Quote:
Originally Posted by smash
I would have to think any glass I put into a panel today would be lucky to last 5 years before replacement is required.
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This is only true if you have the mindset that you need the very newest features or hardware. But this was true 30 years ago too when a company came out with a newer com radio or transponder that was different than the one in your plane too. Did every 172 upgrade to digital display com radios to replace the old analog turn dials?
There's nothing that
requires you to replace your avionics, even if they are no longer sold or software updates have stopped. The equipment still does what it did the day before, just like that old com radio does what it's supposed to.
As another analogy, do you consider all the RV-7 airframes to require replacement because the RV-14 came out? And the 6's all got crushed when the 7 came out? Nope, those are still great airframes that still do what they were designed to. It doesn't matter that there's something newer out there.
Dynon still sells and supports the Dynon D10A, first sold in 2004. SkyView was first sold in 2009 and while it now has three products in the line (classic, touch, HDX), they are all still supported, getting software updates, new features, and are all still sold. So there's a lot of history that software based EFIS products enjoy much more than a 5 year lifespan. These are not products that require a connection to the internet and some server to keep working.
Define your mission and needs, buy the equipment that meets those needs, and enjoy your plane. While it is any competitive company's job to keep coming out with new products which make you
want the newest thing, we also believe it's our job to make sure we build quality products that are designed to last the life of an airplane so it's your choice to upgrade, not a requirement.