What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

1000-Nit Tablet Display on the Horizon?

Assuming you're hoping for an android glass cockpit, your best bet might be with some of the rugged tablets. RuggON makes the PA-501 which is an android 4.2 tablet with a 1000 nit display. Both Navigator and Avare should run on that without difficulty.

A more fun route might be to buy a touch display and a single board PC to put android on. That leaves you with the option for some Pixel-Qi screens, which sounds fun to me though I haven't tried them, and something like the ODROID C1, which is just great

On the chance that you aren't trying for an android glass cockpit, please enjoy a bunch of info you didn't ask for.
 
On the topic of information you didn't ask for: looking at the various ADS-b receivers with other functions, the iLevil actually has pitot and static inputs, which could make for a legitimate PFD. Sadly, no android apps incorporate this currently. 123west software has plans to incorporate pitot and static data into its Navigator app. So there's that.
 
Last edited:
Just nav and planning, not PFD

I think what the OP was hoping for was something that you can run Foreflight on that you can see in the cockpit. I'm hoping for that too. Is 1000 nits bright enough? I think most of the sunlight-readable devices are more like 1200?

Anyway, fingers crossed that Apple will make something that I can see in my cockpit.
 
I suspect Apply will consider a display which works well in a cockpit when we grow the pilot ranks to 12 million. (That's the average quarterly sales for just iPads.)
 
The iFly 740 is 1300 nit

and is totally usable in my -6A -- I also have the iPad Mini Retina, side by side -- the iPad, with or without the glare shield, is only marginal.

R.
 
Peering at the Horizon

Yes, I agree that the 1300-nit, $900 iFly 740 is excellent . . . I played with it at Oshkosh . . . Very bright and super-easy to read/operate . . . A winner for sure.

On the other hand, a 1000-nit mini-tablet would be a good value if it comes to market in the $400-to-$500 price range. It would not be as bright as the iFly 740, but it would have improved brightness over today's mass-market tablets plus multi-app capability. Of course, eventual availability will be based on the non-aviation, outdoor-activity market (boating, camping, off-roading, and that kind of thing). Aviation is too small to attract the Apples and Samsungs of this world!

At this point in time, it appears that the 1000-nit tablet is still submerged below the horizon, but the technology can be seen floating in the distance. ;)
 
I suspect Apply will consider a display which works well in a cockpit when we grow the pilot ranks to 12 million. (That's the average quarterly sales for just iPads.)

I am outside a great percentage of my working day, and there are many times that I find my iPhone 6+ and iPad Mini inadequate / unusable. I bet there are millions of mobile professionals that would trade their tiny Retina displays for something more sunlight readable. The pilot community would certainly benefit.
 
There are several brands of sunlight readable industrial/rugged tablets out there on the market that blow the consumer grade tablets out of the water outside in the sun. The problem is that they can cost almost as much as a purpose built EFIS with a display proven to work in the RV cockpit....
 
Last edited:
Back
Top