BK/TT CANCELLS ALL AEROCRUZE ORDERS WITH AC SPRUCE

[cliffy]

Here's an email I just got form AC Spruce

"I have been contacted by purchasing department and have been informed that the vendor has cancelled this order they are unable to produce this product and have no ETA on when they will have the materials to produce. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you."

[Igor_U]

It seems all the B/K purchases turn into death kiss for the companies and products involved...  

 

[KSMooniac]

This is my shocked face. It's too bad TT sold out to the worst option.

Sent from my LM-V450 using Tapatalk

[carusoam]

This just in from the WTF department…

Expect that there is a falling out between the three players…

BK/TT still wants to sell the AP…

AC is an old partner that doesn’t add enough value…

The third party, Duncan… wants to handle the sales and install of the device…. Which makes a ton of sense… one stop shopping for hardware, STC, install…

 

Looks like AC got snubbed… and their customers are left holding the bag (sort of)…

Surprised they didn’t transfer the sales between the players, as an option….or at least some guidance for the customer…

What’s next?

PP thoughts only, I have not internal knowledge of this debacle…

Best regards,

-a-

 

[LANCECASPER]

5 hours ago, cliffy said:

Here's an email I just got form AC Spruce

"I have been contacted by purchasing department and have been informed that the vendor has cancelled this order they are unable to produce this product and have no ETA on when they will have the materials to produce. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you."

The Avionics gods are telling you to wait for a Dynon  : )

[N201MKTurbo]

You know there is a crazy chip shortage. I was dealing with a motion company recently that had a servo stage that they had to raise the price of a $5000 stage by $1500. There was a $7 DC - DC converter that went unavailable and they had to buy them on the secondary market for $1500 each. They are redesigning the board for a different part. 
 

BK has to operate on a strict quality system, they can’t substitute parts without re-certifying the system. They may be telling the truth that they can’t get the parts and don’t know when they can. There are a lot of popular chips that are showing factory lead times over two years.

[EricJ]

15 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

You know there is a crazy chip shortage. I was dealing with a motion company recently that had a servo stage that they had to raise the price of a $5000 stage by $1500. There was a $7 DC - DC converter that went unavailable and they had to buy them on the secondary market for $1500 each. They are redesigning the board for a different part. 
 

BK has to operate on a strict quality system, they can’t substitute parts without re-certifying the system. They may be telling the truth that they can’t get the parts and don’t know when they can. There are a lot of popular chips that are showing factory lead times over two years.

I suspect this is what's going on, but the lack of transparency and communication is pretty annoying.   From the customer-who-has-placed-an-order perspective it's a pretty bad experience all around.

I have two Ford Rangers, one that I bought new in 2000, and a 2022 that I just got a couple weeks ago.    I need a new fuel pump hanger for the old one, and I've ordered it three times from three different suppliers and every time the order has been cancelled due to "backordered with no expected delivery date".    Although I got the trailer tow package on the new one it does not come with a trailer brake controller, and Ford recommends only one that integrates properly with the rest of the on-board systems.    I've ordered that one twice and both orders were cancelled due to no stock and no expected delivery date.   

So, yeah, supply chain issues are still real.   It might be a while yet before things really settle out, I'm guessing a year or two.

Meanwhile, somebody from Duncan left me a voice mail today saying that they determined that I do, in fact, have to pre-pay for the autopilot in order to keep my place in the queue.   Well, I think it is smarter to wait until this crosses from the vaporware realm into reality before I do that.    Evidently my order doesn't get cancelled, I just don't keep my place in the delivery queue, whatever that winds up meaning.

I have not heard from AS, either to ask for payment (which I asked them about previously), or to cancel my order like they did to Cliffy.    Mine still shows as "Preparing for Delivery" but it may just continue to show that forever until something changes.

[Hank]

I will order an upgraded autopilot to replace my Brittain AccuTrack and AccuFlight as soon as one is available. It will be Dynon or TruTrak, but I will not send money until the units are available and installation is scheduled.

C'mon, certification and production!

[cliffy]

The part that is hard to swallow is the lack of any  reasonable communications to the customers on what is happening.

Truthfulness goes a long way in our world.

Silence breeds discontent and anger

[cliffy]

Anyone know what market share or $ volume BK does in their other GA lines?

Who uses their screens and systems? 

[Igor_U]

I really don’t think they sell anything. Their own navigator line got discontinued after basically zero sale. They are supposedly selling rebranded Avidyne IFD navigators but you really can’t see them being sold as such.
It’s really puzzling to me: Honeywell aerospace is world leader and installed in Gulfstreams, Bombardiers and Dassault business jets but they lost the plot and can’t come up with anything in piston planes.  
Not even with basic customer support and communication. Sad state of affairs ot BK…

[carusoam]

Who is the consumer for…

1) Rebadged older model devices pawned off as latest models… (JPI, PSEngineering, several others… etc….)

2) #1 looks like pay more to get yesterday’s technology… but it all matches the other BK stuff you have in the panel…

3) Some of the rebadged stuff didn’t work correctly before it was rebadged… try that with an AI…

4) Market share of their KSN770… went to zero… do you remember this box?  Came out around the time the GTNs were…. BK’s first WAAS device… brochures spelled it WASS…. Really!  the interface never got finished….

5) Success story… Their KT-74 was a popular transponder for the ADSB-out campaign… if you had a WAAS source to connect to it….

6) Latest slog…. TT… fortunately, they bought the company… so it isn’t rebadged and out of their control….

But, it’s a long uphill technical battle to where they want to be….

Hope for the best… but I’m not going to be on this ride….

I got off the BK bus after the loooong awaited KSN came to town… 

Best regards,

-a-

 

[EricJ]

9 hours ago, Igor_U said:

I really don’t think they sell anything. Their own navigator line got discontinued after basically zero sale. They are supposedly selling rebranded Avidyne IFD navigators but you really can’t see them being sold as such.
It’s really puzzling to me: Honeywell aerospace is world leader and installed in Gulfstreams, Bombardiers and Dassault business jets but they lost the plot and can’t come up with anything in piston planes.  
Not even with basic customer support and communication. Sad state of affairs ot BK…

I worked for Honeywell in the early 90s at the Air Transport division engineering avionics for the Boeing 777.    The division that did business jet avionics was a few miles away and people would sometimes go back and forth on various projects.   Back then it was well known that the money was in Air Transport, and the other division just kind of sort of held on and didn't make much.    I can't imagine there's much money in general aviation compared to their other avionics businesses, and I suspect the business jet stuff is still not nearly as profitable as the air transport stuff.   When they set priorities the general aviation guys are always going to struggle for resources.    We're the bottom of the barrel, I think, for that company.   There's just not much upside to spending a lot of effort in this direction, at least not compared to their other businesses.

[Hank]

If it this hard to buy, what will service and parts be like in ten years???? I will still be flying my C then, I hope.

[Fly Boomer]

20 hours ago, Igor_U said:

I really don’t think they sell anything. Their own navigator line got discontinued after basically zero sale. They are supposedly selling rebranded Avidyne IFD navigators but you really can’t see them being sold as such.
It’s really puzzling to me: Honeywell aerospace is world leader and installed in Gulfstreams, Bombardiers and Dassault business jets but they lost the plot and can’t come up with anything in piston planes.  
Not even with basic customer support and communication. Sad state of affairs ot BK…

Min Kao and Gary tried to tell ‘em.

[donkaye]

When I bought my airplane in 1992 it had the most advanced avionics package available a the time, the Silver Crown package and EFIS 40.  In those days Mooney was always ahead of the curve in avionics.  From the KLN88 Loran BK came up with the KLN 90B, which in my opinion was the best GPS of its generation.  The database support was outstanding.  So when they started bringing their glass display, whose name I can't even remember, to trade shows I couldn't wait to get one.  But year after year they couldn't get it to market.  I still kept using the KLN 90B until 2013 when the EFIS 40 went bad.  I called them to see what it would cost to get it fixed.  I was quoted $18,000.  This is what was basically what is now less capable than the Garmin G5.  That was the turning point for me.

Except for trying to get Garmin support on the phone quickly, every interaction I have had with them has been first class, and as a former electrical engineer, the product engineering has been near flawless for me.  Many of their new products are just "have to have".  As such, except for a couple of other outstanding products from other vendors like the MVP-50 from EI and the WX500, my panel is all Garmin.  They are the rock of GA avionics.

It is beyond my comprehension why anyone who wants a product in this lifetime would even consider looking at BK, whose history for the last 20 years has been nothing less than abysmal, unrealistic timetables, and whose GA product line is almost completely made up of vaporware.

[PT20J]

Alas, King hasn't been the same since Ed King sold out and went off to Oregon to make wine. 

[cliffy]

What can I say?  Hope springs eternal?

Don , I can agree on most every point you made.   Even back in 1974 or 5 I needed a new transponder for a Navajo I was flying  (while out on a trip across the country) and put in a Gold Crown one over night at "King Radio" in Kansas. It worked flawlessly  Put in a complete Gold Crown package later on. It worked flawlessly.

There is always a "cost - benefit" ratio to consider 

There is also a "cost-airframe value" ratio to consider

As I've postulated before many Mooney owners  (and other airframes also) are not interested in or need a full on everything included "CAT III" autopilot.

Most are VFR only pilots looking for a good straight and level A/P for cruising from place to place. If I was (or they) doing LOTS of IFR flying down to mins then a Big G A/P makes sense. In most cases the cost for the VFR benefit doesn't make sense to most. The airframe value also factors in. Unless we are talking a J model and above that ratio is upside down . 

On the "lower" value airframes affordability for the owner is probably the biggest factor.   $7500  vs  $18,000 - 25,000  

THE BIGGEST FACTOR (which I have postulated on several times) IS THE SAFETY FACTOR OF ONE BUTTON PUSH FOR LEVEL!

This is the biggest safety factor any of us in GA could ever have and I fault the FAA on this one.  An "AFFORDABLE"  TO MOST, autopilot with this feature would have saved many lives even during this 4+ year TT/BK fiasco. 

There is absolutely no safety reason why an A/P like this could not be EASILY certified for VFR and maybe Non-precision IFR through NORSEE IF THE FAAA WOULD MOVE INTO THE REAL WORLD.. Its been proven safe over many years in experimental airplanes for what I propose. 

Let's add another vector into tis discussion-

Safety on legacy airframes. We are not building CAR3 or Pt 23 airframes any more in numbers to speak of. We are always "preserving" what we have at least up to destroying what dwindling supply there is out there. Among that dwindling supply what is the biggest factor to safety and efficiency in ALL those airframes?

THE ELECTRONIC AND INSTRUMENT PACKAGE!

The basic mechanical airframe of each one of them is a well proven item when maintained to proper standards. That's not hard to do. But now look at the panel and what do we see? 30-40 many times 50 year old equipment patched together (or inop) with limited ways to keep the junk repaired just due to age..

I've also brought this up many times right here on MS-  The FAA is derelict in not allowing PROVEN (and approved) avionics (those used in sport aviation or even experimental aviation) to be  used in light GA aircraft. We have decades of use of this kind of equipment to speak to the safety of its use. 

Even if the restrictions were to come to just the lower class airframes like we limit Basic Med to just think what it would mean for the continued GA base going forward. We could have well proven glass panels that don't fail (safety!) for a relatively cheap entry price. Easy to install getting rid of the half century mechanical garbage and prolonging the airframe life of our diminishing GA fleet.  

Allowing the use of these A/Ps (through simple certification) would save lives ! Now the certification is so onerous and the market so small in comparison that no one wants to invest that amount of money for the feasible profit margin.

My proposal has always been to allow Pt23 or CAR3 airplanes  to be maintained AIRFRAME wise to the current standards but allow a placard (just like we do in Experimental) denoting that this airplane utilizes non-certified avionics and instruments. If we can allow experimental airframes to use these instrument packages safely even in IFR conditions we can do the same with lower end certified airframes with much greater safety that we have now using half century old mechanical systems.

It is lunacy to keep your head buried in the sand (FAA) and not see the safety benefits of this approach to the aging GA fleet.

 

 

 

[Mooneymite]

I think @cliffy is right.

So, following his analysis/projecting into the future, will we not all be better off sidestepping into the world of experimental where all the latest and greatest is first introduced and is actually available? 

Apparently, certification has destroyed the ability to produce planes, parts, or avionics and make a profit.  We are wilting on the FAA vine.

At this point, why buy a certified aircraft?

[cliffy]

11 minutes ago, Mooneymite said:

I think @cliffy is right.

So, following his analysis/projecting into the future, will we not all be better off sidestepping into the world of experimental where all the latest and greatest is first introduced and is actually available? 

Apparently, certification has destroyed the ability to produce planes, parts, or avionics and make a profit.  We are wilting on the FAA vine.

At this point, why buy a certified aircraft?

At this point you might be correct!

[dominikos]

On 8/25/2022 at 9:54 PM, N201MKTurbo said:

You know there is a crazy chip shortage. I was dealing with a motion company recently that had a servo stage that they had to raise the price of a $5000 stage by $1500. There was a $7 DC - DC converter that went unavailable and they had to buy them on the secondary market for $1500 each. They are redesigning the board for a different part. 
 

BK has to operate on a strict quality system, they can’t substitute parts without re-certifying the system. They may be telling the truth that they can’t get the parts and don’t know when they can. There are a lot of popular chips that are showing factory lead times over two years.

feels like a perfect justification to bring manufacturing back to the US… I would imagine it costs less than $1,500 to manufacture $7 component.

[EricJ]

1 hour ago, cliffy said:

What can I say?  Hope springs eternal?

Don , I can agree on most every point you made.   Even back in 1974 or 5 I needed a new transponder for a Navajo I was flying  (while out on a trip across the country) and put in a Gold Crown one over night at "King Radio" in Kansas. It worked flawlessly  Put in a complete Gold Crown package later on. It worked flawlessly.

There is always a "cost - benefit" ratio to consider 

There is also a "cost-airframe value" ratio to consider

As I've postulated before many Mooney owners  (and other airframes also) are not interested in or need a full on everything included "CAT III" autopilot.

Most are VFR only pilots looking for a good straight and level A/P for cruising from place to place. If I was (or they) doing LOTS of IFR flying down to mins then a Big G A/P makes sense. In most cases the cost for the VFR benefit doesn't make sense to most. The airframe value also factors in. Unless we are talking a J model and above that ratio is upside down . 

On the "lower" value airframes affordability for the owner is probably the biggest factor.   $7500  vs  $18,000 - 25,000  

THE BIGGEST FACTOR (which I have postulated on several times) IS THE SAFETY FACTOR OF ONE BUTTON PUSH FOR LEVEL!

This is the biggest safety factor any of us in GA could ever have and I fault the FAA on this one.  An "AFFORDABLE"  TO MOST, autopilot with this feature would have saved many lives even during this 4+ year TT/BK fiasco. 

There is absolutely no safety reason why an A/P like this could not be EASILY certified for VFR and maybe Non-precision IFR through NORSEE IF THE FAAA WOULD MOVE INTO THE REAL WORLD.. Its been proven safe over many years in experimental airplanes for what I propose. 

Let's add another vector into tis discussion-

Safety on legacy airframes. We are not building CAR3 or Pt 23 airframes any more in numbers to speak of. We are always "preserving" what we have at least up to destroying what dwindling supply there is out there. Among that dwindling supply what is the biggest factor to safety and efficiency in ALL those airframes?

THE ELECTRONIC AND INSTRUMENT PACKAGE!

The basic mechanical airframe of each one of them is a well proven item when maintained to proper standards. That's not hard to do. But now look at the panel and what do we see? 30-40 many times 50 year old equipment patched together (or inop) with limited ways to keep the junk repaired just due to age..

I've also brought this up many times right here on MS-  The FAA is derelict in not allowing PROVEN (and approved) avionics (those used in sport aviation or even experimental aviation) to be  used in light GA aircraft. We have decades of use of this kind of equipment to speak to the safety of its use. 

Even if the restrictions were to come to just the lower class airframes like we limit Basic Med to just think what it would mean for the continued GA base going forward. We could have well proven glass panels that don't fail (safety!) for a relatively cheap entry price. Easy to install getting rid of the half century mechanical garbage and prolonging the airframe life of our diminishing GA fleet.  

Allowing the use of these A/Ps (through simple certification) would save lives ! Now the certification is so onerous and the market so small in comparison that no one wants to invest that amount of money for the feasible profit margin.

My proposal has always been to allow Pt23 or CAR3 airplanes  to be maintained AIRFRAME wise to the current standards but allow a placard (just like we do in Experimental) denoting that this airplane utilizes non-certified avionics and instruments. If we can allow experimental airframes to use these instrument packages safely even in IFR conditions we can do the same with lower end certified airframes with much greater safety that we have now using half century old mechanical systems.

It is lunacy to keep your head buried in the sand (FAA) and not see the safety benefits of this approach to the aging GA fleet.

Another way to make the point is to observe that electronic equipment technology development and economic cycles these days are only a few years.   In other words, the time for a new technology to be developed and marketed is fairly short, which means the next, probably obsoleting, technology will likely replace it in a couple of years, too.    Since the FAA takes longer than multiple technology cycles to approve something, it means they have no hope of bringing anything electronic that's not already obsolete to certification.   In the case of autopilots, which have a significant impact on safety, this has brought us to the place where we are now where Mooney owners only really have one choice, and it isn't one that makes economic sense for many owners.     One lesson of the TT is that a system can be safe and effective and affordable, but we just aren't allowed to have it in any sort of reasonable time frame, and perhaps never, due to certification road blocks.

 

[donkaye]

1 hour ago, cliffy said:

What can I say?  Hope springs eternal?

Don , I can agree on most every point you made.   Even back in 1974 or 5 I needed a new transponder for a Navajo I was flying  (while out on a trip across the country) and put in a Gold Crown one over night at "King Radio" in Kansas. It worked flawlessly  Put in a complete Gold Crown package later on. It worked flawlessly.

There is always a "cost - benefit" ratio to consider 

There is also a "cost-airframe value" ratio to consider

As I've postulated before many Mooney owners  (and other airframes also) are not interested in or need a full on everything included "CAT III" autopilot.

Most are VFR only pilots looking for a good straight and level A/P for cruising from place to place. If I was (or they) doing LOTS of IFR flying down to mins then a Big G A/P makes sense. In most cases the cost for the VFR benefit doesn't make sense to most. The airframe value also factors in. Unless we are talking a J model and above that ratio is upside down . 

On the "lower" value airframes affordability for the owner is probably the biggest factor.   $7500  vs  $18,000 - 25,000  

THE BIGGEST FACTOR (which I have postulated on several times) IS THE SAFETY FACTOR OF ONE BUTTON PUSH FOR LEVEL!

This is the biggest safety factor any of us in GA could ever have and I fault the FAA on this one.  An "AFFORDABLE"  TO MOST, autopilot with this feature would have saved many lives even during this 4+ year TT/BK fiasco. 

There is absolutely no safety reason why an A/P like this could not be EASILY certified for VFR and maybe Non-precision IFR through NORSEE IF THE FAAA WOULD MOVE INTO THE REAL WORLD.. Its been proven safe over many years in experimental airplanes for what I propose. 

Let's add another vector into tis discussion-

Safety on legacy airframes. We are not building CAR3 or Pt 23 airframes any more in numbers to speak of. We are always "preserving" what we have at least up to destroying what dwindling supply there is out there. Among that dwindling supply what is the biggest factor to safety and efficiency in ALL those airframes?

THE ELECTRONIC AND INSTRUMENT PACKAGE!

The basic mechanical airframe of each one of them is a well proven item when maintained to proper standards. That's not hard to do. But now look at the panel and what do we see? 30-40 many times 50 year old equipment patched together (or inop) with limited ways to keep the junk repaired just due to age..

I've also brought this up many times right here on MS-  The FAA is derelict in not allowing PROVEN (and approved) avionics (those used in sport aviation or even experimental aviation) to be  used in light GA aircraft. We have decades of use of this kind of equipment to speak to the safety of its use. 

Even if the restrictions were to come to just the lower class airframes like we limit Basic Med to just think what it would mean for the continued GA base going forward. We could have well proven glass panels that don't fail (safety!) for a relatively cheap entry price. Easy to install getting rid of the half century mechanical garbage and prolonging the airframe life of our diminishing GA fleet.  

Allowing the use of these A/Ps (through simple certification) would save lives ! Now the certification is so onerous and the market so small in comparison that no one wants to invest that amount of money for the feasible profit margin.

My proposal has always been to allow Pt23 or CAR3 airplanes  to be maintained AIRFRAME wise to the current standards but allow a placard (just like we do in Experimental) denoting that this airplane utilizes non-certified avionics and instruments. If we can allow experimental airframes to use these instrument packages safely even in IFR conditions we can do the same with lower end certified airframes with much greater safety that we have now using half century old mechanical systems.

It is lunacy to keep your head buried in the sand (FAA) and not see the safety benefits of this approach to the aging GA fleet.

 

 

 

Without trying to be too argumentative, the GFC 500 plus G5 with the minimum 2 servos like the BK Aerocruz 100  would cost about $6,995 plus $2,500 plus installation.  All in probably $12K.  That's just the cost of a reseal and the plane value would increase by nearly the same value.  The increase in safety value: immeasurable.

I know you won't buy anything I have said, but let me relate a couple of things that won't change your minds, but are relevant.  A few years ago a student of mine called to discuss a house he wanted to buy, since I've been buying houses most of my life.  There was a 300K difference between what he was willing to pay and what the Seller wanted.   With 50 years of experience I suggested he pay the difference because, based on the past, the value would exceed that in the future.  In his case, not surprisingly, he took that advice.  He called recently to thank me because the house value where he lives has gone up about $2 million.  

To bring that analogy back to autopiliots, assuming the Aerocruz was available, what is the price difference between that unavailable AP and the GFC 500?  $5K?  Not to be too dramatic, but Is your life, comfort during long distant flying, and just "plane" fun worth the extra $5K?  

[Ron McBride]

When I updated the F that I had. GNS 430, step 30, alt hold, gpss, heading control etc.  it was around $40 amu.  I got about $20,000 out of it when I sold the plane 10 years later.  About 500 hrs.  The safety and utility was well worth it.   Your money, your life, your choice.

 

[cliffy]

3 hours ago, donkaye said:

Without trying to be too argumentative, the GFC 500 plus G5 with the minimum 2 servos like the BK Aerocruz 100  would cost about $6,995 plus $2,500 plus installation.  All in probably $12K.  That's just the cost of a reseal and the plane value would increase by nearly the same value.  The increase in safety value: immeasurable.

I know you won't buy anything I have said, but let me relate a couple of things that won't change your minds, but are relevant.  A few years ago a student of mine called to discuss a house he wanted to buy, since I've been buying houses most of my life.  There was a 300K difference between what he was willing to pay and what the Seller wanted.   With 50 years of experience I suggested he pay the difference because, based on the past, the value would exceed that in the future.  In his case, not surprisingly, he took that advice.  He called recently to thank me because the house value where he lives has gone up about $2 million.  

To bring that analogy back to autopiliots, assuming the Aerocruz was available, what is the price difference between that unavailable AP and the GFC 500?  $5K?  Not to be too dramatic, but Is your life, comfort during long distant flying, and just "plane" fun worth the extra $5K?  

Don - No arguments inferred and just a difference of opinions contained therein-  you make some good points for the higher end of small GA aviation If we are limiting to Mooneys then your comments are right on for J models on up. No disagreement  there. 

 

Just did a  quick search on the GFC500 installation and I can't find anywhere that shows an installation in  the area of 12K,  when all the required extras are included

Here's just the first one I cam across    https://avionics-laf.com/products/garmin-gfc500-autopilot-installed    $15,500 NOT including the G5 nor a GPS 

AND they are full until Sept 2023!!!   it comes out closer to $22,000     or $26,000 with GPS

CAN YOU FIND ME ANYONE WHO HAS PUT IN A GFC500 FOR NEAR 12k STARTING FROM SCRATCH?   (Sorry hit the caps key)  I can't find anyone

We may be coming from different spectrums also.

I'm also looking at the bottom end of the GA market place as an area to really impact vFR into IFR accidents. The bottom end where older airplanes are owned by those (lets be honest here)  barely able to afford an airplane in the first place.  IF we could use the "cheap" A/Ps that experimentals use that alone would be a huge improvement in safety for that segment of aviation.  Again an IMPROVEMENT in safety not a degradation of safety. 

They are safe they can be over powered by hand input, they have failsafe disconnects, they have clutch drives for disconnect all very safe and currently in use by experimentals. For thousands of hours! 

One button push for level! What a safety feature for the average VFR pilot  And they don't need to be approach capable ! They could even be limited to 1,000 AGL

There is no reasonable argument that they couldn't be used for NON precision IFR flight either just like many older Brittian A/Ps were certified to.  Many Brittians were not certified for approaches but in recent times  the only thing being certified by the FAA must have full approach capability.  Truly  insane thinking. 

There is no reason why this couldn't be accomplished for + or- $2500 plus installation. Thereby making it a available to the vast majority of the lower GA market place and be just as safe as anything installed in experimental aviation. No one has even looked at doing it NORSEE  Why not? 

The FAA can spout all they want about supporting safety but in the end they are letting people die because they have their head in the sand.