimpse of what can be done in the cockpit, and I'm hoping this is successful and results in similar, but cheaper, units in the future. I will also say that my personality does not allow me to be one of those "leading, bleeding edgers" that plays a role in advancing the technology. I give my sincere respect and appreciation to those who do!

Despite its "coolness", it still comes down to a choice that is determined by our own sense of value and what the "cool stuff" function might be worth to us individually. A cost comparison would allow us to at least have a base from which to begin the comparison and determining what that additionl "coolness" might be worth to us.

Thanks Tom for posting the meeting.

A correction to an earlier post - the VP-200 ($6495) supports a single bus, single battery, dual alternator system - which is what many people are installing these days. The more expensive Duo is needed to support a dual independent bus (dual alt, dual batt, with x-tie) similar to the Z-14.

The cost of the stuff "you don't have to buy" is one part of what you're getting with our system. And of course "coolness" is another. Here is a blurb from our web site that explains it in more detail:

Reduced pilot workload. The VP-200 handles routine tasks for you so you can focus on flying the airplane and keeping your head outside the cockpit. It can turn on your boost pump and landing lights at takeoff or landing, turn on your alternator and avionics automatically after engine start, and greatly simplify the way you respond to emergencies, to name just a few. Enjoy the convenience of automatic shut-off of your electrical system if left on after flight - never leave the master switch on again!

Advanced features. Without complex wiring or additional modules, you can incorporate advanced features into your aircraft like reduced trim sensitivity at speed, auto trim compensation when lowering flaps, intermediate flap settings, wig-wag the landing lights, automatic switching to backup alternator and electrical load-shedding, disabled landing gear on the ground, and alerts when landing & taxi lights fail. The VP-200 also includes important safety features like runaway trim protection and reminders when the mag switch is set in the wrong position. Plus, convenience features like voice alerts and a remote key fob that you can use to turn on the interior lights or unlock the canopy.

Reduced parts count and complexity. You don?t have to buy fuse blocks, diodes, circuit breakers, most switches, over-voltage & under-voltage modules, trim modules, voltage converters, relay decks, indicators, annunciator lights, mechanical engine gauges, key switches, flap controllers, dimmers, or landing gear disable systems. No more complex wiring schematics. Fewer connections and mechanical components means fewer opportunities for failure.

Reduced build time. Wiring is simplified because you run power wires from the VP-200 to the electrical devices that needs power such as the avionics, flaps, trim motors & switches, and contactors. You then configure the function and circuit breaker value for each wire using the setup menus. And, you can easily add or change wires in the future.

Don't leave home without it.

How did we fly with out it? Will it keep you from crashing or make you a better airman? ( I am kidding it looks like a very cool integrated system.) We are flying simple single engine fixed gear planes, good golly. I guess I'm just getting older. The older I get, the more I like simple. I think a non-electric Piper Cub is a thing of beauty so that is where I am coming from.


I do fly complex aircraft with central fault detection systems. I can say they are great, but I find more doo-dads and gadgets can or often causes pilots to spend more time with their head IN the cockpit. I'm not anti-technology or new products that might add safety, but lets not forget the real "micro-processor" a well trained pilot. The one negative with a central system is of course failures or faults warnings. I have seen many nuisance messages and warnings on central warning and diagnostic systems. The more complex a system is the more complex the problems may be. That is all I am saying. Cool product. How much?

I like the beauty and simplicity of a Cub too, but most of us are flying relatively high-performance RVs, Lancairs, etc. aircraft in all kinds of conditions. As a pilot, it makes sense to get every advantage we can get.

Look at what's happened in recent years. EFIS systems have replaced the six pack, GPS moving maps have replaced the CDI for primary navigation, and graphical engine monitors have replaced dials. For many people, but not all. Our product offers a similar type of upgrade to the electrical system and the way you handle emergencies.

I've got about 60 hours flying with the system in my plane now and it really is quite nice to fly with. Come by ABQ and I'll give you a ride.

I love it when the manufacturers/vendors pay attention to these forums and reply! There are a few out there who have historically done a good job and the message it sends is one of enthusiasm and customer service/support. In some cases, that has confirmed my decision to do business with them or, in one case, got me off the fence when I was trying to decide between two products.

Appreciate the response MCA! Will you guys be at Oshkosh?

Oshkosh

Yes, we'll be at OSH this year: Hangar B, booth 2024. Look forward to meeting you!

I also take my -7 to a lot of the fly-ins and air shows on the western side of the country and am more than glad to meet with anyone who wants to see the system up close and personal.

Vertical Power Still Around??

Vertical Power was not at Sun-N-Fun and now I can't seem to get the website to come up... Anybody know whats up?

The website is working now, and I haven't heard anything. From what Marc has been saying here and on the Vertical Power forums seems like this is not something to worry about. The system looks amazing and I cannot wait to install. I figure by the time I get my -8 finished the features will be beyond what I can even imagine now.

Vertical Power at Sun N Fun

Marc was at Sun N Fun at the Aerotronics booth Friday thru Sunday. Sorry we missed you. You can always see what events we're attending at http://www.verticalpower.com/news.html towards the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to give Marc or myself a call.

Thanks... I see the site is back up now, just had me concerned. We are looking at the 100 unit.