Attitude indicator. elect vs vacume

I plan on putting an attitude indicator in my "plane jane" rv-9a this winter come annual (Jan 2009). Engine is Areosport re-built O-320 D1A with no vacume pump/system. Looking for opinions from the experts here as wether to shop for electric or vacume.
Which would end up being less expensive?
Reliability?
If vacume wet or dry?
Manufacture recommendations?(as to brand).



I may want to put a directional indicator in down the road (during 2010 annual ) also.

Thanks
doug

Either way I think you'll be surprised that you can just about buy a TruTrak ADI or Dynon D-10A for the same price as a Vac gyro + the system, or an electric one from a good mfgr. That being said, RV Allen and Sigmatek are the way to go with the Vac system, electric has a few more options. Castleberry and Mid Continent "Lifesaver" are the most popular for electric Gyros, but RC Allen also makes good Gyros. When it comes to gyros however, the import ones are notoriously less reliable by a wide margin. TruTrak ADI's are probably the most popular substitutions, Dynon's are next in line.

My 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein

AI

In my completely humble opinion the best thing you can do with a vacuum operated AI and its associated vacuum pump is to drop them into the bottom of the trash can...YUK!

The electric version wouldn't be far behind.

Stein is right..if your talking VFR then slap a trutrak autopilot in (pictorial pilot looks like a turn coordinator but actually works!).

That way you get a very nice instrument that does something useful...i.e make cross country flying a joy and gives you the warm and fuzzy's of an instrument that you can use to keep right side up should you ever wander into low vis..but then the A/P will do that for you anyway.

The Dynon D10a can also be used as an all in one instrument, airspeed, altitude, AI, DG etc.

I pretty much have both of the above for IFR flying where backups are and extremely good idea.

you might want to chck out the upcoming A/P from Dynon which presumably you can get the funtionality of the D10a with a built in A/P...Plenty for a VFR bird.

then again 10 years ago i flew VFR for 400 hours by doing nothing else than looking out the window..No AI at all.

Frank

Frank

thanks guys:

I went minimum VFR for instruments on the build for $ reasons and the fact of flying only VFR. Got caught in low visablity fog at the coast for about 5 seconds a while back. My eyes went straight to the panel location of the c-152 trainer for the AI.... it wasn't there!. looking for the best solution without having to spend a ton or change out my whole panel, Just got it flying last spring (95 hrs tt).

Don't know much about the trutrak auto pilot but I will attempt to educate my self a little in that direction. thanks again.

Frank, You fly out of CVO? I'm just over in Albany S-12

doug

I believe RC Allen is selling a solid state gyro AI now. I saw it at Sun N Fun in April. Just another option.

dougknight said:

thanks guys:

Don't know much about the trutrak auto pilot but I will attempt to educate my self a little in that direction. thanks again.

Frank, You fly out of CVO? I'm just over in Albany S-12

doug

Click to expand...

Yessir...There are a number of RV'ers over at Albany, Scott Weddel, Ron Tehrar, Jerry Wilken among others..

Let me know if you want to see a trutrak/Dynon in action...Especially how well they withstand aerobatics..

Frank