N402RH

N402RH

Well Known Member
After several months of training, I successfully passed my IFR check ride in my RV-10 yesterday. I had approximately five hours of IFR training in a G1000 equipped C172, one hour in a Cirrus Perspective and the rest was done in my AFS EFIS equipped RV-10 over the past four months.

Not only has this made me a better and safer pilot, it has made a remarkable difference in how our EFIS units actually work. After almost every flight I would come back with a list of changes that would make the system better. I am fortunate enough to be in a position to ask for changes to be made in how our avionics work and actually get results in a short period of time. No doubt, it got to the point that the software engineers dreaded my return from a training flight. I even made them change the knob and timer interface the day before the check ride. My examiner, who also flies a Gulfstream and Lear Jet, was extremely impressed with how intuitive the EFIS?s were to use. I even used our new approach plate display on the EFIS for the check ride.

After landing and taxiing off the runway, he asked if I would let him take-off and land the RV-10 as he had never been in one before. He seemed really impressed with how well the RV-10 flies and managed to make a perfect landing on the first try.

It feels really good to get this accomplished!

Rob Hickman
Advanced Flight Systems Inc.
N402RH RV-10

DSC_0003.JPG
 
Congratulations Rob

I hope to also pass my IFR checkride in a -10...someday. Thanks for the inspiration!
 
Rob,
What's all in your panel? I've been debating getting my IR after my -10 is built and may may adjust what I install myself to insure I have an adequate IFR panel that not only meets the regs but is satisfactory for training and the checkride.
 
Auburntsts said:
Rob,
What's all in your panel? I've been debating getting my IR after my -10 is built and may may adjust what I install myself to insure I have an adequate IFR panel that not only meets the regs but is satisfactory for training and the checkride.
Click to expand...

DSC_0064.JPG


Interior
Flightline leather seats and panels
Schroth Seatbelts
SteinAir machined air vents

Lights
Whelen LED position lights
Whelen Strobe lights
Duckworks HID wing tip lights
SteinAir Post Lights

Engine
IO-540 260HP Lycoming by AeroSport Power
Block and Cylinder Heater
Slick Mag
Light Speed Electronic Ignition

Propeller
Hartzell three blade composite propeller

Instrumentation
AF-4500EF EFIS Pilot Left Side
AF-4500EE EFIS and Engine Monitor Pilot Right Side
AF-3400MFD MFD Display Copilot Side
PS9000EX Audio Panel
430W Nav/Com/GPS
GTX330 Transponder with TIS Traffic
SL30 Nav/Com
496 Garmin GPS
EDS-4ip Mountain High 4 Place Oxygen System
Digiflight IIVSGV Autopilot
XM Ethernet XM Weather Ethernet Receiver
CO Guardian Panel Mounted CO Detector
Compass Panel Mounted Compass
ME406 Artex 406mhz ELT
AF-AOA AOA System

Any of the three EFIS screens can display a Moving Map with XM Weather and TIS Traffic, Current IFR Approach Plates, airport diagrams, SIDS, or STARS. The EFIS screens have an altitude bug with voice alerts at a 200ft deviation ?altitude? and a decision height bug ?minimums?. Each of the EFIS screens allow you to select the Navigation source from the 430W gps or VOR, SL30, or 469. The moving map will display the current flight plan-approach legs and even draws the VOR radial from the backup nav radio. Having the current VOR radial drawn on the map really helps visualizing holds, it even displays the digital heading for inbound and outbound courses.

Rob Hickman
Advanced Flight Systems Inc.
N402RH RV-10
 
Awesome Rob! You experience has really got me thinking that getting my IR ticket in my -10 is the way to go. If you get the time, could you give us a write-up on the check ride itself? I have planned to go 100% glass all along and would like to hear how your CFII and the DPE administered your training/check-ride with a glass only panel. In particular how did you do partial panel?

Thanks!
 
Very good writeup, Rob......

.....and the quick changes make for a very practical solution in improving what appears to be an exceptional piece of engineering. BTW, a big congrats on the checkride.

For some of us with more limited panel space/money, as in the 2 seat SBS models, would one 3400 provide sufficient IFR info if it's coupled with an SL30 and/or a 430? In other words, the minimum for legal IFR.

Regards,
 
Last edited:
Congratulations on passing your IR checkride and to do it in an airplane that you built and equipped makes it even better. I am a looooonnnnggg way from choosing avionics for mine so these developments will be closely watched. Thanks.
 
Congrats and nice panel

I hope to get my IFR ticket someday. That's a huge accomplishment.

Wow, what a beautiful panel. It's a good thing I couldn't fit it all in my panel, since I can't afford it anyway.:(

Congratulations on the ticket.
 
Partial Panel

Auburntsts said:
Awesome Rob! You experience has really got me thinking that getting my IR ticket in my -10 is the way to go. If you get the time, could you give us a write-up on the check ride itself? I have planned to go 100% glass all along and would like to hear how your CFII and the DPE administered your training/check-ride with a glass only panel. In particular how did you do partial panel?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The first thing I did was talk to my examiner about a month before my check ride to discuss my airplanes capabilities and how I would handle the various failure modes. I have a three screen system; two of them have their own internal independent AHRS and airdata units. All three of my screens will run on their own internal battery for over an hour if I were to lose the electrical system.

The AFS EFIS units will still have reliable attitude information if and when you lose pitot pressure, I was thinking about this last week when we picked up some ice as I was climbing through 4000ft and was told to expect a five minute hold. We actually broke out of the clouds at 4800ft into the sun and then spent the next five minutes holding at 5000ft, it took almost five minutes for thin layer of Rime ice to melt off the wings. One big advantage of living in Oregon is that you get to train in some actual IFR conditions. I was very surprised at how different it is to fly in the clouds compared to simulating it under the hood. My examiner said that he has talked to a number of IFR rated pilots that had never flown in a cloud.

If I were to lose all the EFIS units at the same time I would then use the Autopilot and the 496 instrument page to fly the plane. The separate AFS ARINC module has one clever feature, if the module detects that the EFIS is gone it will route the 430W GPS steering signals directly to the autopilot. This feature enables you to fly a LPV approach directly from the 430W to the Autopilot without the EFIS.

If I were to lose all the EFIS screens and the autopilot I would use the instrument page on the 496 to fly the airplane. I flew a number of approaches under the hood using only the 496 and I found that it could be done in an emergency. If I had not practiced using only the 496 I doubt that I could have done it the first time.

Rob Hickman
N402RH RV-10
 
We set them to full page engine monitor and then used the 496.

Rob Hickman
N402RH RV-10
 
Rob,

After training and checking in your magnificent RV-10, don't climb in a C172, or Archer with steam gauges and two KX-170Bs.....

You will be screwed;)

Congrats!!! What a panel!!!

Tailwinds,
Doug Rozendaal
 
I'm about ready to sign off Scott Card to take his IFR chechride in his 3 screen GRT equipped RV-9A. The examiner has agreed to using the 9A for the checkride.

Scott has a 430W and TT autopilot. He has done a terrific job on his 9A and really knows the GRT/430W/TT system.

We made up some card stock covers that he will use for the checkride partial panel work. They tape on the screen and only allow the altitude and airspeed to be seen on the primary screen (he will select the HSI on his secondary screen and whatever the examiner wants on his copilot screen).

The EFIS/430W equipped 9A makes a really nice IFR ship...although the autopilot is really handy.
 
Congrats Rob!!

Glad to see you passed Rob! Well done. The IFR ticket was just about the most useful thing I have ever done in flying.

There was a question about if it makes sense to do this in a two seat RV. Rob can guess my answer. YES!!!

I just finished getting a new panel put into my RV6 with two of Robs AF3500's. Rob was kind enough to swing by pacific coast avionics where I got it installed to help me get setup. I fly this RV6 IFR a lot, and it works fantastically well with the Digiflight II autopilot and the 430W.. I definitely recommend it. It will fly an coupled LPV approach down to 250 feet as solid as a rock and its guite easy to hand fly it down there also once you do it once or twice. I was particularly happy with my panel layout (after I spent a lot of time on the design).

Anyone who is interested can see it in flight in IFR in my RV6 here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeUDhzhvRQs&feature=channel_page

If anyone would like the panel layout doc, just send me mail.

Hugh.
 
bhassel said:
Is the panel painted or powder coated or... what color?
Click to expand...

The panel and front wheel pant are painted with Pyrite Mica 4TS, it is a 2008Toyota color. The panel had flattener added to the clear coat.

Jennifer has taken charge of the paint colors and I am somewhat out of the loop.

Craig Roberts is painting the plane starting in March. The current thinking is that it will be Silver Ice Metallic on top and Pyrite Mica on the bottom.

Rob Hickman
N401RH RV-10
 
Great Job

Doing my IFR ticket in the 7 was the most satisfying thing I've ever done..Except get married..:)

Frank
 
Congrats Rob! The thing that I was most excited about reading your writeup was that you learned things during your training which caused you to revise and improve features on your units. That is fantastic. I look forward to purchasing AFS products when my time comes and flying IFR in my 7.

Will this aircraft be at Sun N Fun this year?
 
Congratulations Rob!!!

I have to tell you I appreciate you staying so connected to your consumers by flying/developing your EFIS screens in the IFR environment! It makes me that much more sure of my choice to have dual 4500's (dual AHRS) in my IFR equipped -7!

- Peter
 
You must log in or register to reply here.