jsharkey

jsharkey

Well Known Member
Just starting my phase 1 and haven't focused on the D100 yet but the horizon seems tipped to the left in level flight. To be honest I haven't paid much attention to it so far as I have been using steam ASI and Alt gauges and a slip ball during the first few flights. Also I haven't done any calibration on it. Anyone else have similar problems?

Jim Sharkey
RV6 - Phase 1
 
Please don't be insulted by this, but one of the first things to check is to see how "level" the EFIS is mounted in the panel relative to the "level" of the airplane. Next is to see how "level" the airplane is in flight. Surprisingly many new RV's fly a wing heavy or a half a ball out early on until all the rigging is squared away.

Before I made any drastic changes to the EFIS, I'd make sure the airplane is flying level first, and second I'd check the mounting hole for the EFIS relative to the panel, relative to the plane. You'd be surprised how little it takes to notice a discrepancy on the EFIS.

My 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
 
SteinAir said:
Please don't be insulted by this, but one of the first things to check is to see how "level" the EFIS is mounted in the panel relative to the "level" of the airplane. Next is to see how "level" the airplane is in flight. Surprisingly many new RV's fly a wing heavy or a half a ball out early on until all the rigging is squared away.

Before I made any drastic changes to the EFIS, I'd make sure the airplane is flying level first, and second I'd check the mounting hole for the EFIS relative to the panel, relative to the plane. You'd be surprised how little it takes to notice a discrepancy on the EFIS.

My 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
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Thanks for the quick reply. To be honest I haven't taken much notice of the EFIS yet - apart from thinking that the horizon was a bit off. I have only done a couple of flights and have been concentrating on other more basic things. I'll fly again and then check relative alignments etc.

Jim Sharkey
 
The amount of ferrous metal in the connector won't affect things (we've tested). You've inputted the inclination / total intensity values I'm sure - what is your zip and those numbers?
 
dynonsupport said:
The amount of ferrous metal in the connector won't affect things (we've tested). You've inputted the inclination / total intensity values I'm sure - what is your zip and those numbers?
Click to expand...


Thanks for reply - I have entered the inclination and total intensity numbers but I haven't had access to a compass rose to do the compass calibration yet. I've also been off on vacation for a week so things have been on hold.

Jim Sharkey
 
Jim -

I don't think a compass rose is good enough for a good calibration. When was it painted for example....if it was a long time ago it's off by now. Another consideration is it will be hard to get the airplane perfectly lined up to the compass rose headings.

A suggestion - go to your local hiking store and buy a hiking compass, the kind with the flat piece of plexiglas mounted to the bottom of the compass. These are very accurate and with care can be read to less than a degree - if you're really careful you can read it spot on. Next, if your wing is mounted exactly perpendicular to the fuselage, put the edge of a piece of tape along the centerline of a line of wing rivets on the wing no where near anything ferrous - this will be your reference for the compass. In other words, place the compass so the heading your are calibrating is exactly along the tape edge. Use the compass to swing the airplane and you're good to go. This is the method I used and all of my headings agree with the compass within a couple of degrees. Dynon has said this is a good calibration. Oh yeah, make sure you are away from a large hangar, etc. so as not to influence the calibration.
 
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Good Idea

flickroll said:
Jim -

I don't think a compass rose is good enough for a good calibration. When was it painted for example....if it was a long time ago it's off by now. Another consideration is it will be hard to get the airplane perfectly lined up to the compass rose headings.

A suggestion - go to your local hiking store and buy a hiking compass, the kind with the plat piece of plexiglas mounted to the bottom of the compass. These are very accurate and with care can be read to less than a degree - if you're really careful you can read it spot on. Next, if your wing is mounted exactly perpendicular to the fuselage, put the edge of a piece of tape along the centerline of a row of wing rivets on the wing no where near anything ferrous. Use the compass to swing the airplane and you're good to go. This is the method I used and all of my headings agree with the compass within a couple of degrees. Dynon has said this is a good calibration. Oh yeah, make sure you are away from a large hangar, etc. so as not to influence the calibration.
Click to expand...

Great idea - I was thinking about buying a hiking compass and making my own temporary rose on the ground with rocks or bricks - but attaching the compass to a level and ferrous-free part of the aircraft sounds like a better idea. Half way down the spine of the fuselage sounds good and I guess I should level the tail on a saw horse also.

Jim Sharkey
RV6 - Phase 1 Flying
 
Prerequisits for swinging compass

jsharkey said:
I guess I should level the tail on a saw horse also.

Jim Sharkey
RV6 - Phase 1 Flying
Click to expand...

Actually leveling the aircraft should not be necessary; but, make sure to have the engine running, all radios and normal continuous lights on, canopy closed, flaps retracted, etc.
 
PS - splitting the screen view into AI + DI mode and therefore reducing the width of the horizon helped enormously :)

Jim Sharkey
RV6 - Phase 1
 
SteinAir said:
Please don't be insulted by this, but one of the first things to check is to see how "level" the EFIS is mounted in the panel relative to the "level" of the airplane. Next is to see how "level" the airplane is in flight. Surprisingly many new RV's fly a wing heavy or a half a ball out early on until all the rigging is squared away.

Before I made any drastic changes to the EFIS, I'd make sure the airplane is flying level first, and second I'd check the mounting hole for the EFIS relative to the panel, relative to the plane. You'd be surprised how little it takes to notice a discrepancy on the EFIS.

My 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
Click to expand...

Yeah, what he said. I recently put 2 D100's and 2 D10s in an L-39 and at first I thought my geometry was way off by like, 10 degrees somehow. But after checking the level of the airplane I found it one or two degrees to the right (what can I say? our original hangar has a few peaks and valleys in the floor). This was enough to make the Dynons look way off. Once the airplane was level the EFIS' were too.
 
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