Sling 2 build / Midwest Sky Sports

[HornedFrogGrant]

I suspect a lot of us will be living the dream vicariously through you!

I know I am. Watching this progress is fascinating.

[cam737]

Thanks HornedFrogG! It has been a great experience so far...learning so much.

A few posts back I wrote that the Garmin navigator is the GTNxxx?...it is the Garmin GTN625 which cost me about $5,500 with the purchase of a G3X.

Steve and Adam at Midwest Sky Sports are extremely well versed on this stuff.

Here is a pic of the stick grips in the Patriotic LSA Sling that Midwest Sky Sports just built and is flying to Oshkosh. These are the same grips I am putting into my Sling. They are laser etched!

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[Warmi]

These sticks look like you could manage a few rocket launchers and some laser cannons with them ...in addition to the usual stuff to manage in a LSA...heh

[ShawnM]

They are cool, and EXTREMELY versatile. There is a company called Infinity Aerospace that sells military style stick grips with too many switch configurations to count. Cost is $200. They are available for left and right handed people. I had these in an experimental helicopter I used to own.

http://infinityaerospace.com/product/featured/military-style-stick-grips/

[Warmi]

They do look cool indeed but I have no use for them. I really prefer manual trim, which in Stings is like a small throttle, and flaps are used on landings only anyway so a simple stick with PTT is all I need ...

[Wm.Ince]

. . . I really prefer manual trim . . . so a simple stick with PTT is all I need ...

To each his own.
Electric elevator trim is ideal. Not only activated from the contol sticks, but also activated when the autopilot is coupled. A lot less fatigue, especially during configuring for speed, climb, decents and flaps. It is not appreciated until it is regularily used. It can easily "spoil" you. . .

[Sling 2 Pilot]

I chose Tosten grips for my Sling, love em. They and the Infinity’s are far better when managing trim, rather than the stock grips with the push buttons on top.

[Warmi]

. . . I really prefer manual trim . . . so a simple stick with PTT is all I need ...

To each his own.
Electric elevator trim is ideal. Not only activated from the contol sticks, but also activated when the autopilot is coupled. A lot less fatigue, especially during configuring for speed, climb, decents and flaps. It is not appreciated until it is regularily used. It can easily "spoil" you. . .

The one I used in Remos , which I think was the standard Allen design, was just awful... it was like operating slow machinery with delayed feedback response ... very frustrating.
Once I tried the manual design in Sting .... this is so much simpler and with direct instant feedback, I am not going back.
Like you said, to each it’s own.

Actually , to clarify , my problem is not with having trim adjustment controls on the stick but rather with electrically powered trims , regardless where these are located , they are just too slow to adjust and the effect is similar to adjusting volume with up/down controls on your iPhone vs knob based analog adjustment. Give the analog control every time ....

[FastEddieB]

Electric trims are not necessarily slow.

In fact, the main complaint in the Cirrus is that they’re too fast!

In my Sky Arrow the speed and button location on the sidestick are perfect. But I’ve had intermittent problems, which is extremely aggravating. Those times I long for at least a manual backup.

[ShawnM]

Actually , to clarify , my problem is not with having trim adjustment controls on the stick but rather with electrically powered trims , regardless where these are located , they are just too slow to adjust and the effect is similar to adjusting volume with up/down controls on your iPhone vs knob based analog adjustment. Give the analog control every time ....

Eddie is right, they are not necessarily slow. Depends on the aircraft and if they have a speed controller limiting the trim motors. The electric trim in my early SportCruiser is so fast I have to simply tap the buttons to adjust the trim. The later SportCruisers added a motor speed controller to slow down the trim motors as many thought it was too fast.

Trim speed depends on the plane and how it's wired. You can even add your own adjustable PWM voltage controller that will allow you to set the trim speed at whatever you like, fast, slow and anywhere in between. All for under $10.

And as Wm.Ince stated, it'll spoil you for sure.

[ShawnM]

On that same note the NEW Ray Allen G407 version stick grips now have the 4 way high hat for trim, they are very nice stick grips.

I agree that the 4 separate and individual buttons on the Ray Allen G205 is not ideal but is better than manual trim. The G205 is standard in the SportCruiser.

[Warmi]

Since people are posting their panels.. why don’t you post yours Shawn ... I am just curious and I am always up for some good panel porn ...

[ShawnM]

Since people are posting their panels.. why don’t you post yours Shawn ... I am just curious and I am always up for some good panel porn ...

It's not the panel porn you're expecting, remember I have a 2007 SportCruiser with the older, legacy Dynon glass. Compared to the latest carbon fiber panels out there stuffed with the large Skyview or Garmin instruments it may come up short in your expectations. For me, I love what I have now after my recent GPS and COMM radio upgrade. I may think about upgrading in the future but as I said, for now my panel provides me everything I need.

I have new panels drawn up in CAD that I'll eventually look into having made when it's time for an upgrade.

For now, this is all I have to offer......

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right panel.jpg (64.94 KiB) Viewed 920 times

[ShawnM]

Since people are posting their panels......

Since I showed you mine you have to show me yours.

Isn't that how it works?

[Warmi]

Actually, to me "panel porn" doesn't mean the latest and greatest in avionics but rather the overall aesthetics i.e a Cub with 2 analog gauges and few other items can looks awesome
The latest Sling 2 planes from MSS look so awesome not because they sport dual Garmins but because the fit and finish of the panels is superb and the placement of instruments is logical and the whole thing is just very pleasing - I know it is only aesthetics but damn, we are paying tons of money for these things so why not demand quality panels as well

But in your case, you do have the latest Garmin 660 and GTR 225 - can't get much better than that. The legacy Dynons , the EFIS is pretty much all you need for regular flying and the EMS is really good - I wish i had this sort of EMS on my panel.
One question does Dynon EMS allow you to record engine data ?
Another question - with GRT 225 , can you tune frequencies directly from your GPS or do you have to do it manually ?

Overall, between Garmin AP, EFIS/EMS and their GPS/Comms you got pretty much 90% of what is provided by the latest EFIS installations ( Garmin or Dynon )

My plane was built in 2012 but my panel is actually less technologically advanced than yours ( meaning .. I have more analog gauges
But , just as you, I have an EFIS, a modern GPS and TruTrak two axis autopilot integrated with EFIS/GPS, ADSB IN and out (GDL 82) - upgrading this to Garmin or Dynon would mean getting rid of pretty much all my existing, perfectly good, avionics to get additional 10% capabilities at a cost of about 20 K or so ... hmm ?

The only issue with my EFIS is that is no longer being produced or supported which means, if it goes, I will have replace it with something else ... but the way I see it, I will most likely replace it with one of Grand Rapid Technologies EFISs since it can support all my existing stuff (AP,comms,transponder etc)
The only thing I am currently missing is some capability to record engine data and to automatically tune my radio based on GPS selections – the gps (796) does support this functionality, but it uses a serial connection for this and both of my serial ports are already allocated ( 796 -> EFIS, 796 -> ELT )

Anyway, here is my panel ..

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