EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrumentation System)I fly a 767, which has EFIS. Two of the biggest advantages that EFIS offers over standard mechanical or electromechanical instrumentation are a better presentation, but even more importantly a more dependable attitude reference. I can see the day when an EFIS system is less expensive than a mechanical system just as a digital watch such as a Casio is much less expensive than a mechanical watch such as a Rolex. It has not reached the point that it is less expensive to outfit a light aircraft with EFIS. However, I believe this crossover has already occurred with business jets and commercial aircraft. If you consider something like an HSI with all of its fine and fragile little electromechanical parts, I think that it is easy to see why. It appears that one of the most expensive aspects of an EFIS system is FAA approval. Thus, it is possible to get a very affordable EFIS system for a homebuilt aircraft, but it is still an expensive proposition for a certified aircraft. One of the most telling examples is the Chelton EFIS system. It costs around $75,000 for the certified version and $25,000 for the non-certified version. It is not my point to discuss EFIS systems in depth. But I picked up quite a few brochures at Sun-n-Fun 2004 ( http://www.sun-n-fun.org ) and thought that I would put the links on a page for reference in case anybody is interested. Crossbow, www.xbow.com makes sensors that can drive an EFIS system. There site has an interesting article on solid attitude sensors at: Links to EFIS avionics sites: http://www.bluemountainavionics.com http://www.archangel.com/aerospaceproducts.htm http://www.mglavionics.co.za/ahrs.html, http://www.vertexinertial.com/ Additionally, the major manufactures such as Collins, Bendix/King, and Garmin have EFIS systems. |