Update on Avidyne DFC 90?

[ArtVandelay]

Might want to start a topic "Mooney support?" On the Avidyne supprt forum:

http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=16&title=dfc90-dfc100-digital-autopilot

[Simpson Bennett]

 

Might want to start a topic "Mooney support?" On the Avidyne supprt forum:

http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=16&title=dfc90-dfc100-digital-autopilot

DFC90 development is in a holding pattern at the moment. I have passed along the requests from this forum and appreciate the level of response we have received.

At the moment, there are some other potential projects that may interfere with further developing the AML STC for the DFC90.

[Marauder]

  Might want to start a topic "Mooney support?" On the Avidyne supprt forum:

http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=16&title=dfc90-dfc100-digital-autopilot

DFC90 development is in a holding pattern at the moment. I have passed along the requests from this forum and appreciate the level of response we have received.

At the moment, there are some other potential projects that may interfere with further developing the AML STC for the DFC90.

Sorry to hear this. There are certainly a number of potential Mooney customers for the DFC90. Me being one.

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[NotarPilot]

Add me to the list of interested parties. I have an STec-30 but I like the DFC90. I understand there's only so much development money to go around so I understand the delay. Actually the more I think about it the delay benefits me because I don't have to budget for something I can't install no matter how much I want it.

Edit: Not really interested anymore.  At this point I’m more interested in the Dynon STC package for their autopilot integrated in the SkyView HDX.

[bjoseph604]

I have a 1975 Mooney M20F with an STEC 30 and the Aspen 2000 setup.  I would love to upgrade to a DFC90 system.  Would an electric trim upgrade also be part of the package?  I would order this in a heartbeat for the additional IFR capability.

[carusoam]

Simpson is usually quick to respond...

you may try a PM since the weekend has arrived.

Best regards,

-a-

[Simpson Bennett]

Sorry for the delay, it was a busy weekend,

No news yet on any DFC90 development. We are starting to evaluate other projects for development later this year, so we will see what gets picked up. Once we have some more answers I will pass them along.

[dfgreene61]

I have an Aspen PFD and C31 auto-pilot.  I’d love to upgrade to the DFC90!  I’d do it tomorrow if it were available.

[Cruiser]

Me too !

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, dfgreene61 said:

I have an Aspen PFD and C31 auto-pilot.  I’d love to upgrade to the DFC90!  I’d do it tomorrow if it were available.

Seems like they quit on Mooney.

 

[Simpson Bennett]

DFC90 development projects are on hold for the moment. We needed to pull resources onto a few other projects to be announced in 2018.

[dfgreene61]

4 hours ago, AviSimpson said:

DFC90 development projects are on hold for the moment. We needed to pull resources onto a few other projects to be announced in 2018.

Too bad.  There are thousands of Mooney's flying around with out-dated AP's.  Seems like low hanging fruit to be sure.

 

[aviatoreb]

10 hours ago, AviSimpson said:

DFC90 development projects are on hold for the moment. We needed to pull resources onto a few other projects to be announced in 2018.

3 or 4 years ago I would have purchased one without a hestitation if it had been available - now it is most likely I will be installing a gfc500 when available.

[carusoam]

Alright, Simpson!... will you be delivering the announcements here in January?  

If they are that good to put this other project on hold, it’s got to be interesting!

best regards,

-a-

[aviatoreb]

22 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Alright, Simpson!... will you be delivering the announcements here in January?  

If they are that good to put this other project on hold, it’s got to be interesting!

best regards,

-a-

...a project for Mooney’s?  Or for gulf streams?

[Simpson Bennett]

10 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

...a project for Mooney’s?  Or for gulf streams?

Neither, the space shuttle...

10 hours ago, carusoam said:

Alright, Simpson!... will you be delivering the announcements here in January?  

If they are that good to put this other project on hold, it’s got to be interesting!

best regards,

-a-

Any announcements won't be made in January. The earliest one would be February. 

[Oldguy]

43 minutes ago, AviSimpson said:

Neither, the space shuttle...

Any announcements won't be made in January. The earliest one would be February. 

With a demo in the booth at Sun-n-Fun? 

[SantosDumont]

Well looks like my roll computer for my STEC 30 burned out.  Too bad the DFC90 doesn't have a STC or I'd consider dropping one in.

[aviatoreb]

57 minutes ago, SantosDumont said:

Well looks like my roll computer for my STEC 30 burned out.  Too bad the DFC90 doesn't have a STC or I'd consider dropping one in.

I can't figure out why they never bothered?  I would have purchased the DFC90 several years ago if it had been available.

[kortopates]

I can't figure out why they never bothered?  I would have purchased the DFC90 several years ago if it had been available.

Out of curiosity, what kind of AP do you have on your Rocket? Your interest in this one and GFC500 imply it's pretty limited. Not a KFC200?


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[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, kortopates said:

Out of curiosity, what kind of AP do you have on your Rocket? Your interest in this one and GFC500 imply it's pretty limited. Not a KFC200?


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Yes I have a kfc200. Very good ap.  The digital autopilots are better.   Straight and level, esp, etc.  anyway a kfc200 is expensive to maintain when a part goes south so when it does I would sooner pitch that toward new. But meanwhile kfc200 is very good and as long as it keeps going I’m perfectly fine waiting a year or two....

[kortopates]

3 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

Yes I have a kfc200. Very good ap.  The digital autopilots are better.   Straight and level, esp, etc.  anyway a kfc200 is expensive to maintain when a part goes south so when it does I would sooner pitch that toward new. But meanwhile kfc200 is very good and as long as it keeps going I’m perfectly fine waiting a year or two....

For sure the older BK AP's are very expensive to maintain. I just think the GFC500 with a pair of G5's might actually be a downgrade compared to a GFC600 and some real glass in the form the of either Garmin G500 or newer txi or even Aspen. It appears electric manual trim is an add on to the GFC500 too. It going to take some time for these to become available to really see their capabilities but it looks to me like that a high performance turbo aircraft is going to need the heavier duty servos' of the GFC600 anyway - but that's only speculation on my part. The GFC700 is an awesome AP and I believe the GFC600 shall be the equivalent AP for the retrofit market. For sure, they'll both add additional new safety features we can look forward too.

[jetdriven]

For 5 or 8 grand a year I bet they might offer such a policy with a pool of a few dozen or more  

[aviatoreb]

6 hours ago, kortopates said:

For sure the older BK AP's are very expensive to maintain. I just think the GFC500 with a pair of G5's might actually be a downgrade compared to a GFC600 and some real glass in the form the of either Garmin G500 or newer txi or even Aspen. It appears electric manual trim is an add on to the GFC500 too. It going to take some time for these to become available to really see their capabilities but it looks to me like that a high performance turbo aircraft is going to need the heavier duty servos' of the GFC600 anyway - but that's only speculation on my part. The GFC700 is an awesome AP and I believe the GFC600 shall be the equivalent AP for the retrofit market. For sure, they'll both add additional new safety features we can look forward too.

That is a good point but aren’t they in process of certifying the gfc500 for the bonanza a36?  Which is heavier than my m20k.  And despite mine is faster I do believe there is more kinetic energy in the a36... esp the tornado alley mod turbo normalized version which is impressively fast.  I don’t know / but my impression is the gfc600 is really for faster heavier airplanes like a Cessna 421 or maybe even a king air c90.  I wonder if the 600 will be available on the 600.  My impression is if gfc500 is good enough for a36 then if the Faa blesses it for the m20k then that’s good enough for me.

i will go with whatever the stc says.  If I can get a gfc500 then that’s what I would get.  If I cannot but the gfc600 is available then yes I would likely get that.

but now if you are throwing the g500txi into the mix yes for sure it is nicer but also significantly more expensive.

from my memory - equipment only the gfc500+dual g5 is 11k.  Gfc600 (20k) + g500txi (17k) = 37k plus a likely big price differential for install.  So 28k difference plus more difference after install.  I’m not saying it’s impossible I would go whole hog but it’s clearly significantly significantly more expensive for the step up.

[aviatoreb]

28 minutes ago, aviatoreb said:

That is a good point but aren’t they in process of certifying the gfc500 for the bonanza a36?  Which is heavier than my m20k.  And despite mine is faster I do believe there is more kinetic energy in the a36... esp the tornado alley mod turbo normalized version which is impressively fast.  I don’t know / but my impression is the gfc600 is really for faster heavier airplanes like a Cessna 421 or maybe even a king air c90.  I wonder if the 600 will be available on the 600.  My impression is if gfc500 is good enough for a36 then if the Faa blesses it for the m20k then that’s good enough for me.

i will go with whatever the stc says.  If I can get a gfc500 then that’s what I would get.  If I cannot but the gfc600 is available then yes I would likely get that.

but now if you are throwing the g500txi into the mix yes for sure it is nicer but also significantly more expensive.

from my memory - equipment only the gfc500+dual g5 is 11k.  Gfc600 (20k) + g500txi (17k) = 37k plus a likely big price differential for install.  So 28k difference plus more difference after install.  I’m not saying it’s impossible I would go whole hog but it’s clearly significantly significantly more expensive for the step up.

I correct myself.  Looks like

-gfc600 is 23k

-the a36 is not in their stc queue.  But v35 is and say are several Cessna 210 models.  The p210 is not and people on beechtalk are saying it’s the pressurization which is the issue.  You would think if the T210 is covered by thegfc500 the so could m20k. But then they didn’t include a36...   this may be more of a marketing thing though selling to people what they think they can afford.

so it appears to me now gfc500 looks fantastic, plenty robust enough if the above are covered and generations ahead of all autopilots from the analogue era.

but most likely ... garmin and the Faa will be certifying exactly one autopilot of the gfc500/600 and we will not get to choose between them as individuals.

i would almost surely go dynon over gfc600+ g500 even though I like the features more on the garmin autopilots more.

Edited February 11, 2018 by aviatoreb