Minimum IFR Panel

[RobinHou]

I am planning a minimalist IFR panel. I have the following items already:

Vans airspeed;
Vans altimeter;
Castleberry Elec. AI;
Garmin GNC 420W (not 430W) & its CDI indicator;
Narco AT-165 w/ mode C; and
TrueTrak Digitrak & Altrak.

I am thinking adding a Dynon EFIS D10A, TruTrak Gimini PFD, or other simple EFIS to complete my panel. I think I also need battery backup since I don't intend to have any vacuum system, back up generator or dual-bus.

With "KISS" in mind, what else do I need to complete my panel?

Which EFIS/PFD do you think is the best for my purpose?

Thanks in advance,

Robin Hou

[gtmule]

I'm not IFR (me or airplane) but I'm thinking about doing some upgrading (me and airplane) in that direction so I've been doing research. You'll get arguments about whether a NAV radio is (legally) necessary for minimal IFR capability, but I'd say it's a smart thing to have, especially in busy airspace like yours, if the GPS crapped out I'd want a way for ATC to get me pointed in the right direction without having to rely on radar.

I'd also want SOME kind of backup comm, even if it was hand-held that could be plugged into a real comm antenna in an emergency.

The Dynon or similar should have provisions for a backup battery, and the above hand-held should as well. Realistically in the case of an electrical failure in the soup in an all-electric airplane you're just going to declare an emerg and ask for vectors to the nearest VFR weather and field or a radar approach.....

[gstone]

I opted for the EFIS SG from TruTrak with the autopilot III function, explained on there web site. Takes care of a lot of stuff for not so much money. Especially if you already have the TruTrak servos!!!

Got it yesterday and very impressive so far, with a battery back-up.

Best wishes!

[BobTurner]

Legally, you need a rate of turn or a second AI; and a heading indicator (DG). As you noted, some sort of battery back up is a very good idea.
For a minimilist panel, I'd get a dynon D6 with battery back up as my main PFD; put the CDI to the right, the ASI, AI, and altimeter just below the D6 as backup.
Get a hand held, battery powered gps for back up. If the power goes off, you want nav info, not com.

TruTrac Gemini might be okay instead of the Dynon, but it is new, no track record yet. I wish you had asked earlier; the D10 could display the CDI info for a lot less than the Garmin CDI costs. It could also supply altitude info to the transponder.

This would be an IFR legal panel. Ironically you could not take an ifr check ride in this plane, without a VOR (or an ADF) to let you demonstrate two different kinds of non-precision approaches.

[RobinHou]

I did couple layouts just to see how my idea plays out:

http://tinyurl.com/76z5cty

http://tinyurl.com/7rzeqrn

[RobinHou]

gtmule: yes, I was thinking Sporty's SP-400 as my back up com, plus it has a VOR/ILS. Although I am not sure about using it for ILS approach in IMC; may be for practice approach it would be OK?!

gstone: Wow, the TruTrak EFIS SG looks like a very good deal; for a few hundreds more than D10A, you get a lot more functions and save on penal real estate by integrating autopilot control & CDI. For my KISS panel, I try to minimize integration so I don't put too many eggs in one basket; but I know in the back of my mind I am just being frugal; like my son said, I am just being cheap.

Bob: Good idea with D6. I thought D6 is VFR only so I did not consider it. But, after looking more on Dynon website, I don't see any reason why D6 would not work on a minimalist IFR panel. Thanks, you just saved me a few hundreds more.

[tc1234c]

Robin,

Neither of your links worked.

Legally, in additional to the basic flight instruments, you need navigation equipment appropriate for the ground facilities to be used, two way radio, rate of turn, slip-skid, and sensitive altimeter adjustable for barometric pressure. Compass, rate of turn, slip-skid, AI, etc. may be included in EFIS.

To fly IFR you do want to have redundancy. Autopilot is a life saver for single pilot IFR and for cross country flight. Personally, I want it to be independent to my EFIS. A VOR receiver is a good idea. Since we are heavily dependent on GPS, what do we do if GPS signal get jammed? VOR offers an alternative. Backup battery is a must. An hour of backup power can get you down safely.

A good radio is critical. It must have a monitor feature. You will need to listen to ATIS while talking to ATC. Also, don't count on using handheld much. Just imaging that you are in the cloud and the air is bumpy, how are you going to use the handheld? Can you easily plug in your headset? Can you set and later see CDI while flying your airplane? Will a solid mount solve the problem? Don't buy anything until you figure out exactly how you can use it under the real life condition.

It is fun to design the panel you like. With EFFI you are not going to use backup steam gauges much. Keep them on the side. Put the ones you use the most front and center.

[RV10inOz]

Why buy a CDI?

Buy a Dynon D100, then you have a primary PFD, with built in HSI (no CDI req) and a built in Auto Pilot if you decide to add servos later.

By the way single pilot IFR is the most demanding kind, this is not something to take lightly, nor on the cheap. You can do it economically.

Nw for a backup AI.....pick any, but a D6 is now perfect, and you are used to the display f you ever have to fly on it. For that matter, get a D180,ye this as all your instruments, and at the press of a button you have your backup AI.

That is the best bang for buck setup you can buy, and no unreliable instruments scattered all over your panel.

Cheers!

[RV6_flyer]

Robin:

If the Operating Limitations issued with the Special Airworthiness Certificate has this wording:
After completion of phase Iflight testing, unless appropriately equipped for night and/or instrument flight in accordance with ? 91.205, this aircraft is to be operated under VFR, day only.
an IFR current pilot will be able to fly IFR in that Experimental aircraft providing all the other regulations are met. (30-day VOR check, Pitot/Static, and Transponder check are some that come to mind)

For an Experimental to fly IFR, it must have the same equipment that a certificated aircraft has and the equipment is listed in CFR 14 FAR 91.205.

As someone else stated, you will also need navigation equipment appropriate for the ground facilities to be used.

EAA has (or use to have) a very good article on operating an Experimental IFR.

[RV6_flyer]

Here is the article that EAA Members have access to on Equipping a Homebuilt for IFR Operations.

It looks like many of the points the article makes have been brought out in this thread.