More On The Way
By Nadav Eiron, ANN correspondent
TruTrak, well respected in the experimental community for its
quality digital autopilots, just announced a new gadget. It
combines an instantaneous vertical speed indicator, and a turn and
bank gyro with some other stuff to make one cool box.
It looks like your average attitude indicator (sort of), but
works slightly differently. It indicates roll and turn using a
solid state gyro, the same way a high-end turn and bank coordinator
would. It even has an inclinometer (ball) built in. However, it
also indicates pitch, but in a slightly indirect manner.
Pitch indications come from an IVSI, combining short-term
changes triggered by a gyro, and long term trend information driven
by a static-pressure based vertical speed indicator. To top off the
features list, the display also includes a digital display of your
current magnetic track (from either your ship's GPS, or from an
optional internal GPS receiver).
A second model, the ADI Pilot, also includes a single or dual
axis autopilot in the box. The whole thing fits in a standard 3"
instrument hole. In fact, a smaller 2" version is in the works as
well.
So, does this thing work like an attitude indicator? In cruise
it works pretty much as expected. Andrew Barker of TruTrak tells us
he'd be comfortable flying it in cruise, though it may be difficult
to convince the FAA this device meets the requirements for either a
primary attitude indicator or the backup turn and bank
coordinator.
One peculiarity of the design involves slow flight: When slow,
on the back of the power curve, the nose attitude may be high, but
vertical speed may be low (even negative). The ADI in that
situation will show a nose-low attitude. To warn the pilot of this
condition, the ADI includes a low airspeed warning that will go off
when slow.
It also includes blinking bright red arrows that tell the pilot
which way to roll that light up when the turn rate is excessive.
Price for the ADI is $1095. An internal GPS option bumps up the
price to $1245, and an internal backup battery is a $100
option.
TruTrak is also in the final stages of the development of a new
autopilot. The new model, the Sorcerer, is a revamped DFC250 and
includes new software with a much improved user interface.
This autopilot has all the features we've come to expect of a
good two axis autopilot: interception and tracking of navaids, GPS
roll steering, altitude hold, vertical speed preselect, etc. Some
of the new features it adds include VNAV capability, indicated
airspeed preselect as an alternative to vertical speed preselect,
vertical GPS steering support (when interfaced with a compatible
WAAS GPS - initially Chelton, with others, such as the Garmin 480,
to follow) and more.
Price is set at $9500, and upgrades from the DFC250 to the
Sorcerer will be available for $4600.
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