Is a large screen really helpfull?

Guest Discussion
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As I listen to the concerns about ARNAV and soon hope to be a depositor for a Lancair. I wounder if a large screen is really necessary? I currlently fly with a UPS GX50 GPS unit. The small screen gives me know problem in infoming me of my positon. Given that SR20/22 have auto pilots it seems like looking at a real sectional, (paper) might be enjoyable as the plane flys itself. With the Columbia 300 I am thinking of getting the MX20 Maybe a Garmin 530 would meet all your needs. Cirrus could replace the ARNAV unit with a big mirror to reflect our smiles while flying a beautiful plane.

Second language sorry about the spelling!

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As I listen to the concerns about ARNAV and soon hope to be a depositor for a Lancair

If you do deposit on the Lancair I would recommend you opt for the 10.4" Avidyne, not so you can see the a non current map as with ARNAV, but so you can get current see you position mapped on current sectionals, enroute IFR charts, and approach plates. A big step toward the paperless cockpit.

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I do have a deposit on a Lancair and opted for dual MX20s rather than the Avrotec/Avidyne combo.

for 4 reasons.

I will be able to keep the database up to date with standard Jepp data. It’s cheaper and will be easily obtained as long as Jepp (or Boeing) is in business.

The rest of the avionics are also Apollo/UPSAT so there should never be a compatibility problem.

I expect UPSAT to be ahead of Avrotec in providing new features that become generally available; terrain clearance, weather displays, ADS-B, traffic systems, etc.

Last but not least, I don’t want to risk winding up with an orphan product. It’s a good display

but they need more than Lancair’s limited production to make it a financially viable product.

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As I listen to the concerns about ARNAV and soon hope to be a depositor for a Lancair

If you do deposit on the Lancair I would recommend you opt for the 10.4" Avidyne, not so you can see the a non current map as with ARNAV, but so you can get current see you position mapped on current sectionals, enroute IFR charts, and approach plates. A big step toward the paperless cockpit.

Hi Art,

I saw your post earlier about the Avrotec/Avydyne display and almost chimed in then, but now I figure I might as well.

I would be a little cautious before getting the Avrotec display. Why? Primarily because I haven’t really seen any other airframe companies besides Lancair using it. And I haven’t “felt” a big demand for that display in the retrofit market either.

IMHO, it will be hard for ANY company (Arnav, Avrotec, which are both 10.4" displays) to succeed with these super big screens in the near term. New airframe manufacturers (Lancair, Cirrus, etc.) will probably think they’re a good idea - because they are. But the real VOLUME is in the retrofit market, or maybe even (for now) with Cessna & New Piper, etc. And all of those markets require “normal” avionics sized boxes.

Especially after getting essentially burned by the Arnav (I agree with most of Marty’s comments on engine monitoring below, although I’m maybe a little more willing to give them some time to improve the product!), I would not want to necessarily go buy an Avrotec, only to have them go out of business [or be slow to add new interfaces/features].

IMHO, I would probably opt first for an MX20 (or, if you don’t like that, maybe the Bendix King MFD, or maybe even a Garmin 530 or the Avidyne Flightmax [which is different than the Avrotec running Avidyne s/w]), since they have fairly good market acceptance and thus will probably be around to support their products far into the future…

Just my $0.02 worth… see ya around GAI!

Steve