BK AeroVue Touch PFD

[N205S]

Tried the search function and didn't find much luck with anyone installing the BendixKing AeroVue Touch PFD in their plane. Here's a link to the display:

https://www.bendixking.com/en/products/ifd/integrated-flight-decks/aerovue-touch

I'm currently flying behind an Avidyne 540 FMS/GPS, Avidyne MLB 100 for Traffic and Weather (ADSB-in), and an Aspen 1000 PFD linked to the original KAP 150 Autopilot.I love the Avidyne 540 and am committed to sticking with it. That said, it appears the Garmin Displays such as the G3X aren't a choice, and my best options would be an upgrade to the Aspen 2000/2500 Max or the Bendix King AeroVue Touch shown above.

That said, has anyone installed the AeroVue Touch and/or flown any Mooney's with it installed? Thoughts? Pros/Cons? Thanks!

[StevenL757]

26 minutes ago, N205S said:

That said, it appears the Garmin Displays such as the G3X aren't a choice, and my best options would be an upgrade to the Aspen 2000/2500 Max or the Bendix King AeroVue Touch shown above.

Why wouldn't the Garmin product be a choice?

[Hank]

8 minutes ago, StevenL757 said:

Why wouldn't the Garmin product be a choice?

generally because Garmin puts exclusive communication protocols in place, to force you to make the rest of your panel Garmin. Mix and match only works if the non-G equipment maker has decoded and written software to communicate with whatever Garmin equipment you already have.

[N205S]

21 minutes ago, StevenL757 said:

Why wouldn't the Garmin product be a choice?

I don't believe the STC allows it to interface with the Avidyne 540 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM. If it does, I'm sure someone will chime in.

[StevenL757]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

generally because Garmin puts exclusive communication protocols in place, to force you to make the rest of your panel Garmin. Mix and match only works if the non-G equipment maker has decoded and written software to communicate with whatever Garmin equipment you already have.

 

54 minutes ago, N205S said:

I don't believe the STC allows it to interface with the Avidyne 540 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM. If it does, I'm sure someone will chime in.

Ah...ok.  I could've sworn others on here had a similar combination with a G3X Touch or a G500Txi, but I'm probably mistaken.  Thanks guys.

Steve

[AerostarDriver]

Just now, StevenL757 said:

 

Ah...ok.  I could've sworn others on here had a similar combination with a G3X Touch or a G500Txi, but I'm probably mistaken.  Thanks guys.

Steve

Steve, I have seen G5s, G3Xs and G500 (non-txi) with Avidyne 440/540s but I suspect this was not the most legal path forward. In theory the Avidyne 440/540 can pretend to be 430/530 units.

@N205S The dynon route may be one you want to check out.

[jamesm]

What about Dynon?

[N205S]

1 hour ago, jamesm said:

What about Dynon?

Does Dynon have a certified autopilot to be used with their displays? I don’t believe the BK KAP 150 (my current AP) is compatible/STC’d. 

[jamesm]

I  believe they do or it's progress to be certified soon.  there was several post on the Dynon.

Correction:  certification is in the works but no specific time line for Mooney's.

https://www.dynoncertified.com/aml.php

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by jamesm

[carusoam]

8 hours ago, N205S said:

Tried the search function and didn't find much luck with anyone installing the BendixKing AeroVue Touch PFD in their plane. Here's a link to the display:

https://www.bendixking.com/en/products/ifd/integrated-flight-decks/aerovue-touch

I'm currently flying behind an Avidyne 540 FMS/GPS, Avidyne MLB 100 for Traffic and Weather (ADSB-in), and an Aspen 1000 PFD linked to the original KAP 150 Autopilot.I love the Avidyne 540 and am committed to sticking with it. That said, it appears the Garmin Displays such as the G3X aren't a choice, and my best options would be an upgrade to the Aspen 2000/2500 Max or the Bendix King AeroVue Touch shown above.

That said, has anyone installed the AeroVue Touch and/or flown any Mooney's with it installed? Thoughts? Pros/Cons? Thanks!

What was wrong with the search?

Or what is wrong with BK?

https://mooneyspace.com/search/?q=Aerovue&quick=1

Or How do you feel about being first?

 

BK has been rebranding other people’s stuff for a decade... not all of it works as expected.... including an AI they had... their latest navcom KSNxxx never got finisihed...

 

Basically, proceed with extreme caution...

PP thoughts only, not an avionics tech...

Best regards,

-a-

[Unit74]

Buying BK general aviation gear is about as smart as marrying a stripper hooked on meth who has three kids from 5 different men.

There is just no good reason to invest in them anymore.  Some things need to just go away. BK is one of them. 

[1964-M20E]

I'm not sure but I believe Avidyne is making the King GPS for them it's just the IFD540 packaged.  So I would suspect there would not be any issues integrating the Avidyne 540 to the King PFD.  Just speculation.

[N205S]

13 hours ago, carusoam said:

What was wrong with the search?

Or what is wrong with BK?

https://mooneyspace.com/search/?q=Aerovue&quick=1

Or How do you feel about being first?

 

BK has been rebranding other people’s stuff for a decade... not all of it works as expected.... including an AI they had... their latest navcom KSNxxx never got finisihed...

 

Basically, proceed with extreme caution...

PP thoughts only, not an avionics tech...

Best regards,

-a-

Thanks @carusoam. I wouldn't want my plane to be the test-subject for the AeroVue due to the unknowns. Sounds like no Mooney owners have taken this route with their upgrades - and probably for good reason.

My initial plan was to upgrade the the Aspen 1000 PFD to the Aspen 2000/2500 Max System, which provides complete redundancy to the PFD in the event of failure, and even further possibly add a Garmin G5 for another back-up to the PFD and MFD. I've read about the numerous problems that others have had with their Aspens but after 1+ year and 150+ hours of flying behind mine I've had 0 problems and 0 resets in flight.

The BK AeroVue appears to be the other option that would work with my Avidyne 540 and KAP 150 AP, which I'm happy with.... just in a single, larger display than the Aspen setup.

[N205S]

2 hours ago, 1964-M20E said:

I'm not sure but I believe Avidyne is making the King GPS for them it's just the IFD540 packaged.  So I would suspect there would not be any issues integrating the Avidyne 540 to the King PFD.  Just speculation.

@1964-M20EI agree. The integration of the Avidyne 540 and KAP 150 A/P was my consideration for the AeroVue.

[Minivation]

I've taken a look at the G3X Part 23 STC IM as well as the Avidyne IFD440/540 IM and as with most things in aviation, there's a technical answer and a legal answer to the question of whether a Garmin PFD and Avidyne GPS can be interfaced to each other, and the two answers are a bit conflicted.

The interface between any modern EFIS with various functionalities and a GPS navigator will be manifold. A series of ARINC429 channels transfers most of the flight instrumentation data while RS232 takes care of most of the auxiliary functions like drawing the "magenta line".

In the case of the G3X (via GAD29 adapter) and Avidyne IFD, on a technical level they should interface with each other OK. The ARINC429 protocol is "EFIS/airdata" which both products support. The RS232 protocol would be "MapMX" which is also supported by both products. You would be missing out on a ton of Garmin-specific functions (e.g. radio/xpdr remote control, flight plan syncing, ADS-B weather/traffic display, etc.) but that's beyond the scope of this discussion.

The issue comes into play when Garmin's installation manual doesn't explicitly mention the Avidyne IFD (or the white-labelled BendixKing KNS) as "compatible equipment." Normally for stuff like altitude encoders where there's dozens of various options, the Garmin manual would simply say something like "there's too many compatible stuff to list here, so just make sure that they're technically similar" and call it a day, but in the case of GPS navigator interfaces, all the G3X manual lists is the GNS430/480/530, GTN 6xx/7xx series, and the newer "slimline" 100-300 series navigators.

In response to this, some avionics installers consider the substitution of the GNS with an Avidyne IFD a "minor deviation" from the STC in that it constitutes no appreciative difference in function (stemming from the premise that the Avidyne IFD is a "slide-in" functional equivalent of the GNS [of course, with some catches]), and as long as the local FSDO is OK, then that's that. However, depending on the FSDO and their mood of the day, their stance on this may vary.

Alternatively, in the Avidyne IFD manual, there exists a wiring diagram for an interconnect with a "Generic EFIS." (Figure D-5) but that interface doesn't include the RS232 "MapMX" interface, which would preclude the "magenta line" functionality on the PFD (i.e. the PFD would act like a really expensive EHSI). This limitation sort of defeats the purpose of the PFD-Avidyne IFD interconnect if you ask me.

=====

As for BK and their product development strategy, internal company organization, and my experiences doing business with them ... they as individuals are very nice people, but in terms of the company as a whole, they have a ton of soul-searching to do. Maybe one day when I depart my current job I can divulge more about it.

[Lptoro]

Would there be any issues with an IFD-540 and dual G5 installation?

[pirate]

5 hours ago, Lptoro said:

Would there be any issues with an IFD-540 and dual G5 installation?

I have the IFD 540 with 2 G5’5 they play together nicely and great for legal IFR. 

[MIm20c]

On 3/3/2021 at 10:32 AM, N205S said:

My initial plan was to upgrade the the Aspen 1000 PFD to the Aspen 2000/2500 Max System, which provides complete redundancy to the PFD in the event of failure, and even further possibly add a Garmin G5 for another back-up to the PFD and MFD. I've read about the numerous problems that others have had with their Aspens but after 1+ year and 150+ hours of flying behind mine I've had 0 problems and 0 resets in flight.

Do you have an ea100 controlling the AP or is the ki256 still being utilized?  If your setup still includes the vac system you might consider buying a Garmin 275 to backup the aspen. It has the capability to drive your older AP if you are lacking an EA100 (allowing you to remove the vac/standby) and the ability to work with the gfc500 down the road.

My original plan was to add a 7 inch Garmin G3x mfd display to my aspen pfd. This would give me adsb in (via a gdl50r), an integrated primary engine monitor, and a far superior moving map to my 430w.  I also feel it has a better interface vs the aspen mfd500. However, I realize Garmin does not always play nice with others. 
 

Good luck with your panel. The 205’s make a great plane to upgrade. 

[alextstone]

54 minutes ago, MIm20c said:

Do you have an ea100 controlling the AP or is the ki256 still being utilized?  If your setup still includes the vac system you might consider buying a Garmin 275 to backup the aspen. It has the capability to drive your older AP if you are lacking an EA100 (allowing you to remove the vac/standby) and the ability to work with the gfc500 down the road.

My original plan was to add a 7 inch Garmin G3x mfd display to my aspen pfd. This would give me adsb in (via a gdl50r), an integrated primary engine monitor, and a far superior moving map to my 430w.  I also feel it has a better interface vs the aspen mfd500. However, I realize Garmin does not always play nice with others. 
 

Good luck with your panel. The 205’s make a great plane to upgrade. 

I did something similar...but I already added the GFC 500...I like the GI275 enough that I’m debating scrapping the plan to add the G3X.

[N205S]

4 hours ago, MIm20c said:

Do you have an ea100 controlling the AP or is the ki256 still being utilized?  If your setup still includes the vac system you might consider buying a Garmin 275 to backup the aspen. It has the capability to drive your older AP if you are lacking an EA100 (allowing you to remove the vac/standby) and the ability to work with the gfc500 down the road.

My original plan was to add a 7 inch Garmin G3x mfd display to my aspen pfd. This would give me adsb in (via a gdl50r), an integrated primary engine monitor, and a far superior moving map to my 430w.  I also feel it has a better interface vs the aspen mfd500. However, I realize Garmin does not always play nice with others. 
 

Good luck with your panel. The 205’s make a great plane to upgrade. 

I do have the EA 100 for the Aspen to drive the AP. Here’s two pics that will give a better idea of my current setup. I would like to remove the vacuum system when I do the panel upgrades. 
 

 

[Max Clark]

On 3/2/2021 at 11:28 AM, N205S said:

Tried the search function and didn't find much luck with anyone installing the BendixKing AeroVue Touch PFD in their plane. Here's a link to the display:

https://www.bendixking.com/en/products/ifd/integrated-flight-decks/aerovue-touch

I'm currently flying behind an Avidyne 540 FMS/GPS, Avidyne MLB 100 for Traffic and Weather (ADSB-in), and an Aspen 1000 PFD linked to the original KAP 150 Autopilot.I love the Avidyne 540 and am committed to sticking with it. That said, it appears the Garmin Displays such as the G3X aren't a choice, and my best options would be an upgrade to the Aspen 2000/2500 Max or the Bendix King AeroVue Touch shown above.

That said, has anyone installed the AeroVue Touch and/or flown any Mooney's with it installed? Thoughts? Pros/Cons? Thanks!

Did you find anyone running the AeroVue Touch / what did you end up deciding to do?

If Dynon had an autopilot the Dynon + Avidyne combo makes sense, without the autopilot harder decision.

[LANCECASPER]

17 hours ago, Max Clark said:

Did you find anyone running the AeroVue Touch / what did you end up deciding to do?

If Dynon had an autopilot the Dynon + Avidyne combo makes sense, without the autopilot harder decision.

There's an avionics installer that's putting one in his airplane on Beechtalk. I think Bendix King have had hard time giving these away due to their horrible customer support. Every avionics installer with any common sense is telling him not to do it - and this is considering that he is getting it for $6666 and can provide his own labor. To pay more than that and then pay someone $100+ per hour to install this would be certifiably nuts.

https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=228659

Usually the rule of thumb was that you got 50 cents on the dollar for an avionics upgrade in airplane value. I would argue that with the newer panel upgrades it might be a bit more than that. However putting in the BK Aerovue would be a double-whammy. Not only would it not add much or maybe even any value, it would severely limit the people willing to buy the airplane when it's hits the market someday . .  and they all hit the market someday.

[802flyer]

I did something similar...but I already added the GFC 500...I like the GI275 enough that I’m debating scrapping the plan to add the G3X.

In your installation, are the Aspen heading/altitude/speed bugs driving the autopilot?

Also, what is providing your ADS-B In data to the GTN750 and Aspen? It’s partially covered but that looks like a GTX 330es transponder… is there a second remote transponder connected to the 750?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[0TreeLemur]

On 3/3/2021 at 10:13 PM, pirate said:

I have the IFD 540 with 2 G5’5 they play together nicely and great for legal IFR. 

Which autopilot do you have?

[pirate]

1 hour ago, 0TreeLemur said:

Which autopilot do you have?

GFC500