TruTrak Autopilot Pre Order's / Status Update

[carusoam]

Gents, please….

I believe in a few things…

0) I’m old… by the definition offered above…

1) I bought American cars… because the job I was going to save, was going to be my own… (that didn’t work, had to get a few more jobs…)

2) I believe in capitalism… imperfect, but the best system available…

3) I think if we push this political stuff hard enough… we will be annoying a few of our MSers around the world….  

 

4) News in Russia lately… they are having difficulty sourcing important electronic parts for their war machines…  oddly, no similar issues being reported from the west…

5) It is near impossible to take a stand about sourcing…. Too many parts are required to make anything…. Designed in one country, manufactured in the next, assembled in a third, used in a fourth country… Shipped across a vast ocean by a fifth country’s ships, via sixth country’s crew… 

6) Globalism is out of the bag…

7) Oddly, My Pontiac Firebird was built south of Detroit…. In Canada…. 

All stuff I have learned using an iPad… designed in the US, Assembled in China, with chips built in Taiwan, from chip designers in CA…

The world excels using globalism…

For globalism to work its best… the world wants to work together…

 

Must be extra tough for the aviation electronics guys…  they just can’t get traction with their small quantities…

If thinking today is crazy times…

Just wait for tomorrow…

note: no waiting required… tomorrow will be here, better than before… yesterday is gone…

Best regards,

-a-

 

[Hank]

4 hours ago, carusoam said:

If thinking today is crazy times…

Just wait for tomorrow…

note: no waiting required… tomorrow will be here, better than before… yesterday is gone…

Just like the traditional Chinese curse:  may you live in interesting times!

And we certainly are right now . . . .

[rbridges]

On 10/26/2022 at 11:02 PM, cliffy said:

Rollin; Rollin;  Rollin; Keep them doggies rollin' Rawhide

If you are old enough you remember the theme song. 

Yeah, it came out when trutrak was announced. 

[OR75]

back to the aerocruze 100 …

Does the Aerocruze 100 require an attitude indicator ? 

it seems to be tracking GPS and have an altitude hold.

but does it track ILS/VOR/GS ?

[Lionudakis]

It does not require an external attitude. It has an internal attitude source. It does not track VHF nav, only an RNAV

[Van Lanier]

Realistically, there is no Aero Cruze for Mooneys.  It was a pipe dream assigned to low level staff at Bendix King, who do not have the skill, incentive, or resources to bring this product to market.  Shame on BK for creating such poor customer relationships and destroying decades of excellent reputation. 

[LANCECASPER]

5 hours ago, Van Lanier said:

Realistically, there is no Aero Cruze for Mooneys.  It was a pipe dream assigned to low level staff at Bendix King, who do not have the skill, incentive, or resources to bring this product to market.  Shame on BK for creating such poor customer relationships and destroying decades of excellent reputation. 

It actually does exist and there is an STC for it, but now there are supply chain problems. 

https://www.duncanaviation.aero/news/duncan-aviation-has-stc-to-install-bendixking-aerocruze-100-autopilot-in-mooney-m20s

[Lionudakis]

True, it does exist. I have a slew of parts on backorder, simple stuff, how many guys on here are waiting for oil filters? I would hate to be any of these companies trying to produce a product right now. 

[Navi]

1 hour ago, Lionudakis said:

True, it does exist. I have a slew of parts on backorder, simple stuff, how many guys on here are waiting for oil filters? I would hate to be any of these companies trying to produce a product right now. 

7 months for my 2 oil filters...

Nav

[Lionudakis]

3 minutes ago, Navi said:

7 months for my 2 oil filters...

Nav

I keep eyeballing the  challenger reusable filteres.. I've had some orings on B/O for months, ETA Feb  glad I had one to use, I just want to have some on standby

[Van Lanier]

Well, hope springs eternal.  Perhaps the BK Aerocruze will make it to the Mooney market some day, the existing Duncan STC notwithstanding.  

BK knew the bill of materials and their sources for this product when they bought it (the Company).  Sole source engineering and component selection are proven causes of a failed product and unhappy potential customers, when theory confronts reality.  It's basic manufacturing and business management.  Cheap is not always better.  

The Mooney application is a small market segment for the Aerocruze, compared to Cessna and Piper.  It's a return on investment issue for BK, exacerbated by no internal champion for the product with enough clout to bring it to the Mooney market.   Fingers crossed that someday may be tomorrow, for the Mooney community.  

[glbtrottr]

Soooo ….Bendix King relinquished the avionics market to Garmin, and we are holding our breath for the Chinese supply chain to cater to BK so Trutral can come to market? 
 

I really  really really want alternatives to Garmin more than anyone.  But really?

[Navi]

15 minutes ago, glbtrottr said:

Soooo ….Bendix King relinquished the avionics market to Garmin, and we are holding our breath for the Chinese supply chain to cater to BK so Trutral can come to market? 
 

I really  really really want alternatives to Garmin more than anyone.  But really?

Nope..

The TT/AeroCruise were NEVER after the same market.  

Supply chain?  Holes in shelves ALL OVER the place, Food, medications, auto parts... everything.. I waited 9 months for an oil filter for my Lyc O-320. Aspen Just got the STC modified for their Aspen E5 so they could use an (alternate, approved) supply for some parts. Their original suppliers did not have some difficulty........ they are GONE!  Like KAPUT.. forever.. 

Last summer there was a guy looking for a Garmin 175, willing to pay 2k over new for a used one to complete a panel upgrade to get his plane back in the air. Waiting since spring, Garmin maybe delivery for his was Oct. 

It is what it is...   YMMV... 

Nav

[201Steve]

This is the most depressing ongoing thread on MS. 

[gwav8or]

No updates since January, I'm wondering if anybody has ordered an Aerocruze 100 for their Mooney yet?  Every source seems to be a 6-8 month lead time sadly.  Just wondering if anybody has bit the bullet yet and ordered?

[Lionudakis]

My update from Feb.  "The Mooney AeroCruze 100 kit delivery from Bendix King to Duncan is now approximately May and if that goes as planned, Duncan will deliver in May or June" 

 

[jetdriven]

This time it's different 

[hammdo]

‘If that goes as planned’…

it’s hard to keep the faith…

hope it comes true…

-Don

[Navi]

They are shipping Mooney Kits... But you gotta get on the list...

Wait times are long for many products, it's the way it is..  I waited 6 months for a oil filter! 

BTW, we had an Aspen E5 software upgrade to Vers. 2012. I can report that the Alt bug worky just finnnnnne...  

The TT was waiting for this all along. 

You can set target alt on the Aspen and move the Alt bug and the TT/ AC 100 will follow nicely... (in addition to the Baro and Heading). The overshoot on turns through the Aspen is gone, and the overshoot on the heading turns  is much better. (Saw a wee wobble on a full reverse course, but you had to be "looking" for it. 

It is a very nice combo..   

Nav

[Andy95W]

1 hour ago, nosky2high said:

What’s the definition of insanity?

Well, in the context of this thread it’s 5 years and 59 pages of wishful thinking.

[cliffy]

1 hour ago, jetdriven said:

This time it's different 

Should that statement be followed with a question mark?   :-)

[ArtVandelay]

Well, in the context of this thread it’s 5 years and 59 pages of wishful thinking.

Which is both depressing and hilarious at the same time.

[EricJ]

13 hours ago, Navi said:

They are shipping Mooney Kits... But you gotta get on the list...

Is there any evidence of anyone actually having gotten one?

Most folks aren't going on a list that requires $6k+ prepayment and no commitment for a ship date with a history of actually not shipping product.

[Lionudakis]

Negative, I dont think anyone has got a kit yet. I friend of mine did pay as required to get in line, I'll install it when he gets it. I've inquired on the order status with Chris at Duncan. He's been responsive in a timely matter, but they are waiting on parts from BK to fulfill the orders, which they cant seem to get, and keeps getting pushed back.

 

Dynon has a test platform for mooney, done, tested, just waiting on an approval, and lots of parts available to fulfill orders, and can't get the feds to approve anything.. for them

[Hank]

34 minutes ago, Lionudakis said:

Dynon has a test platform for mooney, done, tested, just waiting on an approval, and lots of parts available to fulfill orders, and can't get the feds to approve anything.. for them

I've given up on Bendix-King ever getting off the pot, and refuse to give them money with no commitment on their part. So now I'm hoping really hard that Dynon gets their AP approved, then I'll just do a whole panel with them. I hope . . . . .