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ifly vs EFIS opinions ?

Larry DeCamp

Well Known Member
I have ifly and need to select an Efis for my -4 project. The ifly is soooo intuitive and easy to use. MGL suite is highly regarded for the rdac and can bus approach. I would appreciate any comparisons of efis to the ifly format.
 
iFly plus EFIS, for me

I have (2) iFly 740s that I currently use --- I have on order, an AFS 5600T system --- but, at least one of the iFlys will remain in my airplane as the "go to" for supplementing the EFIS ----as you say, wonderfully easy to use and the customer support is outstanding.

Ron
 
This is what i have done to my -6 so far. I lost 12 lbs after taking out the vac system and all the instruments.



This is what i did to my -3 panel. You might be able to squeeze in the ifly in place of the garmin 496 by making an angle mount and letting it extend below the panels bottom edge.

 
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This is what i have done to my -6 so far. I lost 12 lbs after taking out the vac system and all the instruments.

I see you are using the same handheld radio that I use in the open cockpit Fokker D.VII. If you need more volume from the radio check out this thread on the EAA forum:

http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?7056-Getting-More-Volume-from-a-Handheld-Radio

Adding a miniature audio matching transformer will drastically increase headset volume. I found this to be a great modification in my noisy aircraft.
 
Thanks sam. It is plenty loud enough when routed through a portable intercom and my bose a20. I had a kx155, but it died one day while rolling out after landing. I plan on pulling the entire panel out soon and building a new panel blank with new radio/txp and install everything the right way.
 
Back to ifly vs efis

Anyone have real experience with how ifly compares to a particular efis brand or efis in general ?
 
I'm using an iFly740 as my moving map alongside of a GRT Sport SX. I wouldn't give up either. The iFly is not the same thing as an EFIS.
 
dtw ?

Thanks for input. You confirmed my concerns that an efis is not as capable as my 740 for navigation. Please elaborate on how ifly is different than efis .
 
Thanks for input. You confirmed my concerns that an efis is not as capable as my 740 for navigation. Please elaborate on how ifly is different than efis .

Larry,

The iFly is a very capable Electronic Flight Book (EFB), basically, what handheld GPS's have morphed in to. It gives you all sorts of position information, navigation, and charts, plates, etc. A very good tool to have, especially if you move between airplanes - you always have something familiar. I use ForeFlight on an iPad for this same function - many ways to do it.

An EFIS is a built-in Electronic Flight Information System - part of the wired in avionics of the aircraft. it will replace all of your primary flight instruments, including those with air data (pitot and static). In addition, it will interface with your engine and fuel system, so it can give you much broader navigation insites - like how much fuel you'll have at the current flow rate at each waypoint in your flight plan. Advanced systems will interface with radios, transponders, IFR Navigators, etc. An EFIS is an entire instrument panel...and more. Most full-featured EFIS's today will give you all of the navigation capability of a portable EFB, plus realtime interface to the aircraft.

Asking if you need an iFly or an EFIS is sort of like asking if you like airplanes or bananas - they are two different things. If you are going VFR, and have a set of air data plus engine instruments already, then the iFly will be a great navigator. If you are looking for teh iFly to be your entire panel - it is missing many key elements.
 
Thanks Paul

I have 740 mounted in the panel with inherited steam gauges from the salvage wings I purchased, and have been very impressed with the ifly. I plan to purchase an MGL Lite suite for my -4 after OSH. I am concered that the efis navigation may not be as user friendly as ifly. Just looking for informed opinions if anyone has them..
 
Prince props are beautiful and Lonnie is a great guy, but hanging all that mass out where drag is greatest is maybe cool looking but very un-aerodynamic. Just read Paul Lipps. He's all over VAF as "Elippse" and also Contact magazine. He's been gone a few years now. Greatly missed. He's the person to study to learn about prop aerodynamics.
 
IFLY

Larry,
Ive got an IFLY 740 in the Cub, Comanche, and RV-9. Its a great moving map GPS and so easy to use. The annual subscription is for IFR/VFR is much more affordable than say Garmin and I include the app for my iphone which i have had to use on several occasions. I have even used the GPS out from the IFLY to drive a TRIO autopilot on an older project and it worked fantastic.

That being said, my RV-9 has some "Glass" from AFS. Its an older version 3500 but it gets the job done and monitors all the engine parameters. It would be really nice to have an AFS with the moving map feature but I haven't been able to make that leap yet as it would require a complete panel redo. I don't think that anyone is offering a yearly subscription IFR/VFR for three devices including the app for less than $129.00 like Ifly. They are the ticket as far as I'm concerned.
 
iFly Pireps....any Canadian users?

so i see that most folks are using the screen iFly provides, the 740, likely due to brightness and other factors over a tablet or iPad.
feedback on THAT would be appreciated.

the second question is; does anyone use iFly for basic VFR in Canada? I've seen charts that looks suspiciously like sectionals, but there's the whole legal and update issue behind that......and of course, you still need the CFS in the cockpit in some form, and a current copy of that!

sorry for the thread drift.......
 
I have installed the iEfis Lite in my -4. I am still a year (bwahahahaha) from flying, but looking at the system I think the nav features are quite comprehensive. Also, the iefis is completely customizable. You can make whatever efis screen you want. Is it simple? No, it will take some effort to understand all the features and harness the capability. But the more time I spend with it the more familiar I will get. It has flight plans, way points, moving map etc. All the goodies. I am blown away by what this thing does for $3k. I have the RDAC.

My only concern is that I have all my eggs in one basic so if it goes tango uniform I will be looking out the window. Since I will be day vfr I am not overly concerned with that from a safety standpoint.

Sorry for not being somebody with lots of time on it. I need to pound a few more rivets and sand some more fibreglass. But I am getting there.
 
Full disclosure regarding MGL Efis reference.

Since I see activity, I should update this thread because I went with Garmin G3x instead. Because:
1- I had numerous MGL 2 1/4" instruments in my 3B
2- The RV-1 tachometer was never stable no matter what the instructions told you to adjust.
3- The V6 radio was a nightmare with all the possible adjustment combos. I finally turned off all the "advanced features", bought a bose A2 and it works great.
4- The AHRS with SP6 & 7 modules works OK but the compass ( after numerous auto calibration procedures) still does not agree with North/South section lines in the Midwest.

Matt has been fantastic for support but the hardware is what it is, sourced from ??? around the world. I just felt Garmin was a more reliable source for "airline technology" at a home builder's price.
 
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