TruTrak ADI

[mgomez]

If anyone wants to know how the TruTrak ADI works, there's a pretty good description in their patent 6,961,643 at the www.uspto.gov site.

As I suspected, it works differently when you power it up on the bench than it will in flight, because the VSI didn't see a climb.

While it's true that accelerometers, rate gyros, etc. could have been used to make an AHRS, I doubt TruTrack could sell that for $1000 and make money. This seems like a neat little gizmo. It's well matched to how pilots will use it...it may not show "real" pitch and "real" roll, but I bet you could fly an instrument approach with it, which is what matters.

[MikeS]

>"I'm told by the folks at Trutrak that the pitot input is only used to provide a low speed warning. It's not used for any of the attitude display functions."

Steve Zicree
RV4 finishing

They (Lucas) told me that too. It is confirmed in the written instructions that come with the instrument.

IT IS NOT TRUE.

Talking with someone else at TruTrak, I was informed that without pitot input, bank information will be correct only at 120 Knots. At any other speed, it will not display correctly.

I originally installed mine, based on the written material followed by a phone conversation with Lucas, without hooking up pitot. It did not display correctly. Crazy banking displays.

After hooking up pitot, it's fine.

I don't know why TruTrak doesn't correct this misinformation.

Mike

[terrykohler]

One other thing to keep in mind if you're using the ADI as your horizon and heading indicator: Heading on this instrument is generated from GPS and is actually ground track. While on the surface, this seems to be a good thing, it can be detrimental if you're flying IFR and responding to headings given by ATC. Your friendly controller is NOT calculating in a wind correction angle when he assigns a heading. Just something you need to keep in mind.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP

[TrutrakTech]

I apologize for the misinformation. We have since corrected the manual, as soon as we can get the next website update into effect it will be reflected there. All new shipments of ADIs SHOULD have the updated manual with them. Thanks!