testwest Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Great news: http://www.avidyne.com/news/press.asp?release=273 It looks like we are getting closer to a better autopilot solution for our airplanes.... if you have a Century or Stec autopilot you can upgrade to a DFC-90 and use existing servos, or if you are like us and have only Brittain memories, with the new Avidyne servos we can do a very lightweight, very capable attitude based autopilot using Avidyne servos, the DFC90 and an Aspen PFD as the attitude source. I have seen a couple of proposed Aspen display formats with all of the AP mode annunciations and armed modes right on the PFD. No extra scabbed-on indicator panels, and the mode annunciations are right in your scan where they need to be. Avidyne needs to hear from Mooney drivers, starting with Peter Lyons! We reaslly need to get into the certification queue for this product. Right now, the market favors Bonanzas and C-182s for the initial certification, and it would be nice to not be in line behind some BelchFire 400..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Dawson Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 It would be nice if we could get the DFC-90 with their proposed options including the needed servos for the same price as a STec 30, ~ $13,500.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetdriven Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 The DFC-90 is not even in the same league as an S-TEC. For starters, the DFC is a full digital, attitude based autopilot. S-TEC are only rate-based. Further, there is a video of a pilot putting a Cirrus inverted, hitting the "straight and level" button, and the aircraft rolls upright in 3 seconds. Then you get altitude hold, VS mode, IAS mode, and flight envelope protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cris Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Norman I agree that we should encourage Aidyne to consider the Mooney Airframe. Over the last six months i have been in contact with them on this very topic. At this point they are very focused on the completion of the existing announcements particulary the Bonanza line. Until those are completed my sense is there will be no additional airframes. I even offered my A/C as a test bed so we will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaV8or Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Quote: Fastbyk It would be nice if we could get the DFC-90 with their proposed options including the needed servos for the same price as a STec 30, ~ $13,500.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testwest Posted March 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 The DFC90 retrofit using S-tec servos is $9995. I can see a new install with a 90 and Avidyne servos under $15k, using an Aspen as the attitude source (and mode annunciation). There is hope. Avidyne gets it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetdriven Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 You probably can buy an Aspen and the DFC-90 for the cost of an S-TEC 30 which has limited capability, and a bad reputation for customer service. This is the first exciting thing I have seen, that and the iFD540. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Pleisse Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 And how has Stec let this happen? Are they that mismanaged? Considering the Chelton lineage with the Synth PFD they STC'd and the single servo autopilot which should have been a homerun..........why didn't this translate to success aquiring Stec? Heck, the first thing they did was rename the company Cobham. Good for Avidyne, but our hopes for Avidyne success has been fueled by few choices and lack of innovation. Is there some rumor of something better from Cobham or King, too? In the end, it would mean more competition and better affordability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviatoreb Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Quote: jetdriven You probably can buy an Aspen and the DFC-90 for the cost of an S-TEC 30 which has limited capability, and a bad reputation for customer service. This is the first exciting thing I have seen, that and the iFD540. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parker_Woodruff Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Talked with Avidyne today at SnF and am excited for their new product developments. They read this board and from what I understood, we'll have support for some of the King Autopilots, too when Mooneys are approved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaV8or Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Quote: testwest The DFC90 retrofit using S-tec servos is $9995. I can see a new install with a 90 and Avidyne servos under $15k, using an Aspen as the attitude source (and mode annunciation). There is hope. Avidyne gets it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AviReid Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Hello Mooney Space! My name is Reid Antonacchio and I am one of the sales guys here at Avidyne. Just wanted to drop a quick note and offer my contact informaton if anyone has any questions about our DFC90 I will do my best to answer them. Timing is still being planned but we are very excited to open more of our products to the Mooney world. I was at the MAPASF training at MLB last month and will be at TUS in April. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to see some of you there. Best, Reid 239-249-0414 reid@avidyne.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSMooniac Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Welcome, and thanks for looking into our corner of the market! We need some more innovation, but especially competition in the autopilot and avionics arena. King seems to be finally pulling their head out and trying to get something new and competitive to market. Avidyne's new products are very exciting. This is great news since Garmin and Cobham/STEC have become the giant bullies that they sought out to knock off years ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Reid, Welcome to Mooneyspace. Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC_Mooniac Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Reid, Welcome to Mooneyspace. Count me among the Mooney pilots that would love the opportunity to install a 21st century autopilot into my 201. Many thanks for thinking of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AviReid Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thanks for the welcomes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testwest Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Welcome, Reid! I think you may find a large number of older Mooney owners would want to go with your new servos...our market has a lot of Brittain air-driven autopilots, and I would think (hope) enough of them would want to upgrade to make our wish for a higher priority in the certification path a possibility. Understand your plan for going after the Cirrus, PA-46, Bo/Baron, and C182 crowd. That's the order any business person would take...that market is obvious. But then..... I would think someone with a Mooney/Aspen/S-Tec anything would be an easy first plan, you know the AHRS and the servos, and would "just" (ha!) have to characterize the pitch trim response and the airplane outer loop. Long body Mooney owners have more money, but the pitch trim characterisitics are "similar". Pete Lyons at Aspen has a mid-body though and it is "in the family". I would sure like to see the next plane be a mid body M20 with just an Aspen and no AP. Going in, you then know the airplane loop, the pitch trim, the AHRS, and hopefully know the Avidyne servo responses from your test bench. From that point, short body Mooneys should be a simple gain reduction in the pitch axis....I hope!! I assume your truth data for flight test is some kind of strap-down recording INS/GPS. We are getting ready to use Systron Donner SDN-500s for some work here at the lazy B. There is a pretty good group here at Mooneyspace. After awhile you will figure out the right guys to listen to. Many of them have posted to this thread already. (After writing this I will probably have advanced mathematical nightmares tonight. And all this time I thought Laplace was the capitol of Bolivia ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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