Flight View

[Sonex1517]

I’ve been Beta testing a new avionics system in my Sonex called Flight View. Caveat - I have no financial interest in the company or it’s products, but did get a discount for being an early adopter.

I have it temporarily mounted right now.

It uses an iPad (or multiple iPad’s) as a wireless display. I bought a full size iPad and only use it for this.

The heart of the system is basically a highly customized Stratux called a FlightBox Pro, with a separate Air Data Computer (ADC). I have those on my right sidewall, with the iPad mounted on the right side of the instrument panel.

A wireless “Flight Bar” connects to the iPad so the user interface can be manipulated without having to touch the screen. The Flight Bar has two knobs and a set of buttons to correspond to the screen icons and menus.

All wiring is USB or direct connection to the FlightBox Pro, and communication to the iPad is WiFi. I’ve been able to get a couple of test flights in and some people had expressed interest. I will write up a longer, more formal review once I have more time behind it.

I’m impressed. It offers a very flexible system, modular construction (and EMS is in the works), and the user interface is easy and intuitive. The MFD and PFD are bright and clean and it updates rapidly.

It’s still in Beta test, meaning it’s not done. But I like what I see, and if it matures into a released product I will rebuild my instrument panel around it. I will continue to have a round analog gauge altimeter and airspeed indicator. Personal preference.

https://www.openflightsolutions.com/

[Sonex1517]

One note to add - my AHRS was not calibrated in the screen shot.

[Sonex1517]

A couple more photos

[caveman371]

Maybe you can do a short talk this weekend at the “flyin “
Don’t they also have a system for engine monitoring?
I’m thinking it’s a more reasonable solution to change a complete panel that way

Mike


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sonex1517]

Hi Mike

The EMS (Engine Monitoring System) is not done due to parts shortages.

I may do a very short intro on it, but it’s more likely I will wait and do a longer one when I have more time behind it.

[NWade]

Intriguing! A friend of mine in auto-racing makes a line of data-loggers and telemetry systems with MEMS gyros and such... I’ve tried to convince him in the past to produce a “headless” unit much like this system, for aircraft, but I was unable to get him to pull the trigger. Cool to see a product like this getting out there! Between Kindles and eReaders and Android and iOS devices, there are a plethora of inexpensive displays we can use in aircraft now. No avionics mfr can match the economies of scale that the consumer hardware companies can, so they really should be focusing on where they provide the most value: accurate sensors and good UX/UI (or open standards that allow their data to be integrated into many other solutions).

Please keep us posted on your experience with this system!

—Noel