Update on Avidyne DFC 90?

[Marauder]

Anyone know the current status of the Avidyne DFC 90 and Mooneys? I was hopeful they were moving forward on the certification but it's been really quiet on the topic.

Would love to have the capability integrated into my Aspen.

http://youtu.be/h3XgSevWf1M

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[mike_elliott]

Low priority on their radar, last I heard. Too few stec mooneys to justify the STC /insurance cost. Hopefully that will change as it would be a sweet setup

[aviatoreb]

Low priority on their radar, last I heard. Too few stec mooneys to justify the STC /insurance cost. Hopefully that will change as it would be a sweet setup

 

How many Mooneys are there?  Its hard to believe it wouldn't be worth it.

 

You want want.  Marauder wants one.  I want one!  No kidding - this is on the short list of things I would buy if it were available, right behind airbag seatbelts. (I already recently got several of the other things that were available).

[mike_elliott]

How many Mooneys are there?  Its hard to believe it wouldn't be worth it.

 

You want want.  Marauder wants one.  I want one!  No kidding - this is on the short list of things I would buy if it were available, right behind airbag seatbelts. (I already recently got several of the other things that were available).

The question is how many STEC AP equipped Mooneys are there, not how many Mooneys out there. The answer is not enough for them to push this in front of the Bo's and 182's. A shame. A lot of the STEC equipped Mooneys are also G1000 equipped, making it a non starter for them also.

That begs the question, How many King AP equipped and Century equipped Mooneys would rip out their existing AP's and servos and purchase new STEC servos and Avidyne AP's? Again I fear way to few to get their attention. How many vintage Mooneys want to pop for 25K worth of digital AP's that currently have a wing leveler?

I really wish the answers were different, but from a business decision, with the liability an AP brings to the table, can you blame them for pushing us way down their radar?

[Simpson Bennett]

Would someone be interested in putting a poll together? We are interested to hear what owners currently have installed for AP's as well as PFD's, if any, are installed. We'd love to have some data on what the interest is out there in the Mooney models.

 

As we finish the main development on the IFD540/440, we are looking at possibly expanding the DFC90 certification. 

[Marauder]

Would someone be interested in putting a poll together? We are interested to hear what owners currently have installed for AP's as well as PFD's, if any, are installed. We'd love to have some data on what the interest is out there in the Mooney models.

As we finish the main development on the IFD540/440, we are looking at possibly expanding the DFC90 certification.

I would be willing to set this poll up. Can you provide some guidance on what STEC configurations will work. I know there are a lot of STEC 30s in the fleet but not all may be configured with the right hardware. What STECs would work with the DFC90?

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[Marauder]

And I should add a followup question. Do they need the Aspen or do you have a digital controller as well?

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[Simpson Bennett]

For the poll, assume that we wouldn't need an existing STEC system but would need an Aspen PFD.

 

With that said, we are interested in learning what owners would be upgrading from AP wise (ie. what autopilots are giving them the most headache)

[Marauder]

For the poll, assume that we wouldn't need an existing STEC system but would need an Aspen PFD.

With that said, we are interested in learning what owners would be upgrading from AP wise (ie. what autopilots are giving them the most headache)

Not sure I follow. I thought the DFC90 interfaced with the STEC servos, replacing the analog control with digital. Aren't you interested in knowing about those of us with STECs who would consider the upgrade to the DFC90?

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[mike_elliott]

G500's count also?

[Simpson Bennett]

Yes, it does currently, however, we might move away from utilizing those STEC servos and offering a more complete package. This has been something that we have been investigating for awhile.

 

If we were to utilize those the STEC servos, the minimum we would need is pitch and roll (ie. a 55x or 60-2). This is the current requirement for Bonanzas and C182s.

 

We would most likely use the Aspen PFD to drive it or a system that could replicate our ADAHRS.

[Marauder]

Yes, it does currently, however, we might move away from utilizing those STEC servos and offering a more complete package. This has been something that we have been investigating for awhile.

 

If we were to utilize those the STEC servos, the minimum we would need is pitch and roll (ie. a 55x or 60-2). This is the current requirement for Bonanzas and C182s.

 

We would most likely use the Aspen PFD to drive it or a system that could replicate our ADAHRS.

 

Ok, just posted the poll. I am limited to 3 questions. Let me know if I missed a critical question.

[Marauder]

G500's count also?

 

I think I saw that the G500s can do altitude preselect with an STEC. Not sure of the other capabilities. It does sound like from Simpson's answer that any digital ADAHRs would work.

[PTK]

Chris, missing KFC150. Unless you are grouping it with KAP.

[larryb]

I have an Aspen and a KAP100 auto pilot. It works fine but lacks altitude hold. I'd love to have a modern autopilot. The only upgrade path I have at the moment is STEC, stand-alone altitude hold module or the 55. I'm not real excited about either, given the cost, so I've done nothing.

 

I would not want an Avidyne autopilot with STEC servos. If there were ever some funky performance problem I can forsee Avidyne blaming STEC and STEC blaming Avidyne. It'd have to be a complete package from a single company.

[aviatoreb]

Of all the things the DFC90 does - I am really impressed with the envelope protection, and then upset recover.

 

About 3 weeks ago, my son and I bought for $275 a large foam RC WWII Corsair RC airplane - everything minus the transmitter radio.  It has about a 2ft wingspan.  Powerful brushless motor, servos, receiver radio, and a big lipo battery pack.

The darn thing includes an upset recover autopilot.  So it must have on board also a digital processor, a mems device digital gyro -its amazing - it really works.  This little airplane is fully aerobatic with almost 1:1 thrust and even so no matter what strange place you put it in space, hit the upset recover button and it rights itself!  Its amazing - and all built in to the $275 purchase price.   Technology is way way ahead and the FAA can't keep up.

Forget the DFC90 - when the part 23 rewrite comes, I will get the Garmin GX3 for $7500 - gps, ahars, mfd, including autopilot.  Not as cheap as the foam corsair, but cheaper than it would cost for $50k for all that stuff for current certified.

[Simpson Bennett]

I have an Aspen and a KAP100 auto pilot. It works fine but lacks altitude hold. I'd love to have a modern autopilot. The only upgrade path I have at the moment is STEC, stand-alone altitude hold module or the 55. I'm not real excited about either, given the cost, so I've done nothing.

 

I would not want an Avidyne autopilot with STEC servos. If there were ever some funky performance problem I can forsee Avidyne blaming STEC and STEC blaming Avidyne. It'd have to be a complete package from a single company.

 Developing our own servos has been a topic as well.

 

I appreciate everyones input!

[Awful_Charlie]

I currently have a KFC150 running via an Aspen with a KAS297, and together they do most of the 'normal' stuff quite well (apart from a moderate wing rock that I need to get looked at..). However, one of my biggest worries is hypoxia (particularly when up over FL200), and my standard SOP on levelling is to set a lower pre-select altitude with a highish RoD (about 700fpm) such that if I realise I have a problem, I just have to press the two buttons to get out of it (I reckon I've got a better chance of doing that than finding/donning/operating a backup O2 set). I've often been thinking of something to automate the hitting of the buttons if it doesn't get a manual response periodically, but as all this information would be available to a DFC, is there any chance that this sort of functionality could be built in? To me that would be more valuable than envelope protection

 

(already on the pre-order list for a 540/440 combo!)

[Marauder]

Forget the DFC90 - when the part 23 rewrite comes, I will get the Garmin GX3 for $7500 - gps, ahars, mfd, including autopilot. Not as cheap as the foam corsair, but cheaper than it would cost for $50k for all that stuff for current certified.

"Erik, Erik, wake up, it's time for school"

"Ah, Mom, can't I sleep for a little longer? I was having such a nice dream."

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[tony]

Simpson......Welcome aboard !!!!

 

 

Looking at your profile picture:  was the tail on your airplane installed backwards??

[Danb]

Simpson. Is there any hope or consideration of replacement of the Stec 55x installed in airplanes with the g-1000.. Other than Mooney there are many airplanes that have the g1000 and have been left in a lerch not only mooney but other airframes as well. I for one have one option..spend lots of money or do nothing with the bastard setup we have from Mooney/ Garmin..

[aviatoreb]

"Erik, Erik, wake up, it's time for school"

"Ah, Mom, can't I sleep for a little longer? I was having such a nice dream."

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Marauder - stop waking me up - it was a lovely dream.  In my dream, I was flying around in a GX3 equipped Rocket powered by a 400hp turbo diesel

Graflight V-8 diesel engine from the Burt Rutan-Engineered Propulsion Systems.  As my 4 blade MT prop was purring....you woke me up!  Now I gotta try to go back to sleep to find out how the story ends.

 

[testwest]

Hi Simpson

 

I truly appreciate your input to this forum.

 

I think I might have a configuration that may be a good jumping off point. We have a 1977 M20J that originally came with the Brittain autpoilot. We upgraded to a single Aspen PFD and took out all of the Brittain equipment and the KIng KCS55 HSI, which means we have no autopilot at present.

 

Driving a DFC90 with the Aspen and your own servos would be a dream come true. As KSMooniac says, the Mooney market has not been "particularly" well served by AP manufacturers.

 

I think there may be a lot of M20s with the Brittain equipment that would take it all out if given a good package on a single Aspen +DFC90 + servos. Not only would the capability be far better, one would also gain about 15-20 lb of useful load. Those old avionics and components weigh far more than folks realize. For example, upgrading to LED nav lights and LED ACLs (anti collision lights, formerly strobes) netted us 6 lb. I weighed each component to verify this!

[Simpson Bennett]

Simpson. Is there any hope or consideration of replacement of the Stec 55x installed in airplanes with the g-1000.. Other than Mooney there are many airplanes that have the g1000 and have been left in a lerch not only mooney but other airframes as well. I for one have one option..spend lots of money or do nothing with the bastard setup we have from Mooney/ Garmin..

 

Sadly, I think that interfacing to the G1000 or G500 is an unlikely venture. The message has been sent though.

[jmbaute]

Not sure if this is still a possibility but +1 for a mooney customer. Looking to ditch a Brittain system in a 74 C model. Had already been planning on an aspen.