lostpilot28

lostpilot28

Well Known Member
Just thought I'd post a picture with my finalized instrument panel. Not looking for feedback, but I'm open to any criticism or comments! Just want to point out that I like the symmetry of having the EFIS screens on each side of the panel, rather than next to each other or on top of each other. The screen on the right is easily viewable and controllable from the left seat. I left enough space above the comm in the event that I want to add an SL-30 (or similar) Nav/Comm down the road for IFR approaches.

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lostpilot28 said:
Just thought I'd post a picture with my finalized instrument panel. Not looking for feedback, but I'm open to any criticism or comments! Just want to point out that I like the symmetry of having the EFIS screens on each side of the panel, rather than next to each other or on top of each other. The screen on the right is easily viewable and controllable from the left seat. I left enough space above the comm in the event that I want to add an SL-30 (or similar) Nav/Comm down the road for IFR approaches.
Click to expand...

I see you figured out how to use an image of your engine as backdrop to readouts...
That's the idea. Nice.

Rainier
CEO MGL Avionics
 
Sonny,

It looks really nice. About the only thing I would (and have done) differently is to swap the position of the flap switch with the carb heat. I say this because with your hand resting on the TQ, you can toggle the flaps up and down with your index finger much easier than using your thumb. (I'm assuming that is the flap switch to the left of the TQ and the carb heat to the right.)

Just my $.02.

You are really going to enjoy flying behind that!
 
Rainier Lamers said:
I see you figured out how to use an image of your engine as backdrop to readouts...
That's the idea. Nice.

Rainier
CEO MGL Avionics
Click to expand...

Thanks Rainier! You guys have a great product and great support. Matt gave me the details on how to load the engine image. I can't wait to get this flying!
 
N941WR said:
Sonny,

It looks really nice. About the only thing I would (and have done) differently is to swap the position of the flap switch with the carb heat. I say this because with your hand resting on the TQ, you can toggle the flaps up and down with your index finger much easier than using your thumb. (I'm assuming that is the flap switch to the left of the TQ and the carb heat to the right.)

Just my $.02.

You are really going to enjoy flying behind that!
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Thanks Bill...I've seen the flap/carb heat both ways, but tried it out sitting in the airplane. I hope it works...I don't want to change things after I'm flying!
 
Looks nice Sonny!

Many folks make a big deal about the screen on the right being wasted because it's just in front of the passenger, but really, these are VERY narrow airplanes, and the right side is pretty darn easy for the pilot to see. I spend a lot of time in the right seat of Louise's -6, looking across at the pilot side, and have no trouble using the stuff over there.

I'm supposing you saved all that central radio stack space for a future navigator of some sort....if you don't fly IFR now, once you get used to the EFIS panel, you might want to!

Paul
 
Ironflight said:
Looks nice Sonny!

Many folks make a big deal about the screen on the right being wasted because it's just in front of the passenger, but really, these are VERY narrow airplanes, and the right side is pretty darn easy for the pilot to see. I spend a lot of time in the right seat of Louise's -6, looking across at the pilot side, and have no trouble using the stuff over there.

I'm supposing you saved all that central radio stack space for a future navigator of some sort....if you don't fly IFR now, once you get used to the EFIS panel, you might want to!

Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul. You are correct about my "big empty space" in the middle. I initially wanted to move the radios up to make it look a little nicer, but figured I'd be adding an SL30 in the next year or so. I'm not sure if I could fit a 430 in there without moving the ELT remote and intercom. Don't know what I would really add to make it IFR, anyway...I figured VOR & GS from the SL30 would be sufficient.
 
lostpilot28 said:
Thanks Bill...I've seen the flap/carb heat both ways, but tried it out sitting in the airplane. I hope it works...I don't want to change things after I'm flying!
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I'm sure it will work out just fine. Not a big deal realy, it is your plane and you need to build it the way YOU want it.

FWIW, when I laid mine out, I pulled out all the POH's I had laying around here and set it up like the the 152 & 172's I learned to fly in. That was back when you could still buy 152's from the factory.
 
lostpilot28 said:
Don't know what I would really add to make it IFR, anyway...I figured VOR & GS from the SL30 would be sufficient.
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I thought that exact same thing as we put together Louise's new panel last winter Sonny - but she's already discovering that the lack of the IFR GPS really does drive where she can expect to go. Changes in the system are being driven rapidly by the technology. I'm not one for ditching the VOR/LOC/GS, but the reality is that an IFR GPS is going to be more and more convenient (if not absolutely necessary) in the future.
 
John Courte said:
Any chance of smooth-shaded terrain in the near future? :D
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If you mean texture mapped terrain - yes.
However this will be an optional upgrade to existing Odyssey and Voyager systems (not too expensive though).
The reason for this is that this requires a new processor board (a plug in replacement to the existing MGL152 system). The new board (MGL168) has a faster processor but most importantly it has a multi plane graphics processor that can also do fancy stuff like alpha blending.
Further to this it has a video input (FLIR, rear view, taxi view for tail draggers etc) as well as a VGA output connector so you can plug in a cheap VGA monitor as second display. This thing rocks !

It is possible to to texture mapping on the MGL152 but as the systems have to do so many time critical tasks (like the autopilot that is now being finalized and countless other things) I am shying away from overloading the processor with texture mapping tasks (which are computationaly quite intense - better to have a dedicated graphics processor do this work).
The MGL168 is a bit more pricey than the MGL152 so we are likely to offer the MGL168 as optional upgrade for those that need its additional capabilities. It can be retrofitted to existing Voyager and Odyssey systems at minimal cost (but unfortunately not to Enigma systems - the MGL168 board is too big to fit).

Rainier
CEO MGL Avionics
 
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Rainier Lamers said:
Further to this it has a video input (--- taxi view for tail draggers etc)
Click to expand...

GREAT!!! Thanks.


Rainier Lamers said:
as well as a VGA output connector so you can plug in a cheap VGA monitor as second display.

Rainier CEO MGL Avionics
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Even better than the video input. Thanks, a thousand times over. It is about time someone did this. I have been looking for something like this for YEARS.

This setup sounds perfect for my upcoming 8 project.
 
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