VFR panel ideas ??

[supercub43]

I'm building an SS7 and just starting to get some ideas for my panel, which is aways off yet.
Like most, money is a consideration. I know very little about the so called glass cockpits, however I have thousands of hours IFR and VFR as a professional pilot & CFI on steam gauges. I'm not looking for a lot of bells and whistles. Here's a list of what I'd like.

Flight instruments.
Engine Instruments
GPS, moving map.
Transponder ADSB out (2020 compliant)
Comm Radio

I'm not interested in IFR, just VFR
I'll be installing a 4 cylinder Cont O-200 engine.

Just curious what you would recommend? Also, what do you think the above equipment would cost?
I can do the installation myself if needed, would like to have a shop do the panel, but I'm sure that wouldn't be cheap, any idea what that cost would be?
One last question, any idea, what a steam gauge comparable panel would cost compared to the above?

Any ideas, comments pros or cons, and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Brian

[DaleB]

I have struggled with the same question, several times. First on the RV I was building, and now for the biplane I'm building.

In the case of the RV, I never could make steam gauges work out cheaper than a less expensive EFIS like a D180 or even an older Skyview. For the radio it's hard to beat the Garmin GTR 200, which has a nice stereo intercom built in, saves wiring and expense. An IFly 740 is pretty slick and will drive an autopilot as well as display ADS-B weatjer and traffic. Personally I'd go with a cheap transponder (used GTX 327 maybe) with a uAvionix ADS-B setup.

In the biplane, should I ever get it finished, an EFIS woukd just look really out of place. I'll almost certainly go with minimal round gauges. Airspeed, altimeter, compass, tach and I have an old but like-new Westach quad for oil pressure, oil temp, EGT & CHT. The jury is out as to whether it will have an electrical system. Probably will.

Oh, and don't forget the E6B! Whoops - wrong thread. :)

[sr2500]

On my Cygnet, I purchased a used MGL Extreme from an individual on Vans Air Force Forum, as well as an MGL V6 Digital Radio. I don't have the accelerometers, so am using it strictly with GPS inputs and Engine Monitoring. If you added the acclerometers, you would have a full up system. In addition, I have an airspeed indicator, and use an IFLY Adventure Pilot 720. To power it all, I used an EXBUS 2, again, I purchased it off Vans Air Force Forum. It was very straight forward and made wiring very easy. I remote mounted it behind the panel and ran wires to the switches. See Picture below. I have about 2K in the panel.

Best,
Jerry Folkerts

[Dana]

I prefer round gauges but then I'm an old school guy, and as Dale said glass would look out of place in a biplane. When I go cross country it's Avare on an 8" tablet on my knee (kneeboard custom made for the tablet). But nowadays you can probably do glass significantly cheaper, unless you scrounge for used steam gauges.

[1600vw]

On my Cygnet, I purchased a used MGL Extreme from an individual on Vans Air Force Forum, as well as an MGL V6 Digital Radio. I don't have the accelerometers, so am using it strictly with GPS inputs and Engine Monitoring. If you added the acclerometers, you would have a full up system. In addition, I have an airspeed indicator, and use an IFLY Adventure Pilot 720. To power it all, I used an EXBUS 2, again, I purchased it off Vans Air Force Forum. It was very straight forward and made wiring very easy. I remote mounted it behind the panel and ran wires to the switches. See Picture below. I have about 2K in the panel.

Best,
Jerry Folkerts

I love the panel in this airplane. Heck I love this airplane. Very nice indeed.

Tony

[1600vw]

http://grtavionics.com/

[Frank Giger]

I like steam gauges because I can glance and see the needle and glance away. No need to read numbers, I know the scale from memory.

What I didn't like about the glass panel on the CTLS is that it was full of numbers, which I had to stop and read.*

* Yes, I know one can probably program it to show dials, but it wasn't my aircraft and the owner had it set up to show numbers.

[CarlOrton]

Frank, I have the same preference as you. When I had a 172, I could easily just glance down and then back up when in the pattern, etc., and know where I was with relative confidence.

Then I built a Sonex. I was planning to go steam gauges, but with the small panel, it was just easier to go with a single panel EFIS. About the same cost as well.

I thought I'd hate it, but in reality, it quickly (like within seconds) became second nature. Airspeed and altitude was determinable at a glance because I *didn't* have to read numbers. A quick glance and I could determine if altitude was 3 or 4 digits, and if (as an example) the first digit was a 7 or 5 (as in 100's).

Now that I'm going to build a Zenith Cruzer (haven't bought kit yet, just plans) I'm back to square one. EFIS, steam, or something like the MGL Singles - one for flight information, one for engine. I would have never considered these, but given my adaptability to the EFIS, figured why not.