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.

FMI: www.trutrakflightsystems.com