September 2012

Volume XLII
Number 9

The
consumer
resource for
pilots and
aircraft
owners

New headset from

Sennheiser ...
page 23

Cessna Goes Diesel

SMA’s the surprise pick … page 4

EFIS in the Cub … page 8 ADS-B in your lap … page 14 Used Katanas … page 24

8 dynon d1 14 GARMIN ADS-b 20 avidyne slide-ins

A pint-sized pocket EFIS that One portable box among State-of-the-art sophistication
impresses many; not a standout without high install costs

10 interior shop survey 17 cabin sunshields 24 diamond da20

We find a strong market jump A cheap investment to protect As a used trainer, it’s a bargain
in DIY interiors radios and upholstery and the safest thing flying
 F IRST W ORD

Editor The Watch Changes

Paul Bertorelli A couple of years ago when I was
having fun chasing down all the
MANAGING EDITOR doublespeak larding up the avgas
Jeff Van West replacement effort, NATA President
Jim Coyne made a comment to
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
me as we were leaving yet another
Jonathan Doolittle
Rick Durden
information-free meeting masquerading as a
Larry Anglisano
press conference. “You know,” he said, “you
were born for this.”
Jim is an old-school airplane guy from back
subscription department in the days when the industry was a friend-
P.O. Box 8535 lier place than it is now and he’s a long-time
Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535 aircraft owner and reader of Aviation Consumer.
800-829-9081 He knows me well enough to sense my unre-
www.aviationconsumer.com/cs strained glee in pursuing stories that certain in-
For canada terests in the industry would rather see kept in
Subscription Services the shadows. This natural predilection springs
Box 7820 STN Main from my experience as an unreconstructed
London, ON 5W1 hooligan in Catholic school and was further reinforced early in my career in
Canada the newspaper business, where wide-eyed awe is checked at the newsroom
door.
Back Issues, Used Aircraft Guides But at some point, the fun always ends, does it not? And so effective with
203-857-3100 this issue, I will be handing over the editorship of Aviation Consumer to my col-
league Rick Durden. He’s been ably editing our sister magazine, IFR Refresher,
Reprints: Aviation Consumer can
provide you or your organization for several years and is the perfect guy to assume the reins of the only maga-
with reprints. Minimum order is 1000 zine in aviation publishing that still offers an honest and independent critical
copies. Contac t Jennifer Jimolka,
203-857-3144
voice free of commercial influence. He’ll be assisted by our highly capable
avionics editor, Larry Anglisano.
Obviously, for me, stepping down is no easy decision. Jim was right. When
AVIATION CONSUMER I stumbled into the editor’s chair of Aviation Consumer­—really, it found me—it
(ISSN #0147-9911) is pub- felt like the perfect match for my skills and outlook. I have enjoyed it im-
lished monthly by Belvoir mensely. But after 18 years, it’s time for new eyes on the project and a fresh
Aviation Group LLC, an perspective.
affiliate of Belvoir Media The considerable reward of having edited this magazine is its readers. All of
Group, 800 Connecti- Belvoir’s titles are uniquely married to the interests of their audiences, which
cut Avenue, Norwalk, CT are discerning, demanding and engaged. There’s no more satisfying experience
06854-1631. Robert Englander, Chairman for an editor than publishing for readers who are paying attention. So to our
and CEO; Timothy H. Cole, Executive Vice subscribers, I offer my heartfelt thanks. It has been a rare privilege to serve
President, Editorial Director; Philip L. you.
Penny, Chief Operating Officer; Greg King, A word about Belvoir Media Group and its unique culture. Our chairman,
Executive Vice President, Marketing Direc- Robert Englander, likes to say that when you do a great job around here, we
tor; Ron Goldberg, Chief Financial Officer; ignore you. As it turns out, not everyone thrives on being ignored, but I do.
Tom Canfield, Vice President, Circulation. I’ve always felt comfortable in providing readers with useful, well-packaged
editorial and I don’t need a bunch of suits second-guessing me. At Belvoir
Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CT, Media Group, they don’t.
and at additional mailing offices. Rev- What they do provide is an exceptionally supportive environment for real
enue Canada GST Account #128044658. journalism, with no not-so-subtle directives to lay off advertisers or small
Subscriptions: $84 annually; single cop-
herds of sacred cows grazing unseen amidst the pages. I have been blessed to
ies, $10.00. Bulk rate subscriptions for
have worked in such a place and I’m profoundly grateful that Belvoir continues
organizations are available. Copyright ©
to maintain it for those who will follow me.
What’s next? I’ll remain on the masthead as a regular contributor to Con-
2012 Belvoir Aviation Group LLC. All rights
sumer and will continue my duties as editorial director. I’ll also be working
reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
on new projects, including more features and a redesign for our sister online
is prohibited. Printed in the USA.
publication, www.avweb.com. I relish the change and hope you do, too.
­—Paul Bertorelli
Postmaster: Send address corrections to
AVIATION CONSUMER, P.O. Box 8535, Big
Sandy, TX 75755-8535. In Canada, P.O. Box
39 Norwich, ON NOJ1PO, Canada. Publish-
ing Agreement Number #40016479

2 • The Aviation Consumer 2 ww

• w.
wav
w w.
i atav
i oinatco
i onnsco
u mnes r.
um coem
r. co m September 2012
 LETTERS

Electric Airplanes I picked up a vortex generator kit in actually had three over the years).
When considering the viability of person while I was up in Anacortes, We had a discussion about the last
electric-powered aircraft, it’s impor- Washington, at the Micro Aerody- issue on LSAs.
tant to note the huge difference be- namics hangar/offices. Anyway, I enjoyed the latest
After speaking for a article on the legacy LSAs. I see
half hour with Charles Paul absolutely, not once but twice,
White in the Micro glossed over one of the fastest and
Aerodynamics hangar, cheapest LSAs out there. I know
I made the decision you must have had him do this on
and never looked back. purpose just to see if I was paying
It was an easy and fun attention.
owner-assist install proj- I was very disappointed. I am
ect under the supervi- also sorry I missed the AvWeb sur-
sion of my A&P/IA. Two vey as I would have thrown my two
evenings of work and cents in. Just like I stated, the poor
I was done. And wow, Taylorcraft gets no respect, but it is
what a difference. one of the fastest, if not the fastest
As you noted in your and cheapest-to-buy legacy LSAs out
article, the benefits will there. Also let Paul know he is get-
tend to vary from one ting screwed at those prices for the
tween the internal combustion (IC) airplane to another or even between Cub. Hahaha!
engine that burns hydrocarbon fuels two airplanes of the same year and
and an electric motor that relies on a model, since our aircraft are far Marty Towsley
battery energy source. from new or perfectly shaped. Via e-mail
The ratio of air mass to fuel mass In my case, the results were
at efficient combustion (stoichiome- substantial: Stall speed was drasti- You found us out. Van West begged me,
try) is about 14.6. That is, for every cally lowered; aileron, stabilator beseeched me to let him include the
pound of fuel burned, 14.6 pounds and rudder control authority are Taylorcraft in the legacy LSA article,
of air are consumed. But you don’t all much better, especially at low just like I did when we did this article
have to carry the air since it is avail- speeds such as when landing; and— four years ago. Although I refused, he
able in the atmosphere. Fuel weighs the most surprising part­—my cruise went ahead and did it anyway, right
about 6 pounds per gallon, so 16 speed was even increased by a few there on page 5.—Paul Bertorelli
gallons of fuel weigh about 100 miles per hour thanks to the cleaner
pounds. Over 1400 pounds of air airflow over that seam,- rivet- and Gulf Coast Fan
will be consumed in burning that screw-covered wing. I flew a long trip last week—Shenan-
amount of fuel. My Warrior is still essentially doah, Virginia, to Naples, Florida,—
An electric motor requires that all the Ford Taurus of the skies, but it
of the energy be contained in the climbs and cruises faster, the con- continued on page 32
battery. Since the energy density of trols respond with much greater au-
lithium batteries is about 26 times thority, it takes off and lands shorter co n tac t u s
less than the energy of gasoline, and flies quite slowly with confi-
there is nowhere for electric propul- dence. It’s nearly impossible to get it Editorial Office
sion to go. to fully stall and drop the nose since 303-478-1816
It is interesting to note that gaso- installing the VGs. It just bounces E-mail: ConsumerEditor@
line has 10 times the energy den- the nose up and down lightly from hotmail.com
sity of TNT that needs to carry its stall to flight.
oxidizer within. I’d encourage anyone with an Subscription Department
older airplane that has mushy con- P.O. Box 8535
Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535
James Lemke trols when landing, or who wants a
800-829-9081
San Diego, California little better climb performance and/
or added safety of lower stall speeds Online Customer Service:
More VGs and better overall control, to give www.aviationconsumer.com/cs
I wanted to write and provide my vortex generators a try.
two cents’ worth of experience on Back Issues, Used Aircraft Guides:
the topic of vortex generators, which Greg Hughes 203-857-3100
I was excited to see covered in Portland, Oregon E-mail: customer_service@
your June 2012 issue. I own a 1975 belvoir.com
Piper Warrior­—a solid and reliable What About T-craft? For weekly aviation news
airplane, but not exactly a high per- Jeff, I’m your favorite fan who updates, see www.avweb.com
former. About a year and a half ago, currently owns a Taylorcraft. (I’ve
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 3
 c h e c k li s t

Cessna finally makes

good on its flirtation with
the diesel airplane.

Claimed performance is
as good or better than
the T182T at a lower fuel
burn.
Revised SMA305-230E
has better turbocharging
and fueling, but service
history isn’t established
yet.
At $515,000, the 182 NXT
is 16 percent more
expensive than the
n e w a i r c r af t T182T. Will it matter?

Cessna’s New Diesel: the Thielert 2.0 Centurion, the pre-

decessor of which, the 1.7 Centurion,

SMA SR305’s OEM Debut

found surprisingly good sales num-
bers in the Diamond DA42 twin and
DA40 single. But in a bullet-dodging
bit of good luck worthy of a Road-
runner cartoon, Cessna got wind
For a 16 percent price premium, the new 182 NXT of Thielert’s technical troubles with
the engines months before Thielert
will displace the Turbo Skylane. An early glance went into bankruptcy in the spring
suggests that the numbers pencil out. of 2008. Cessna suspended the diesel
program, evidently awaiting further
developments.
by Paul Bertorelli
What Changed?

I
f SMA’s Jet-A burning piston pow- nouncement to offer the SMA diesel What moved Cessna off the dime
erplant looked promising when it in the Skylane might finally get the and back into an active diesel pro-
appeared in 1998, it soon became SR305 out of the starting blocks. gram? At an AirVenture briefing,
the little engine that couldn’t. A de- We knew Cessna was interested Cessna told assembled journalists
cade ago, interest in aerodiesels was in diesel engines because two years that the market is asking for diesel
lukewarm at best and SMA found no ago, then-CEO Jack Pelton told us engines, if not Cessnas with diesels
major OEM takers, either. But at Air- the company had tested all of the specifically. Cessna’s Jeff Umscheid
Venture 2012 this year, Cessna’s an- above-ground diesels, which includ- picked the most well-worn cliché—
ed the Thielert and game changer—to describe the new
SMA offerings and 182 NXT Skylane. Although he didn’t
we’re sure they at say as much, Cessna was evidently
least examined the waiting for the right engine and
Austro and Delta- SMA—with an improved version, the
Hawk. Although it SR305-230E—was the first to offer it.
seems obvious why The Thielert Centurion line has
Cessna picked the too little power to be suitable for
SMA in hindsight, the 182 and the Austro AE300 has
it wasn’t always the same shortcomings. The long-
that way.
With no small
fanfare in 2007,
At AirVenture, Cessna showed the
Cessna announced new SMA-powered 182 NXT, top
it would offer the and left. The airplane is well into
172 Skyhawk with its certification flight trials.
4 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
awaited DeltaHawk,
although light, simple
and powerful is, well,
still awaited. Certifi-
cation remains over
the horizon. Two
years ago, Continen-
tal announced its
own diesel program
using the SMA SR305
as a technological start-
off point, but like the
DeltaHawk, it’s not certi-
fied yet.
Meanwhile, despite
lackluster interest from the
market, SMA forged ahead with
significant improvements to the
original SR305 to correct some of
its shortcomings related to minor
fueling and cooling issues and cold- Bosch
weather intolerance. It also made system
changes in components to improve has an engine-driven
durability. pump assembly with a
sliding piston/barrel arrangement to
SMA 2.0 meter the fuel mechanically through
At AirVenture, SMA seems to have individual lines to each cylinder
inverted its emphasis to highlight injector. It runs at less than half the
its parent company, SAFRAN, as a pressure of common rail systems. But
provider of the engine. SAFRAN is SMA’s fueling gets a little help from
an aerospace giant, with products in an add-on electronic engine control
the commercial transport, military that drives the rack more accurately The enhanced SR205-230E, above,
and spaceflight segments. Notable at through an electric motor. has a new turbocharger, improved
Oshkosh was that SAFRAN’s name- cylinders and better fueling,
plate was the dominant element in LIMITED AUTHORITY among many upgrades. SMA says
the signage and the promotional ma- On the plus side, the Bosch system is
terial. We think this is an intentional a proven, reliable performer, having its factory, above, will be ready
repositioning. first appeared in the automotive mar- for serial production by early next
As for the base engine itself, the kets before World War II and it was year. SMA had a decade-long
SR305 is a four-cylinder, four-cycle in wide use by Mercedes-Benz during proof-of-concept phase, during
turbocharged diesel capable of burn- the 1950s and 1960s. On the other which it offered STC conversions
ing various iterations of Jet A. Unlike hand, compared to electronically
the Austro and Thielert engines, controlled common-rail systems by for the Cessna 182, below. But it
which are automotive-derived, the Daimler-Benz, the Bosch design’s didn’t sell the engines aggressively
SR305 was purpose-designed as an ability to finesse fueling is limited. because it lacked a service net-
aircraft engine, thus its basic plan- Electronically controlled fueling is work.
form is similar to a conventional the primary reason
Lycoming or Continental. It has a why modern diesels
split case with bolt-on cylinders, two have vastly improved
valves per cylinder and a pushrod fuel specifics, power
valve train. The heads are easily sepa- output and lower
rable from the cylinders. emissions compared
Compared to the Thielert and to diesels of even 10
Austro offerings, the SMA is old years ago.
school, with a Bosch variable-rack Nonetheless,
fuel injection system rather than the Cessna and SMA
state-of-the-art high-pressure com- claim the SR305-230
mon rail systems found in typical is up to 42 percent
automotive engines from which the more efficient than
Austro and Thielert derive. the gasoline engine
Where those engines use elec- it will replace in the
tronic injectors capable of precisely Skylane and that its
metered and shaped fuel charges, the operational costs are
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 5
 what of a flyability issue, especially
on a high or too-fast approach. The
enhanced engine can be idled and it
also has better air restart capability.
(When Cirrus flew the original Dash
1, it complained about problems
with air restarts.)
Cirrus also had issues with cold
weather starts and SMA has ad-
dressed this by adding a set of auto-
matic glow plugs, one per cylinder.
The plugs are used at temperatures of
20 degrees C or lower and heat the
To solve the original SR305’s cylinder locally for 20 to 30 seconds
minor operational issues, SMA before fuel is injected. The glow plug
improved the turbocharger, cycle is automatically controlled and
above, and redesigned cooling shuts itself off.
Although SMA never fielded a
fins on the cylinders, right. It large number of the Dash 1 engines,
still uses the Bosch injection it did learn enough to redesign a
system, lower right, but fuel- number of components based on
ing has been tweaked to address that experience. For example, the
flameout worries at low power crankcase is beefier because some
settings. minor cracking was noted in harsh
operating envelopes. Mesnage said
SMA expects the crankcase to endure
more than 50 percent lower. SR305-230E or “enhanced” engine, through three overhaul cycles, some-
At 455 pounds, it also has the best the version that Cessna will use in thing that should reduce ownership
specific power of the certified diesels, the 182. Improvements to the en- costs if it proves true.
although it’s not the lightest in abso- gine are best thought of as a constel- Furthermore, the cylinders have
lute terms. That distinction belongs lation of minor changes that SMA been redesigned to improve cool-
to Thielert. The SMA SR305-230E says will have significant impact. ing. The original engine was air/oil
has a specific power of .5 HP/lb, The most important may be a cooled and so is the enhanced ver-
compared to .41 HP/lb for the Austro new, SMA-designed turbocharger sion. The oil is used to cool cylinder
AE300 and .47 HP/lb for the latest with a higher compression ratio hot spots, so there’s less need to get
version of the Thielert Centurion 2.0. than the previous model had and the baffling just right and fewer wor-
this, along with some tweaking of ries if it degrades in service. Along
Revised Design the fueling, addresses the SR305’s with improved cylinders, the new
With only about 40 engines in the previous wheeziness at high altitude. engine also has reworked pistons,
field—most in STC conversions of The Dash 1 engine’s output fell off which Mesnage said are also intend-
the Cessna 182—SMA has somewhat sharply above 12,500 feet due to ed to last through three overhaul
limited field experience with the boost issues, but with the new tur- cycles.
SR305, considering the engine has bocharger, the engine can maintain
been out there for nearly 15 years. 75 percent power up to 20,000 feet, SINGLE LEVER
Although this experience revealed Mesnage told us during an interview Where the Thielert and Austro die-
few significant structural shortcom- at AirVenture. sels rely on electronically controlled
ings with the design, the so-called Unlike the typical turbocharged common-rail fueling, the SMA has a
Dash-1 version of the SR305 was gasoline engine, the SR305 turbo lower pressure system with plunger
hardly flawless. system is “free floating,” meaning it or piston-type rack control. It does
Despite being turbocharged, it doesn’t have a traditional hydrauli- have electronic aiding in the form of
had boost limitations that hobbled cally controlled wastegate. What a linear variable displacement trans-
its performance above 12,000 feet. It keeps it from bootstrapping, we ducer—essentially a linear electric
also had cooling issues and, as is the asked? Mesnage explained that the motor—that precisely adjusts the fuel
case with all compression-ignition turbo is designed to “self adapt” rack according to the pilot’s com-
engines, at lower power and boost and that because of its high boost manded throttle position.
settings, it was susceptible to flame- requirements—up to 94 inches—the Cessna’s Charlie Wilcox told us
outs. This required a minimum engine can’t be overboosted. that this setup can be thought of as
power setting on final approach that The new turbo, induction and “sort of” throttle by wire, since it
some operators complained about. fueling solves the engine’s flameout uses data from a dual-channel elec-
At AirVenture, SMA’s Nicolas problems, too. SMA addressed this in tronic engine controller to optimize
Mesnage, the company’s chief of the Dash 1 by restricting the mini- fueling efficiency for the command-
development, reviewed in detail for mum power setting to something ed power. Because the Bosch pump
us some the changes made in the above idle. This proved to be some- remains a purely mechanical system,
6 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
manual reversion—invoked via a red
lever on the throttle quadrant—gives
more diesel: Continental and RED
the pilot direct control of the fuel Could it be that what will really ignite One stunner at AirVenture was the
rack via a traditional throttle cable. diesel sales is a 300-HP or larger en- appearance of the 500-HP V-12 Raikh-
Because of their vigorous torque gine? If that’s true, that’s where Con- lin diesel, which we saw in Europe dur-
pulses, diesels are hard on props tinental seems to be going. Two years ing the Aero exposition. The engine is
and none of the current offerings are ago, it bought from SMA the rights to a bit of a modernized offshoot of the
able to swing metal props. All have Rolls-Royce Merlin, with dual over-
use the basic SR305 as a technologi-
composite or wood-composite props,
cal seed for its own diesel program. It head camshafts, water cooling, FADEC
as does the SMA, either a Hartzell
or MT three-blade design. What the expects to certify the TD300 (200 to direct injection and a gear reduction
SMA engine doesn’t have is a gear- 250 HP) later this year and to follow box. A six-cylinder version of the
box. It’s a direct-drive design with that with the TD450, a 300- to 350- engine is planned. The V-12 is flying
fixed governing to limit it to 2200 HP version of the engine that would in a Yak 52 and Raikhlin—RED for
RPM. (It’s a single-lever system; no add a couple of cylinders. Moreover, short­—sees a market in twins, high-
manual prop control.) SMA managed Continental’s deal with SMA, as we perfomance singles and warbirds.
this by sorting out the inertial com- understand it, doesn’t constrain it Although the engine has, at .62HP/
ponents—crankshaft and connecting from advancing the engine to include lb., good power specifics, it has the
rods—and adjusting the fuel timing different turbocharging, fuel systems same problem all high output diesels
to minimize torque spikes. So, no do: high absolute weight. At 800
or induction.
prop or crankshaft damping at all?
Given that both Continental and pounds, it would be the heaviest of
“I don’t like the word damping,
because damping means losing en- Cirrus are owned by the same Chinese the diesels. Claimed best economy is
ergy,” Nicolas Mesnage told us. “We parent, AVIC International, it’s reason- an impressive .33 BSFC. RED hopes to
try to avoid any damping inside the able to conclude that we’ll see a diesel certify the engine this year for produc-
system. We arrange the inertia distri- SR22 within a couple of years, if not tion next year. For more, see www.
bution to make it smoother.” sooner. Surprisingly, Continental is red-aircraft. com.
One surprise revealed at AirVen- exploring the other end of the
ture, in addition to the airplane power spectrum, too, with a
itself, is that Lycoming will support 160- to 180-HP TD220. That’s a
the SR305 through its established little light on power for the SR20,
service channels. That will eventu- but might be suitable for new
ally include overhauls.
airframes of the Cessna 172 or
“The engine is quite similar to the
Lycoming engines for disassembly Piper PA-28 class. Or Continental
and inspection. There’s nothing real- may have retrofits in mind, since
ly different. That was a good surprise it announced at AirVenture that
for the team from Lycoming when it will pursue STC diesel conver-
they were training,” said Mesnage. sions for the 182, just as SMA
did shortly after it launched the
Performance, Installation SR305 in 1998.
We got a look at the SR305 instal-
lation in the 182 at AirVenture and
although we couldn’t compare it
directly to the 182 SMA STC conver- Wilcox—who’s lead test pilot in the that these are preliminary data; we
sion we reported on in the Janu- certification project—says the SR305 haven’t flown the airplane nor seen
ary 2010 issue, there appear to be delivers about 161 knots true on 12 the final POH claims.
similarities. to 12.5 GPH at 10,000 to 14,000 feet In its promotional material, SMA
At first glance, Cessna seems to at 90 percent power. On paper, that’s claims a brake specific fuel con-
have done a better job with the comparable to if not faster than the sumption of .365/pounds/HP/hour.
cowlings. The SR305 needs plenty avgas-fueled T182T whose POH That’s better than the .45 to .46 of
of air for cooling and for breathing claims about 136 knots on 12.1 GPH the Lycoming gasoline engine and
and Cessna provides it with gener- at 65 percent power. Presumably, if if it’s accurate, it’s comparable to the
ous scoops in the lower cowling that the SR305 were throttled back to a .36 to .38 of the Austro and Thielert
appear well integrated. If these add like power output, its fuel consump- engines. We’re somewhat skeptical of
cooling or induction drag, Cessna’s tion would be 9 or 10 GPH, but we the SMA claims because Austro and
Charlie Wilcox told us it doesn’t ap- don’t yet have reliable numbers on Thielert get their numbers with more
pear to ding performance. this. We’ll see when we fly it. sophisticated, FADEC-controlled
On seven less horsepower than the At its maximum altitude, the fueling.
Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A it replaces, SR305 can still deliver 75 percent But even if the fuel specifics are
the SMA engine delivers essentially power for 154 to 155 knots on 9 that low, the SR305 does offer weight
identical performance, according to GPH compared to 147 knots on 12.1
Cessna’s initial test data. Specifically, GPH for the gasoline engine. Note continued on page 32

September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 7

 a v i o n i c s f l i gh t t r i a l so as to be not mistaken for anything
even suggesting a permanent mount.

Dynon D1 Pocket EFIS:

That should avoid any eruptions from
the odd rogue FSDO inspector.

Affordable Backup
EFIS With Limits
To keep things simple and avoid any
entanglements—legal, electrical and
pneumatic—the D1 is a trick combina-
tion of real EFIS and the sort of GPS-
Stick it in an empty instrument hole or on a suction aided flight display Garmin has been
including in its portable GPS products
mount and off you go. Internal battery and built-in for more than a decade.
GPS are plusses. For pitch and roll sensing, the D1
has a MEMS solid-state gyro system
just like full-scale EFISs. Lacking any
by Paul Bertorelli airdata input, however, its airspeed,

W
altitude, vertical rate and heading
hen Dynon surged into the D1 Pocket Panel appeared just ahead indicator are GPS derived. So alti-
lead for uncertified EFIS of AirVenture. If this gadget works tude is really GPS altitude, speed is
systems with the D100, D180 as well for others as it did for us, we groundspeed and heading is GPS
and later the Skyview, we knew it was have little doubt it will become a good groundtrack. None of this is a deal
only a question of time before they choice for owners seeking backups breaker, in our view, because all you
stuffed that technology into a por- for their creaky vacuum instruments. really want a backup gyro to do is to
table. So it was no surprise that the Dynon has cleverly packaged the D1 help you keep the wings level and the
pitch manageable. The D1 does this
easily; the additional data is gravy.
The hardware consists of a 3.5 by
3.2 bezel box that’s just shy of an inch
deep. The screen consumes most of
that real estate, so it’s about as large as
the certified glass gyros you see in jets
and turboprops. It has female sockets
for external GPS, power—including
charging via USB—and an SD data
card for software revisions.
For mounting, Dynon provides a
cradle that mates to a RAM suction
cup mount and there’s also a device
called a “pinch” mount that allows
the D1 to snap into an empty instru-
ment hole while remaining an easily
removable portable. It stands proud of
the panel so you can attach the ship’s
power or GPS antenna, if needed. (We
didn’t need it.)

Flight Trial
In what might be the world’s first
glass-panel, no-electrical system J-3
Cub, we stuck the suction cup on the
window and went flying. The first
challenge—and it’s hardly worthy of
the word—is to get the D1 calibrated
so it knows it’s not on the ground in
level pitch. The device has a small
Dynon’s D1 has a genuine MEMS solid-state gyro system for pitch and rocker switch on the side of the bezel
roll indications. Since it has no air data access, speed and altitude are to nudge the horizon line in the right
GPS derived through a built-in receiver. Similarly, the heading indi- direction, which you have to do more
cator is also GPS ground track, not magnetic heading. The D1 has a or less by eyeball.
remote antenna, but doesn’t seem to need it. Dynon says the D1’s software can
accommodate up to 30 degrees of
pitch error, but only 6 degrees of roll
8 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
error. Its side-to-side axis has to be as In a taildragger like
close to perpendicular to the longitu- the J-3, the D1’s
dinal axis of the aircraft as possible horizon line, right,
in order for the slip/skid indicator to
work correctly and to get reasonably
has to be adjusted to
accurate turn-rate indications. account for the tail-
We were fast and loose with the low ramp position.
installation and found the D1 cali- That’s done with the
brated itself with no fuss. We switched small rocker switch
it off and re-initialized in flight with on the right side
similar success. Because of its sluggish
speed and lack of a precision altim- of the bezel, lower
eter, finessing the pitch in a Cub with photo. Roll errors
the D1 is measuring with a laser and can also be cancelled
cutting with an axe. But it’s more than with the same con-
adequate to keep the airplane upright. trol. The D1’s internal battery has
Screen brightness is good enough
for a sun-splashed cockpit, although a four-hour endurance, but it also
not quite up to big EFIS standards. has a ship’s power option.
Plugging the D1 into external power
doesn’t seem to help the brightness
much. For night flight, the display on, but we’re taking the company’s
can be dimmed in steps with the side word that this feature works correctly
rocker switch. in properly functioning units.
Dynon says the D1’s rate limit is
150 degrees per second in any axis. Conclusion
We weren’t about to exceed this in The dysfunctional menu key not-
flight, but in handling the device for withstanding, the D1 performed
mounting or inspection, we noted as claimed. It clearly knows which
that a “horizon recovering” rate-limit way is up and displays and reacts
warning appeared along the lower to aircraft movements just as a
edge of the screen. Righting the D1 full-blown EFIS does. The display
back toward level pitch and roll clears is bright and easy to read, although
this message. the airspeed and altitude typogra-
The D1 has a slip/skid ball that phy is on the small side. You’ll need
more or less conformed to what the to mount the D1 in direct view to
Cub’s ball was indicating, which isn’t allow for that.
saying much since it often sticks in the At $1425, the D1 is a good
glass tube. The D1’s heading indicator value, but it also has intense—and
rotates in arc format and a magenta increasing­—competition from tablet-
turn rate arc projects in the direction based products. Its principle advan-
of the turn. tage is that it’s small, self-contained
Obviously, measuring turn also and always on duty, so finding a
involves yaw rate calculations so when practical spot for it on the panel will
the airplane wallows in the bumps, be easier than for a tablet computer.
the D1 will show turn rate. It’s also a For more, contact Dynon at www.
little oversensitive when rolling into dynon.com.
a turn, but we think the rate indicator
is just an unnecessary
whistle for a backup TV d1 video
device anyway. The D1 has two
Our only complaint mounting op-
about the D1 is its tions, the
menu key. It simply
didn’t work. The menu suction-cup
key is supposed to al- mount, below,
low you to change units and the pinch mount, top,
from knots to MPH or which allows non-perma-
KPH, for example, and nent mounting in a blank
to set power-off and
instrument hole. External
other preferences. We
didn’t have time to get GPS antenna and ship’s
another unit from Dyn- http://snipurl.com/24kkhlx power are included.
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 9
 F i e l d R e p o r t The good news is that most own-
ers had a positive experience. Shops

Interior Shop Survey:

generally hit their cost estimates
close or right on (77 percent) and
finished on time (60 percent). A full

A Big Drop in Activity

63 percent of owners would recom-
mend the shop they used to a friend.
On the other end of the spec-
trum, seven percent of the jobs went
20 percent over budget or more, 12
The biggest surprise in our latest survey wasn’t which percent were three weeks later or
worse and eight percent would “no
shops soared or soured, but how much less work is way” recommend the shop.
happening at all. DIY interiors are also on the rise. How Much Will It Cost?
More good news is that prices haven’t
by Jeff Van West moved—or have even dropped—

D
over the past four years.
iscretionary spending is 37-percent drop, which is much more Prices for interior jobs can’t be eas-
one of the first casualties of significant than we’ve seen on other ily averaged out because some folks
tougher times, so we expected surveys past to present. are just recovering a pair of seats
a drop in responses to our latest We also noticed a sharp rise in while others are stripping the inte-
survey on interior shops. When you the number of do-it-yourself jobs. In rior bare, installing sound deadening
need a new engine, you pony up. But 2008, six percent of the respondents and building it back up with fine
the airplane still flies with thread- bought kits from Airtex or reported leather and custom-dyed trim. The
bare seats and cracked vinyl. You can some other DIY interior. This time, majority of owners were doing some
tough it out. 10 percent had bought Airtex inte- combination of a full redo on all
But this mineshaft canary survey riors, and that number climbs to 16 seats and carpet, plus interior trim as
surprised us. In 2008, we got 209 percent if you lump together those needed. The average price for a single
responses—not an overwhelming using Airtex kits with several folks was $11,490, but a few high-end
number, but enough to see some who removed parts, brought them jobs skew that number. The median
trends and make some solid recom- to a local auto upholstery shop and paid—the number that approximates
mendations. This time we got 132 then reinstalled them. (Yes, you can the most common response—was
responses. do this. See the sidebar on page 13 $8500, which is $500 less than our
That’s a for some more insights.) 2008 data.
Digging deeper, the data fell into
Interior projects have lots of moving parts—literally. some general groups. The king of the
Find a shop that has experience with your model, if budget jobs was a Cessna 150 owner
possible, so they already know the trouble spots. who had a local upholsterer do his
seats, as well as supply the materials
for the carpet and headliner. Total
not including owner labor: $700.
Two professional jobs at Renew
Aviation sounded like good buys to
us. A Cessna Cutlass saw “complete
removal of the existing interior; seat
frames stripped, primed and painted;
seat hardware replaced as necessary;
seats rebuilt with different density,
temperature-sensitive foam with
deeper contours; custom headrests
built and installed; new sidewalls,
kickpanels, door panels and carpet;
and the original Cessna Royalite
refurbished or replaced as necessary.”
The final bill was the promised
$4000. A similar $7500 job on a 210
from Renew was delivered under-
budget and early.
There was a fat middle of $10,000-
$15,000 jobs on singles where full
interiors were combined with sound
deadening and some new windows.
10 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
Sound deadening is a tricky item.
It provides terrific benefits on some Customers’ favorite shops
craft and little gain on others. It With lower response numbers, we can’t apply our previous minimum of five re-
always adds weight—more than nec- ports to recommend a top shop (except for Airmod, who always makes the cut).
essary if not done right. This is one
These shops got top marks and “absolutely” status on a recommendation, but
place to talk to several shops and, if
possible, owners of like types who’ve many were from only a single report.
had similar work done.
There were several jobs where SHOP Location Contact
serious customization skyrocketed
413-568-7300
the price. A Cessna 182RG done at Aero Design Concepts Westfield, MA
www.aerodesignconcepts.com
the well-known shop Airmod saw
“restoration inclusive of corrosion 210-340-0177
Aerocomfort San Antonio, Tx
www.aerocomfort.com
proofing, sound insulation, full
interior renovation including seat-
Canal 614-834-8659
back build up (eliminating the need aerosport products Winchester,OH www.aerosportproducts.com
for adjustable headrests), customized
seating foam, seat-frame restoration,
Aerowest interiors houston, TX 281-398-3821
glareshield, all interior plastics, panel
overlays, carpeting, overhead, cus-
tom heat outlets, custom seat belts 800-752-4297
aviation design Groveland, CA
www.aviationdesign.com
and more.” The invoice weighed in at
$22,000. 513-732-6688
Was it worth it? According to the Airmod Batavia, OH
www.airmod.com
owner: “Every hour of time you
spend sitting in a seat that is sculpted 805-925-5934
Artcraft Santa Maria, CA
www.artcraftpaint.com
to your personal needs is a payback
for your foresight.” Not everything
through Airmod was pricey. They did Bellardi Interiors Watsonville, CA 831-724-0619
a full interior on a Cessna 182 with-
out fancy customization for a quite Crott’s 800-475-3553
Dodge City, KS
reasonable $6000. Aircraft Service www.crottsaircraft.com
Twins usually cost more just by
Giotto’s
the size of the cabin. Our survey Aircraft Interiors
San Jose, CA 408-286-4500
showed an average and a median
of $22,500, with machines ranging
Highlands Aviation Avon Park, FL 863-452-2600
from a Twin Comanche to a Citation.

Shop Choices Interiors Unlimited Oklahoma city, OK

405-787-1132
www.interiorsunlimitedinc.com
If you’re not doing the work yourself,
you have a quite a range of choices 512-863-3500
when it comes to who does the work. Leather Specialties Georgetown, TX
www.leatherspecialties.net
At least two of the Airtex interiors
reported in our survey ended up be- O&N Aircraft 570-945-3769
Factoryville, PA
ing installed by a local A&P. One was Modifications www.onaircraft.com
planned to happen that way and one
was a decision made after seeing the Ohio Aircraft interiors Zanesville, OH 740-452-1636
reality of the Airtex kit.
Some shops will do the work 800-888-6910
Oregon Aero Scapoose, OR
www.oregonaero.com
remotely. One Mooney 231 owner
shipped her seats and panels off to 207-539-4779
AeroComfort in Texas. “They com- Oxford Aviation oxford, ME
www.oxfordaviation.com
pleted the job, despite the December
rush, ahead of schedule. When I Renew Aircraft CLeveland, OK 918-358-0041
returned to collect my new interior
and the signed-off airplane wrapped
around it, I was overwhelmed. The Ron Kozura Upholstery Pottsville, PA 570-544-6723
workmanship and sheer artistry
far exceeded my expectations. So 512-392-8553
Tejas Aero Services San Marcos, TX
elegant! So comfortable, and some- www.tejasaero.com
how so perfectly fitted to my shape
that I dispensed with my two-inch, 800-835-0083
Yingling aviation Wichita, KS
www.yinglingaviation.com
see-over-the-nose seat cushion.”
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 11
 Many owners reinforced the fact holstery. “He is small in volume, pose a fire risk. Some issues are
investing extra time up front to and probably does more trucks than typical for certain types. Broken drift
clarify exactly what you want before airplanes. I know that seems odd, pins on seat tracks and track wear are
any cloth is cut is time well spent. but he knows his stuff, being a pilot common on Cessnas. This is where a
This 210 owner’s thoughts were typi- himself.” shop that’s done many examples of
cal: “I had met with other shops and Be prepared for expenses beyond your specific make and model can be
received samples, so I knew what I the interior work when you pull ev- a real boon.
was looking for. Providing pictures erything out. It’s almost an impera- It’s also tempting to do paint or
or drawings will also help the shop tive to have someone check the bare major avionics work along with the
understand what you want and keep interior for needed repairs when it’s interior. Hey, the aircraft is going to
the costs down.” all exposed. This could be the first be down for several weeks, why not
Good advice doesn’t have to be time it’s seen daylight since being make the most if it?
from a big shop, but airplane knowl- sealed up on the factory line 30 This is generally a bad idea, espe-
edge helps. This Cherokee Six owner years ago. Corrosion issues are com- cially if you’re dealing with a smaller
had his work done by Kozura Up- mon, as are frayed wires that could shop or multiple shops. If one part of
the project gets delayed—additional
rewiring for avionics is needed or
Here’s a reason for a new interior that might be on the rise: Li-ion battery
a part doesn’t arrive—the carefully
fire. Randy Bliss says the completely redone cabin came back without a coordinated schedule is toast. If
trace of burnt-vinyl smell, and his only complaint was a couple of radios your interior-free airplane can’t be
weren’t internally cleaned as much as they needed. Total bill: $42,000. tugged over to the paint shop on the
appointed day, they may push your
project to the back of the line. That’s
when the deal starts to go south.

That Ain’t Right

Surveys always turn up some horror
stories. Said one Bonanza owner of a
job: “His installer caused over $5500
in damage to my aircraft, some ir-
reparable and some safety of flight.”
A Debonair owner had a nasty
surprise on preflight: “The aircraft
was delivered to me with elevator
travel blocked from neutral to full
nose up. Had I attempted take off,
the aircraft would not have rotated.
I still get chills thinking about it. In
rectifying the elevator problem, the
nose gear up/down flag adjustment
was disturbed resulting in gear-up
flag out of adjustment.”
These issues probably distracted
the owner from discovering that
the screws for the pilot-side headset
jacks were improperly placed and
pulling out. To the shop’s credit, the
shop owner traveled to the Debonair
owner’s home base to fix the prob-
lem at no charge.
We received a well-documented
case of a Cessna 210 that went in
to Evolution Aerostyling in April of
2010 and finally emerged in August
of that year—four months past due.
The shop appeared to go dark
three weeks before delivery, not
responding to email or phone calls.
When the owner finally got into the
shop, he found it a mess and his
airplane in pieces. He considered
getting the local authorities involved
so he could tow away his dismantled
12 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
A thorough inspection at delivery is
critical. This poorly installed head-
set jack wasn’t noticed until after
the 1200-mile trip home.

airplane and materials he paid for

and cut his losses.
In the end, the job was completed
and Evolution paid a $4000 penalty
assessed off the $20,000 bill as com-
pensation for the delay. There had
been a clause specifying penalties for
late delivery in the original contract
at the owner’s demand.
We talked with Evolution’s owner We don’t think one bad customer don’t think about them that much,
Eric Hockman about what hap- experience should condemn any even though they may have as big
pened. He explained that they had shop. This survey, like previous ones, an impact on your flying experience
just started specializing in 210s and turned up a couple of negative expe- as any other aspect of your aircraft.
offering their own headliners with riences amidst a field of positive ones We wonder if there will be some
LED lighting and custom ventilation. for even the best shops, such as Air- unwanted consequences of a drop in
“We were just overwhelmed by what mod. The takeaway is that problems refurbishment projects.
it was taking to put the interiors in,” can happen anywhere, and com- It seems one of the owners in our
he said. “It was not a shining mo- munication is the key to keeping the survey thinks likewise: “If your back-
ment for the shop.” shop-owner relationship on the rails. side aches after three hours in the
Hockman says he’s cut the num- Visiting the shop before you hand saddle, you’ll find yourself not want-
ber of aircraft he does each year and over a deposit is highly recommend- ing to take that cross-country flight,
changed procedures so this won’t ed. A late penalty in the contract isn’t thereby denying yourself and your
recur. “I’d much rather do less work such a bad idea either, though. family of one of the most special
and good work and get it done on aspects of ownership. Get the best
time. I do a lot of custom work that Old Seats = Less Use? interior installed by a top shop, and
most shops don’t want to do.” Interiors are a funny thing. You then use it often.”

DIY: A popular option but with its own issues

We talked with Dodd Stretch, President of Airtex, to get on the plane being down a while. Mine took approximately
a feel for how he’s seen his business change over the 120 hours to complete. There were other parts that needed
past several years. He said that business hit a low point in replacement along the way.” Another owner put it more
2008, but has been on the climb since then. He’s looking simply: “Be prepared to sweat. It is a lot of hard work.”
to bring the staff up from 20 to 23 just to handle current Stretch and owners both agreed that taking a lot of
orders. “This year is probably 12 percent over last year. pictures during the teardown is a good idea, so you know
Oshkosh was 30 percent over my goals.” where every screw, nut and bolt goes. Stretch also stressed
We reported on Airtex in our August 2009 issue, but getting an A&P to inspect the bare interior before you put
just to sum up: They’ve been in the business for 64 years the new stuff in.
and, according to Stretch, “If something was made on a Some of the owners who worked with a local upholstery
production line, we probably have a pattern.” Stretch says shop beat the Airtex kit prices, but Stretch noted two cau-
their biggest complaint was that their look hadn’t been tion areas here that he sees come back to haunt owners.
updated to match modern styling. One is that every material—cloth, foam, slings, carpet—
In response, Airtex has introduced new styles and new must have burn-test documentation, either directly in the
materials they think are competitive with what you see aircraft logs or by reference to where the documentation
from custom shops. Kits for four-seat singles usually run exists. The other is that design changes such as cushier
$3000-$4000 for seats, carpets, headliner and panels. seats must not interfere with things like doors closing or
Airtex also offers complete refurbishment at their New flap handles being accessible.
Jersey shop. Stretch says that shop is booked six months As for how hard the kits are to install, Stretch points out
out. Custom work can be ordered with kits as well, with that there are no instructions sent with them, yet they only
any increase in cost proportional to how complex the get tech support calls on about five percent of sales. “I wish
customization. it was higher,” says Stretch. “There are a lot of tricks to mak-
Some of our survey respondents gave us their take on ing it look right, and the better it looks for the owner, the
installing Airtex kits. A Cherokee 180 owner said, “Plan better it reflects on our product.”

September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 13

 P o r t a b l e av i o n i c s ADS-B weather is well integrated
into the Garmin Pilot iPad app.

Garmin’s ADS-B WX:

The app downloads weather via the
internet before your flight and, when
paired with the GDL 39, ADS-B

One Box Amidst Many

weather replaces the downloaded
stuff as it comes in. You’ll find
METARs, TAFs and NOTAMs in the
same place as the internet-derived
stuff, with a timestamp and a source
Garmin’s GDL 39 receiver for ADS-B weather and so you know what came from where.
The aera works similarly, except the
traffic works well. However, it’s not the smallest or free ADS-B stuff replaces what you’d
cheapest, nor does it play with the most popular apps. get via XM.
We should point out that what
a GDL 39 will do varies with the
by Jeff Van West application. The iPad app will do

O
full weather and traffic with trend
ne of the things about Gar- than any of the systems we’ve tried. vectors. The aeras, G3X and GPSMAP
min that continues to impress As you’d imagine from a Garmin 696 will do weather and traffic. The
us is how its maintained its product, the GPS is built in. GPSMAP 496/396 will do traffic, but
entrepreneurial edge despite being Reception was flawless on our test you’ll still need to get your weather
the colossus occupying most of the trip from Portland, Maine, to Osh- via XM. Only the 796 and iPad can
avionics space these days. kosh, Wisconsin, paired to both a get away without a cable connection.
The iPad challenged Garmin in Garmin 796 aera and an iPad. While We’ve pointed out before that
the portable world, however, and it we didn’t test it, the GDL 39 can pair ADS-B weather has limitations
was slow to respond. Respond it has, with two devices via Bluetooth and compared to XM. The biggest is that
with a strong iPad app of its own one via a cable all at once. The aera you usually can’t receive it until
and now a portable ADS-B receiver currently requires the cable, but the you’re airborne and for mountain-
for both traffic and weather. How- 796 has Bluetooth built in and will ous regions, that might require some
ever, the GDL 39 receiver has hard connect wirelessly in the future. serious altitude. There are fewer
competition in this arena and, from The GDL 39 is also big. The unit is weather products, although all the
where we sit, it appears the competi- about the size of a sardine can, and critical ones are there. Garmin’s Pilot
tion’s entrepreneurial edge is sharper the optional battery almost doubles app has an additional limitation
than Garmin’s. that size. This is noticeably larger compared to ForeFlight, WingX and
than the popular Stratus and could several other apps: It can’t simultane-
Big Box Solution be a shipping box for a pair of Sage- ously display NEXRAD and other
The GDL 39 is robust in more ways tech or Dual ADS-B receivers. The weather data such as METARs. You
than one. It’s a solid performer, start- GDL 39 is $799, but that’s without must choose one or the other.
ing up fast and picking up ADS-B the battery. You’ll need to pay an
ground stations as soon or sooner extra $100 for that feature. ADS-B Traffic?
The prospect of free traffic data
sounds terrific, but the reality will be
a gross disappoint for most people
today. ADS-B weather is simple: It’s
broadcast by the FAA from ground
stations on a frequency of 978 MHz
with complete data for airports
and weather several hundred miles
around the sending station. There’s
also a low-res NEXRAD image for
the whole country.
Traffic is different. First off, there
are two frequencies, 978 MHz and
1090 MHz. The GDL 39 listens on

Garmin’s GDL 39 is big—especial-

ly with the battery. It only connects
to the Garmin Pilot on the iPad,
but can bring ADS-B weather and
traffic to Garmin GPS portables.
14 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
The “big things in small packages”
award goes to Sagetech’s Clarity.
It’s the smallest, but offers optional
dual-band traffic and a backup
AHRS in addition to weather.

both. Aircraft with an ADS-B-Out

transponder broadcast on one of
these frequencies. So if there’s one of
these nearby your position, the GDL
39 will see it and paint the target on
your screen. In fact, it will paint it
complete with an N-number, relative
altitude and trend vector.
FAA ground stations also listen for
these ADS-B aircraft. If they detect
one, they build a custom informa-
tion packet with data on all traffic
in the airspace immediately around sponder—you see seemingly random station will send you a traffic data
that aircraft. This includes both blobs of traffic, sometimes hundreds blob centered on your aircraft. So
ADS-B-equipped traffic and aircraft of miles away, but won’t see non- this could be a good way to display
with regular transponders. That data ADS-B-equipped traffic even if it’s at traffic once you have your own ADS-
is broadcast directionally to the ADS- your 12 o’clock and two miles. (Un- B-Out transponder.
B-Out aircraft it’s intended for. Your less you, you know, look outside.) Just for the record: A GDL 39 does
GDL 39 will hear these broadcasts (if We think this kind of solution not count as ADS-B compliance.
it’s in range) and paint a blob of traf- is next to useless—possibly worse
fic on the map centered on that other than useless as it could foster false When ADS-B Isn’t Enough
ADS-B aircraft. security. If you have an ADS-B out Garmin’s GDL 39 became public
The result is that—if you don’t transponder, it’s a completely differ- around Oshkosh with the accompa-
have your own ADS-B-Out tran- ent story because the FAA ground nying power of Garmin’s media en-
Sagetech Sagetech
Garmin Navworx Sporty’s Dual
Clarity Clarity SkyRadar L SkyRadar D
GDL 39 PADS WXBox Stratus XGPS170
Core Dual SV
Size 2.5 x 2.5 x 1.1 2.5 x 2.5 x 1.1 6 x 3.5 x 1.9 4.3 x 4.3 x 1.3 6.3 x 3 x 1 6.3 x 3 x 1 5.8 x 4.3 x 1 4.3 x 2.6 x 0.8
978 MHz
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weather
978 MHz
Yes Yes Yes - Yes Yes - Yes
Traffic
1090 MHz
- Yes Yes - - Yes - -
Traffic
Wireless
WiFi WiFi Bluetooth - WiFi WiFi WiFi Bluetooth
System1
Internal
Yes Yes Optional 2 Optional - - Yes Yes
Battery
Internal
Yes Yes Yes - Yes - Yes Yes
GPS
AHRS Yes Yes - - - - - -
WingX,
WingX, i1000, WingX, i1000, Global
Garmin WingX, WingX,
iPad Global Nav Global Nav - ForeFlight Nav Source,
Pilot SkyRadar SkyRadar
Source Source i1000, Read-
er Plates
xtreme
Mountain Mountain
aera, Some Vison, iFly iFly, iFly,
Other scope, scope,
GPSMAPs, GPS, Essen- Mountain Mountain - -
Hardware Xtreme Xtreme
G3X tial Flight Scope Scope
Vision Vision
TabletPC

Price $699 $1,117 $799 $849 $599 $849 $799 $799

1: All systems can make at least two simultaneous wireless connections. 2: With battery 6.4 x 3.8 x 2.8

September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 15

 Garmin is honest that without
an ADS-B-Out transponder, the
ADS-B traffic picture around
your aircraft may be incomplete.
ADS-B weather is also more lim-
gine. At the same show, a company at all, and we have yet to see how ited than satellite weather.
that had long specialized in avionics well it receives in flight. It’s worth
for drone aircraft appeared with four noting that internal antennas are It’s worth noting that Pilot plays on
tiny ADS-B receivers that do every- both a blessing and a curse. These both iOS and Android and the GDL
thing the GDL 39 does and more. devices can get quite hot sitting on will connect with Android devices.
Sagetech’s Clarity series stand the glareshield and can shut down if The most popular cockpit app
shoulder high to a stack of crackers they overheat—kudos to Sagetech for is ForeFlight, but right now it only
and come with weather, single- or making their box a reflective white supports Stratus—not surprising as
dual-frequency traffic and an AHRS rather than the omnipresent black. ForeFlight is part of the group that
(digital gyros). The ARHS combined Stowing your receiver under a seat developed and produces Stratus. Stra-
with the internal GPS lets the Clarity with a remote antenna system for tus does not do traffic, but until you
offer a synthetic vision to serve as ADS-B and GPS reception can be a have an ADS-B-Out transponder,
emergency flight instrumentation plus. we don’t see this as a real liability.
or just great situational awareness Sagetech isn’t the only newcomer Several of these devices work with
in the clouds. We have yet to fly the to a crowded field. Dual has its WingX, so if WingX is your tool of
Clarity with synthetic vision, but compact XGPS170 coming out this choice, you have options.
the response and display was super- month. FreeFlight systems also has a There’s no question these devices
smooth when we toyed with it at remote box that gets installed in the will be part of our cockpits for the
Oshkosh. aircraft as part of a permanent ADS- foreseeable future, and have no
Sagetech also touts its B solution that outputs reservations about the GDL 39 if you
“data burst” feature that TV GDL 39 ADS-B to the iPad for a display want weather for your Garmin prod-
will continue to down- on the cheap. We can’t ucts and have a place to put it.
load and buffer data even see how the market
if the iPad sleeps, stream- can sustain even this
ing it all at once when many options, and ContactS
the iPad wakes so there’s we expect this isn’t
no wait to get fresh data. even the end of it. Dual Sagetech
We have yet to try this 866-382-5476 509-493-0171
ourselves. How To Pick? www.dualav.com www.sagetechcorp.com
The price is right as If you’re trying to
well. The closest equiva- pick, the decision Garmin SkyRadar
lent to the Garmin GDL may rest on software www.garmin.com 888-759-2372
39 would be the Clarity you want to use for 800-800-1020 www.skyradar.net
http://snipurl.com/24l0qz3
Dual (both traffic fre- display. Garmin’s
quencies) without the GDL 39 only works NavWorx Sporty’s
AHRS, which is $877, but the battery with Garmin portables, the 888-628-9679 800-766-7897
is standard. G3X panel for experimental www.navworx.com www.sportys.com
Clarity has no visible antennas aircraft and Garmin’s pilot app.
16 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
 a i r c r af t a c c e s s o r i e s c h e c k li s t

Cabin Sunshields:
Shields are an inexpen-
sive tool to protect the
cabin from sun damage.

Kennon is a Top Pick Stowage can be a

space-eating hassle,
taking up baggage space.
Shades from Kennon keep the sun out with an accurate Cabin covers offer better
fit. Sun-Foil brings durability and good looks. overall protection, but
with more weight and
by Larry Anglisano bulk.

P
rotecting your cabin and pricey exposure is damaging to the human
electronics from damaging skin, it also does a number on
ultraviolet rays should be a aircraft cabin accessories.
priority. If your aircraft lives outside, That includes panel and
chances are you’ve invested in a portable avionics,
cabin cover, but you might not use it interior plastics
for short parking stays on transient and fabric. Sun
ramps. Cabin window sunscreens exposure dries
can be a good alternative. They’ll out the adhesive
reduce cabin heat while keeping that’s used to
the sun from frying avionics, cabin secure interior
accessories and interior components components. It
while also deterring theft. also dries out
We judge sunscreens on three pri- door seals,
mary traits: Fit, durability and ease window
of storage. When they fit properly, gaskets and
they keep the sun out and reduce cracks the
cabin heat. Good durability means surface of the
they’ll continue to fit properly and glareshield.
stay in one piece after repeated If you leave
manhandling and sloppy stowage.
And, they need to be stowable with
ease. All the brands we tested in this
article were effective at lowering
cabin temperatures while doing an
adequate job of keeping damaging
sun out of the cabin. But we strongly
favored a couple of brands for bring-
ing exceptional fit and build quality

DAMAGE DONE
We once learned about cabin sun
damage when we parked an airplane
on a South Carolina ramp for a week
in August. Not only did the blazing
southern sun melt the earseals on
our headsets, it also finished off the
gasket that retains the messy fluid
inside the wet compass. Just as sun

Insulating sunshields like these

Sun-Foils are designed to deflect
damaging rays while reducing
cabin temperature.
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 17
 working with large shields. Speaking
HOW HOT? of crammed, storing these things in
a tight baggage compartment can be
easier said than done. They need to
be flexible enough to fold without
damaging them. All samples arrived
inside drawstring storage bags.
Our testing considered the shields
flexibility—the ability to bend, fold,
scrunch and maneuver inside tight
cabins —and especially the ease of
getting them back into the storage
bag. From a design standpoint, you
wouldn’t want a shield to scratch
your acrylic glass, so it has to be soft
yet durable. We tested this carefully
against the surface of the acrylic
glass.

Kennon Covers
Cabin cover maker Kennon has brag-
Part of our testing included the ging rights for developing and sup-
temperature analysis of partial plying cabin shields to military air-
shielding, full shielding and no craft around the world. The shields
shields at all. Without shields, a are designed with a clear, polyester
90-degree sun-soaked ramp cre- coating with a soft Sunbrella edge
ated cabin temperatures of 150 that helps prevent window scratch-
degrees on average. ing.
A full set of shields lowered read- Kennon says their shields reflect
ings to around 120 degrees. But in 93 percent of the infrared rays back
through the windows before they
covering just the windscreen, we
are absorbed and produce heat. The
measured readings as high as 135 aluminum surface of the shields acts
degrees. as a good reflector. You can easily see
We concluded that most of the the sun bouncing off the surface.
heat is created by an uncovered The Kennon product offered
windscreen, leaving the surface of ment because climbing around the the most accurate fit of any in the
the glareshield and avionics the cabin to install them in all the windows sample group. There was no need for
most vulnerable to damage. So if is a hassle, we think covering at least suction cups or other means of fas-
you find your shields living most of the windscreen will still do an adequate tening in the Piper and in a Cessna
their life in the baggage compart- job of lowering cabin temperature. 206 we tested. That’s likely because
these shields are computer cut. We
were able to easily and quickly slap
them in place on all the windows
portable electronics in the aircraft as First, we measured unshielded cabin in the Piper and noted a near exact
most of us do they’ll take a beat- temperatures over a three-day period fit—something none of the other
ing. The good news is that modern that happened to occur during an shields offered.
aircraft glass is made of cell-cast, official heat wave with near 100-de- Our experience seems to be com-
acrylic plastic that does well in ab- gree temperatures. We saw cabin mon. We heard favorable comments
sorbing some UV. However, interior temperatures in the 145- to 155-de- from nearly every Kennon shade
shops have told us that UV will fade gree range. Installing every shield we user we queried. The corporate pilot
upholstery and degrade the fabric. tested reduced the temperature by at of a Piper Cheyenne told us the air-
Many TSO’d radios are designed least 25 degrees. craft’s Kennon shades are a valuable
to operate at around 160 degrees Testing in the Piper and other part of his ramp operations—and
Fahrenheit—a temperature that aircraft models including a Cirrus a far better alternative to draping
might be exceeded in a sun-scorched and Cessna revealed that a good fit VFR sectional charts across the
cabin. This can compromise long- and easy installation will be difficult glareshield to keep the sun out.
term reliability because displays, to achieve no matter the design of Further, he told us they do a good
integrated circuits and other small the shield. That’s because in most job of keeping the cabin heat at a
components are at risk. aircraft you’ll battle awkwardly minimum so that the air condition-
Our test aircraft was a Piper Ar- hung wet compasses, visors, bulky ing is more efficient once picky pas-
row that’s parked outside and in di- glareshields, vent windows and a sengers climb aboard. They’ve also
rect shot of baking mid-summer sun. crammed cabin that doesn’t favor done a decent job of protecting the
18 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
Cheyenne’s posh interior. A full set
of shields for our Arrow cost $195.

Sun-Foil
Sun-Foil’s Aircraft Sunscreens are
made from hand-rolled gold or
silver-colored Mylar laminate, which
the company says provides addi-
tional glass protection, rigidity and
durability. We found the claim to be
true. They’re also designed to reflect
97 percent of radiant heat. These
shields were the thickest and most
rugged in the group.
Further, they were the only ones
that use a combination of suction
cups and friction fit design to help
keep them in place. In fact, when
we tried to remove the shields in a
hurry, we found the suction cups
to be almost too aggressive. Where
other shields wiggled and dropped
slightly out of place, the Sun-Foils
kept a solid grip. The shields were
easy to roll together for storage and Packable shades are light
secure with a long Velcro strap.
We found them easy to drop into enough but create sizeable
the storage bag that comes with a bulk in the baggage and
customized aircraft identification cabin area.
tag—a nice touch. Another nice
touch was the gold coloring on the
outer surface of the shields. Several full set of shields for most
ramp-dwellers commented on the singles and light twins cost
shields’ good looks and we concur. between $225 and $350 for
Sun-Foil uses a double-stitched edg- jets and turboprops.
ing to aid in scratch protection and
the company offers a lifetime guar- Grow Your Own
antee on the shields workmanship. For would-be do-it-your-
If you lose any suction cups, they’ll selfers, Sporty’s sells sheets
replace them as needed. You’ll find of insulating material
Sun-Foil as OEM-supplied acces- sandwiched between thin
sories in some Cessna, Bombardier, sheets of aluminum. The
Gulfstream and Pilatus models. A material sells for $15.95 per
yard plus Velcro mounting
coins for attachment. However,
ContactS this material can be damaging
to acrylic windshields.
Kennon Aircraft Covers Sporty’s­—through Bruce’s Custom 2006. We were impressed with the
www.kennoncovers.com Covers—offers custom made heat Cunninghams when we tested them
307-674-6498 shields with attaching suction cups. in our Mooney in a previous review.
Bruce’s has a favorable track record But not so much with the samples
Sun-Foil Aircraft Sunscreens with high-quality custom cabin received this time for our Piper.
www.sunfoil.com covers. The heat shields are made from While made to obvious high stan-
602-569-9334 metallized polyester film and closed dards, the shields just didn’t fit prop-
cell foam. We couldn’t get a custom set erly. The windshield pieces were too
Aviation Covers, Inc. in time for this review, but a full set big and some of the window shades
www.aviationcovers.com will cost around $200. If you’ve used had a sloppy, oversized fit. It’s likely
360-434-0342 these shields, we’d like your feedback. that our samples were made for a
different application even though we
Sporty’s Pilot Shop Aviation Covers specified our test aircraft by year and
www.sportys.com Aviation Covers purchased serial number. To be fair, we placed
the manufacturing rights to our order just days before AirVen-
800-776-7897 Cunningham Aircraft Covers in ture Oshkosh when most companies
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 19
are scrambling. Fitment troubles aVIONICS M A RKET A N A LYSIS
aside, we found that the shields were

Avidyne Plug and Play:

constructed well. They are made of a
foil-covered, bubble insulation mate-
rial with an outer coating of clear
polyester that’s intended to prevent
scratching.
The edges of the shield are con-
structed with acrylic plastic. We
Upgrades Made Easy
liked the identification labels on
the underside so you can tell which Avidyne’s slide-and-fly radio stack answers the call for
window they fit. The shields come
with a drawstring bag that fought us cost-effective upgrades. When will Bendix/King join
when we tried to drop the shields this market trend?
inside. We just couldn’t seem to roll
them tightly enough to easily fit the
bag. by Larry Anglisano
We spoke to the owner of a Bo-

A
nanza who uses the prior Cunning-
ham shields and he reports good vidyne is targeting Garmin’s so popular that nearly 40,000 TKM
fit and durability. Aviation Covers customer base and simplifying navcomms were placed in service. This
shields sell for $225. installations with the CNS line cheap alternative to costly avionics
of drop-in avionics that replace an en- retrofit was later mimicked by now-
Conclusion tire Garmin stack. The core products defunct Narco Avionics.
Our thanks go to Total Aircraft Main- include the IFD540 and IFD440 GPS We’ve always recognized the
tenance in Hartford, who provided the navigators and can plug into existing front-end cost benefits of slide-in
aircraft for our testing. This seasoned GNS530 and 430 wiring. The concept replacement radios, but we’ve hardly
shop and respected interior shops of plug-and-play avionics is hardly rev- embraced the technology. Simple as
we spoke with advocate use of sun olutionary. In 1990, Michel Avionics’ it is, old and potentially substandard
shades. That’s because they’ve repaired MX-series TKM radios came close to wiring remains in place, leaving reli-
enough sun-damaged interiors that perfecting no-wiring upgrades. Radios ability issues unresolved. As Avidyne
could have been saved by sunshields that mated with the aircraft’s exist- prepares to bring the CNS-series slide-
or cabin covers. We think cabin covers ing wiring and mounting hardware ins to market, we took a fresh look at
offer the better solution because became the concept and the dollar benefits
they tame water intru- that might support an owner deci-
sion while protecting sion. We think it might make sense
glass and antennas. for some buyers.
But they’re heavier,
bulkier and might be R9 TRICKLE DOWN
more time-consuming As we’ve reported since its intro-
to install than shields. duction last year, Avidyne’s retrofit
Our top pick for IFD540 navigator and the recently
sunshields are the announced smaller IFD440 are
Kennons. They proved trickle downs from the Avidyne
to have a superior fit R9 integrated glass panel. R9 uses
and passed the long- an advanced flight management and
term test for overall communications feature set that we
durability. But we think is a giant leap above the original
also like the Sun-Foil Entegra suite. This glass panel was
screens. We think they used in earlier Cirrus, Piper and
are handsome, have limited aftermarket applications
a high-quality feel and the interface was primar-
and are gentle on the ily driven by Garmin GNS530
glass. You wouldn’t go and 430 navigators. While the
wrong with either of Garmin navigators did the job,
the products. owners were itching for something
Moreover, both
companies were help-
ful and cooperative to If the Avidyne IFD series
deal with, a real plus reminds you of updated
in these days of mini-
mal customer service. Garmin GNS navigators,
they’re supposed to.
20 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
more advanced than
the 1990s technology
of the GNS430 and
530. The IFD naviga-
tors are Avidyne’s
answer and the ticket
to a complete Avidyne
navigation manage-
ment interface. Of
course, one option is
to install Garmin’s lat-
est GTN-series touch
navigators, but they
have a more complex installation.
Avidyne set out to satisfy the
demands of buyers who aren’t com-
pletely sold on a primary navigator
that uses a touchscreen. Garmin’s new
GTN boxes are commanded almost
entirely by touch and have been well
received, but there are some skeptics.
For that crowd, Avidyne’s IFD brings
a hybrid control logic called Multi hit with the NMS
Touch. It offers the choice of using system in the R9. It’s
either capacitive touch and traditional called GeoFill. When
knobs and buttons. With the IFD, entering and editing
anything you can perform with touch waypoints, GeoFill
you can also perform using keys and accurately guesses
knobs. Bezel controls are simple and the next waypoint
rugged. If you come from a Garmin in a flight plan after
430 or 530, the IFD will seem ultra- only one or two char-
modern, as evident by the USB port acters are entered.
on the upper left for loading software The system is smart
and navigational data. enough to know
If there’s a single reason to upgrade what waypoint you’re
from a GNS530 to the IFD, it might looking for based on
be to gain a superior VGA-quality position
display. The IFD540 display measures When it comes to chassis size, the The early-gen Cirrus above is one
5.7-inches diagonally on a touch LCD IFD540 shares the same dimensions of Avidyne’s target drop-in applica-
of 65,535 colors in 640x480 pixels. as the Garmin GNS 530 and the
Check that against the stark GNS IFD440 clones the GNS430 footprint. tions. Total stack replacement can
530 series—it was designed with a These systems aren’t just for drop-in be accomplished in a few hours,
5-inch diagonal, eight-color 320x234 retrofit. They can be purchased with unlike the weeks-long project that’s
TFT LCD. For those looking for more installation kits for new installations.
advanced FMS functions, Avidyne In that case, all bets are off for a low- underway in the Cessna 310 in the
carries over a feature that’s been a big cost installation. Expect a sizeable lower photo.
teardown and the associated costs.

c h e c k li s t REAL WORLD COSTS will need to be modified since the

Speaking of costs, we took a close GTN750 isn’t plug and play with
Drop-in equipment look. Removing the 530W, installing GNS530 wiring. These projects are av-
reduces upgrade down and configuring the IFD540, perform- eraging about three to five days which
time to a matter of hours. ing a flight test and producing appro- totals $3000 in labor for an average
priate paperwork should require three project whose total can top $21,000.
Avidyne’s IFD navigators to four hours. That’s $300 to $400 of
have impressive capabil- labor at most shops for a $17,500 total PAY NOW, DELIVER LATER
ity evolved from the R9 project with no disassembly required. As we go to press, Avidyne is offering
glass cockpit. Consider a $16,995 Garmin a sweet deal that might tempt Garmin
GTN750. Since the GTN750 is larger GNS530 and 430 owners to pur-
These products aren’t than the GNS530, the radio stack will chase an IFD navigator at a discount.
available yet which likely need to be removed, recon- For the IFD540, the early buy-in is
makes early buy-in iffy. figured and some radios may need $10,000 compared to the regular price
to be relocated. The interface wiring of $16,995 and for the IFD440, it’s
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 21
‘ bendix/king: overdue for drop-ins
Michel Avionics once enjoyed brisk
sales in part due to the venerable King
expecting much more. These are
some of the folks who bought into
we had product in hand, but that’s
just us. Where we once frowned on
drop-in upgrades, we admit to favor-
ing the Avidyne concept because air-
KX170 navcomm and aging Cessna the Bendix/King KLN89 and KLN94 craft previously upgraded to Garmin
ARC RT300-series radios. The MX170 GPS navigators back in the late 1990s GNS units should have acceptable
digital TKM radio answered demand and early 2000s. It was around this wiring or at least wiring that meets
for an easy upgrade from the world time that Bendix/King was faced with modern standards. Do have your
of drum-style mechanical tuning to bettering Garmin’s newly introduced shop evaluate this wiring to correct
the microprocessor-controlled digital GNS430, but the R&D door seemed any problems that may be lurking.
During our research, the owner of
frequency flip-flop feature set that to close, beginning a long hiatus of
a nicely retrofitted Saratoga put an
came alive in the late 1980s. product development and a with- interesting spin on his decision to
While the technology is different, drawal from the GA sector. Some let Avidyne ding his credit card for a
Bendix/King faces a similar opportu- disappointed buy- $10,000 IFD540
nity now. That’s because many aircraft ers we spoke to early purchase.
still sport capable but dated stacks of during AirVenture He admit-
Bendix/King Silver Crown radios. This voiced concern ted that his
includes KX155 navcomms, KNS80 that Bendix/ GNS530W did
area navigation computers and even King missed the everything he
analog, cavity-driven KT76 transpon- opportunity to needed it to do
ders. Then there are newer, non- regain a firm foot- for his traveling
missions, but
G1000 Cessnas and select Piper mod- ing in the market.
he was smitten
els equipped with late-1990s vintage We’ll counter by and ready to
OEM Silver Crown Plus equipment. by noting that buy the Gar-
We think a new product line that can Bendix/King has min GTN750.
replace these dated, core products the engineering ability to bring That was until his shop presented a
has a shot in today’s market. drop-in replacements to market just staggering proposal for the upgrade,
We went to this season’s AirVen- as Avidyne has done. Bendix/King is a which included rewiring and sizeable
ture expecting to see just that, but company with a heritage of introduc- amounts of panel work to make it fit.
it doesn’t exist yet. What we did see ing well-designed products. They also Suddenly the Avidyne drop-in box
was the seed of a potential drop-in just announced a commitment to the had great appeal because it promises
line with the new KMA30 audio panel. GA market with plans to deliver the to advance his panel without the
down time and hassles of a major
But it’s more clone than an original fresh products loyal customers say
teardown. The potential for selling
product. The new audio panel isn’t a they want. his GNS530W for $5000 or more
Bendix/King design, but is instead a In our view, if they have any hope sealed the deal.
PS Engineering PM8000BT sporting a of surviving in a weak selling climate We think Avidyne’s CNS series
Bendix/King face plate. dominated by Garmin and second- plug-and-play replacement stack suc-
This unit can drop into an existing place Avidyne, they’ll need to get ceeds in doing what Avidyne intends:
Garmin GMA340 audio installation busy while they still have the atten- Modernizing a legacy Garmin stack
with no need to rewire. But loyal tion of remaining loyal if skeptical with limited down time and rework.
Bendix/King buyers we spoke to were would-be customers and dealers. The rest of the product line includes
the DFC-series digital autopilot,
which is a system that continues to
impress us the more we fly it.
$8500 compared to $14,995. To get development may be new to the There’s also a plug-and-play audio
this reduced pricing you have to pony avionics market, but it’s a practice panel and a transponder with ADS-B
up in full right now, with the option that’s widespread in the airframe output. The AMX240 audio panel
of getting a full refund by AOPA Sum- business. There are the rightful fears with stereo intercom is designed for
mit if you change your mind. that the developing company might direct replacement of Garmin’s GMA
We’ve heard from dozens of not be around a year from now. As 340 audio panel. It has smart fea-
potential and skeptical buyers who for Avidyne, we have no reason to tures you’d expect, including Blue-
were reluctant to fork over that kind believe they won’t be here to deliver tooth entertainment and cellphone
of cash for what they perceived as the goods. They have a proven track interface. The AXP340 Mode S tran-
developmental products that might record for bringing quality products sponder with 1090ES ADS-B output
not be in their panel for a least a year to market and we think they are can slide in place of the popular
(the IFD540 is expected early next forward-looking. But only you can Bendix/King KT76A.
year while the IFD440 could be over decide if tying up this kind of cash We’ll look at these products in
a year from release). for the end savings is right for your a future article once they become
Using consumer deposit money to budget. Skinflints to the core, we available.
front the staggering costs of product wouldn’t fork over the dough until
22 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
 A i r c r af t a c c e s s o r i e s c h e c k li s t

Sennheiser S1 Passive:
Super comfy with
auxiliary music/cell input

High Marks on Comfort

Passive noise attenuation
only adequate for quieter
cockpits and cabins

This non-ANR version of Sennheiser’s flagship S1 Music in the lower-noise environ-

ment was acceptably good without
Digital is a good option for passengers in lower-noise requiring ear-numbing volume.
cockpits. Imagine cranking up the tunes in an
entry-level Hyundai on the highway.
If you want a true audiophile experi-
by Jeff Van West ence, you’ll need ANR.

A
ctive noise reduction (ANR) The other is an easy switch to turn A Good Alternative
headsets are a terrific invest- on and off automuting. Passengers We think pilots deserve ANR. It’s
ment. But not everyone can usually don’t want their music inter- worth the $400 for a basic ANR
afford the $400-$1100 to baby the rupted every time ATC reminds you headset even for the weekend flier.
ears of occasional riders. Sennheiser that you should really be at 10,000 It’s worth the $850-$1000 for a really
thinks they have a good solution in feet. This gives them the option and good headset if you spend many
the passive (non-ANR) version of control. hours a month in the air,
their S1 Digital headset. The aux input requires two AA We think the $369 S1 Passive
We half agree, finding it an ex- batteries, and there’s an optional would make a good choice for pas-
ceedingly comfortable headset, but auto shutoff that powers it down sengers in quieter singles or cabin-
only up to the challenge of cutting whenever the intercom is turned off. class twins where comfort on the
the noise in quieter cockpits. If the batteries die, the headset works head is critical, personal music or
fine, but there’s no aux music. phone is a nice plus, and they won’t
Coddling Your Cranium be exposed to the rumble and whine
The S1 Passive inherited several Only So Quiet of the skies day in and day out.
features from the S1 Digital. The ear Our first test of the S1 Passive was
pads are thick, with a special “eye- in the relatively noisy cockpit of a
glass zone” of extra pliant foam right
where sunglass or eyeglass temples
Cirrus SR22. We lasted about 20
minutes before we gave up.
ContactS
would pass under the earseals. Our The S1 simply wasn’t up to the Sennheiser USA
experience was good even with thick task. Cockpit audio was understand- 860-434-9190
sunglasses, but there is still some air able, but the background noise was www.sennheiser-aviation.com
leakage compared to no glasses at all. high. This became especially evident
The headset looks quite bulky, but when we played some music—we
it doesn’t feel excessive on the head. had to crank the volume up so loud
It’s a relatively light 13.8 ounces, and to just hear the music, the audio
clamping force is adjustable at one started distorting. The S1 Passive
of three settings. However, a lighter won’t let you cross 110 dB on audio,
clamping force comes at the expense but we must have been close. It’s not
of noise deadening and without even enough headset for occasional
ANR, the S1 Passive passengers, in our view.
doesn’t have much TV S1 Passive A second test was in
room to spare. Clamp- the relatively forgiving
ing feels light even at cockpit of a Cessna
its tightest setting. 172 SP, whose 2400
There’s a separate RPM engine cruise is
control box with low on noise and vibra-
volume sliders and tion. Here the S1 Passive
two features not com- was adequate. You’d never
monly offered in a confuse it with ANR, but
passive headset. One a couple of hours
is a jack for aux input would have
from a portable music passed eas-
player or cell phone ily without
http://snipurl.com/24l0s34
(sorry, no Bluetooth). a migraine.
September 2012
w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 23
u s e d a i r c r af t g u i d e

Diamond DA20
For efficiency, speed, view and handling,
it’s hard to beat. Just don’t expect any IFR.

T
he world of training aircraft has many of those customers might not ite two-seater with high-aspect ratio
all but reinvented itself since realize it, there’s something else sailplane-like wings and a huge, rear-
Diamond introduced the DA20 to like, too: The DA20 has one of hinged bubble canopy that made for
to the North American market nearly the best safety records in general unique—and some say awkward—
20 years ago. When the Katana ap- aviation, hands down and with ingress and egress.
peared, Diamond reasoned that the no asterisks. But if many buyers Also unique was the airplane’s
fleet of ancient Cessna 150s and 152s put safety at the top of their list of 81-HP Rotax engine, which many
was growing weary and operators considerations, it appears not to have U.S. pilots had never seen, since the
would lust for replace- engine hadn’t made major
ments. What it didn’t inroads, even in the experi-
anticipate was a couple of mental market.
significant downturns, a “The DA20 proved to perform better at The Rotax-powered A1
glut of overproduction and Katanas at takeoff sounded
the rise of the light sport our high-elevation airport than other like a sport motorcycle with
aircraft market. The latter a stuck throttle. Chain-
hasn’t exactly set towering
aircraft in our fleet. We could climb and saw jokes abounded. The
sales records, but it doesn’t cruise faster and at half the fuel burn.” airframe was also much
take many missed sales slicker than students used
to turn a modest program to draggy Cessnas were ac-
into a struggling one. customed to. Carrying too
Nonetheless, Diamond has still helped DA20 sales much. Further, much speed into the flare was a com-
found success with the DA20 as a the company’s follow-on product, mon problem.
basic trainer and as an inexpensive, the four-place DA40 Star, may have Since those early days, the DA20—
owner-flown fun flyer that’s fast actually siphoned some sales, since in its C1 version—has evolved into
enough to fly the occasional cross both airplanes are commonly used what some might consider a more
country, albeit in VFR conditions in the trainer role. serious contender, thanks in part to
only. a Continental IO-240B sporting 125
Flight schools say customers like New, Slick HP. Today, the DA20 soldiers on,
the DA20 for its sporty looks and When the DA20 showed up as a training the next crop of pilots in
handling, reasonable costs and European import in 1994, there was fleet situations and in the traditional
expansive views from the airplane’s no mistaking its roots as a sailplane FBO/flight school environment.
unique bubble canopy. Although design. It was a T-tailed, all-compos- Gone is the Rotax, which on hot
24 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
 u s e d a i r c r af t g u i d e

Diamond DA20 35 ft. 8 in.

23 ft. 6 in.
Drawings courtesy
www.schemedesigners.com
7 ft. 2 in.

Diamond Katana MODEL HISTORY

Model Year Engine TBO Overhaul FueL Useful load Cruise Typical Retail
1995-1998 Diamond DA20-A1 KatanA Rotax 912F3 1200 $10,000 20 514 lbs 117 KTS ±$34,000
1998 Diamond DA20-C1 Evolution cont io-240-B 2000 $21,000 25 488 lbs 132 KTS ±$53,000
2000 Diamond DA20-C1 Evolution cont io-240-B 2000 $21,000 25 488 lbs 132 KTS ±$60,000
2001-2004 Diamond DA20-C1 Eclipse cont io-240-B3B 2000 $25,000 25 554 lbs 140 KTS ±$70,000
2005-2008 Diamond DA20-C1 Eclipse cont io-240-B3B 2000 $22,000 25 554 lbs 140 KTS ±$90,000
2009 -2011 Diamond DA20-C1 cont io-240-B3B 2000 $22,000 25 554 lbs 140 KTS ±$145,000

Diamond Katana RESALE VALUE select RECENT ads

1995 DA20-A1 1998 DA20-C1
140K – AD 2012-15-01 ROTAX 912 FUEL HOSE
DATA: AIRCRAFT BLUEBOOK PRICE DIGEST
– INSPECTION, REPLACEMENT
110K –
– AD 2002-16-26 REPETITIVELY INSPECT ROTAX 912F
80K –
AND 914F CRANKCASES FOR CRACKS.
–
REPETITIVELY INSPECT Rotax 912F and
50K – AD 2004-08-10
912S fuel pump assemblies.
–
20K –
AD 2005-01-08 REPLACE OIL DIPSTICK ON Rotax 912F,
1995 2000 2005 2010 2012 912S, and 914F engines.

select Model comparisons

PAYLOAD/FULL FUEL CRUISE SPEEDS PRICE COMPARISONS
1995 da20-a1 1995 da20-a1 1995 DA20-a1 $30,000
1998 da20-c1 1998 da20-c1 1998 da20-C1 $53,000
2003 DA20-C1 2003 DA20-C1 2003 DA20-C1 $75,000
1986 cessna 152 1986 cessna 152 1986 cessna 152 $31,000
500 600 700 800 120 130 140 150 30K 40K 50K 60K

September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 25

u s e d a i r c r af t g u i d e

days made climbing to altitude a The company that eventually its European paperwork, Diamond
time-building experience, although became Diamond Aircraft had been received full FAA certification of the
you can still find A1 versions pow- building composite aircraft for quite DA20-A1, and U.S. deliveries began.
ered by it. Most were shipped to some time before the DA20. Austria’s
Europe, where pilots don’t mind the Hoffman Flugzeughbau was formed BASIC DESIGN, SAFETY
lower power and the aircraft’s unique in 1981 and began producing the Even with its slightly bulbous nose,
exhaust note is considered unre- H36 Dimona motorglider, which has one way to describe the first Ka-
markable. evolved into the HK36 and HK36R tana is “Eurosleek.” Diamond has
On the used market, its years of Super Dimona, better known in improved and tweaked the basic
service and by now well-known North America as the Katana Ex- DA20 over the years, but it seems the
maintenance and pilot requirements treme motorglider. Diamond says it’s Katana was mostly right fresh out of
make it a worthy contender among now the best selling motorglider in the box.
the two-seat, tricycle-gear competi- Europe and they’ve sold some in the The composite design includes a
tion for a personal airplane. Given U.S., too. pair of fuselage halves joined longi-
the low fuel burn, it has excellent With that motorglider as a base, tudinally down the airframe’s center.
cruise performance—a good 20 the company’s management bought The wings are similar in construc-
knots faster than competing trainers. the fledgling airframer and renamed tion, with upper and lower halves
it HOAC-Austria Flugzeugwerk in joined in a lay-up and vacuum-bag-
MODEL HISTORY 1989. Two years later, HOAC was ging process. These methods yield
In the mid-1990s, when the A1 acquired by Diamond’s current accurate, consistent airframe parts.
Katana arrived, the general economy owners, the Dries family, which is After assembly, the parts are hot-
was strong and GA was showing well-established in the automotive cured in ovens. Although this type
signs of a modest recovery in the business in Europe. Christian Dries, of construction had been business
wake of disastrous sales figures the company’s hardcharging CEO as usual in Europe for years, it was
posted in the late 1980s. The water- and a lifelong pilot, was determined new to North America. Eventually,
shed General Aviation Revitalization to make a mark in general aviation— Cirrus, Lancair and even Cessna fol-
Act and its 18-year statute of repose and did just that. lowed Diamond’s lead.
on product liability lawsuits became The new owners soon began The design is nothing if not ro-
the law of the land in 1994, but developing the Katana DV20 by bust. The wing spar carries through
Cessna wouldn’t re-enter the piston- shortening the HK36’s wings, as well the fuselage in a box structure
single market until 1997. Simply put, as adding flaps and tricycle landing designed to accommodate the spring-
there were few new trainers on the gear. This design evolved into the steel landing gear. Both seats are
market and Cessna wasn’t going to DA20 Katana, but it started life at essentially attached to this structure,
provide any two-place airplanes until Diamond’s factory in Wiener-Neus- which has proven itself over 18 years
the Skycatcher LSA came along more tadt, Austria, as the DV20. in the rough-and-tumble world of
than a decade later. The company set up shop in 1992 flight training.
in London, Ontario, as Diamond Although the DA20 has suffered
Aircraft Industries. The intent was to its share of accidents and incidents,
The DA20’s glider roots are evident develop a North American version only three have been fatal in the
from any angle. It’s more than two of the Katana. The next year, DV20 U.S., according to the NTSB. Aviation
feet wider than a Cessna 152, but production went into full swing in Consumer’s comparative review of
still four inches less than a 172. Austria. In late 1994 and based on aircraft safety which appeared in the
January 2012 issue, found that all of
Diamond’s airplanes from the DA20
to the DA42 twins have exception-
ally low overall accident rates and
low fatal rates. (See the accident scan
for more detailed information.)
The Katana’s slender wings span
35 feet, 8 inches (cut down from the
53-foot wings used on the HK36),
reinforcing its motorglider roots. De-
spite their looks, the wings are only
28 inches wider than the Cessna
150/152. The wingtips have a slight
winglet-like upturn to help reduce
drag.
The DA20 retains the T-tail used
on the motorgliders and employs a
conventional elevator. The horizon-
tal stab and elevator are just a bit
above the average person’s eye level,
so preflight isn’t a hassle, although if
26 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
 u s e d a i r c r af t g u i d e

Entrance is from in front of the

wing (note the step). Visibility is
obviously good up and forward, but
it’s also good down as you can see
in front of the wing’s leading edge.

you want a thorough peek at the tail

top surfaces, you’ll need either a step
stool or a short ladder.
Although other T-tail airplanes got
bad raps for quirky handling—prob-
ably undeserved—the DA20 did not.
Its handling is basically without sin
and predictable across the entire
flight envelope.

LOTS OF GLASS
One of the nicest things about the
Katana is also one of the not-so-nice
things about the Katana: It has a files, a 2004-model Katana
forward-opening (i.e., rear-hinged) being used for primary
wraparound bubble canopy. While instruction clipped un-
the resulting visibility is unparalleled marked power lines during
for a trainer—and most other air- a simulated engine-out
craft, for that matter—a hot summer landing. The airplane came
day can turn the cockpit into a solar to rest inverted and caught
cooker. In later models, Diamond fire. The accident report
addressed this with a shaded top, doesn’t provide details on
and that helps keep the temperatures the occupants’ egress, but
from approaching the interior of a the CFI apparently was
pizza oven on a July afternoon. killed outright. The student
Another less-than-appealing succumbed to “serious
aspect of the canopy is that it can thermal injuries” almost
generate massive drag if it comes four months later. Worth
open in flight. In such an event— noting is that as far as we know, this The baggage area isn’t generous.
usually resulting from failure to latch is the only incidence of a Diamond Photo courtesy GLDAS.
it correctly prior to takeoff or if it aircraft of any model suffering a
becomes unlatched in flight—the post-crash fire. shows the DA20-A1’s engine to have
canopy pivots back and presents its a 1200-hour TBO; the overhaul’s
entire surface to the relative wind. In POWERPLANTS average cost is $10,000 installed.
other words, it becomes a giant, very North America’s original DA20- The Rotax engines in the A1 Ka-
effective air brake. A1 Katana is powered by a Rotax tanas have delivered generally good
This has happened at least once 912-F3. As such, it became the first service, although Diamond com-
and although the airplane obviously “mainstream” Rotax-powered GA plained about overheating, which
didn’t handle normally, the pilot aircraft most pilots and mechan- Rotax attributed to the installation,
kept it well enough under control ics encountered. Rotax was and is a not the engine. Over time, com-
to survive an off-airport return to well-known and -respected maker plaints about anemic climb made
earth. of quality engines for the ultralight, their way back to the factory. For
In later models, beginning with LSA and light homebuilt market. But these and perhaps other reasons,
those made after January 1995, Dia- at the time, a Rotax was unheard of Diamond switched to the Continen-
mond added a warning light to in- in a certified airplane. tal IO-240B in the 1998 model year,
dicate when the canopy isn’t latched Initially, the Rotax 912 engine had giving it 125 HP and the C1 Evolu-
and improved the latching mecha- a 1000-hour/10-year TBO. In March tion designation.
nism for ease of use. We’re still not 1999, this was extended to 1200 First certificated in 1990, Con-
crazy about that aft-hinged canopy, hours/10 years. Again in April 2003, tinental’s IO-240-series engines—
but the accident record suggests it’s TBO was extended, this time to 1500 which basically are two-thirds of the
not the safety hazard we imagined. hours/12 years. These values are six-cylinder IO-360—generally have
The only other issue raised by generic, however; review a specific a good service record. Beginning in
the canopy is what happens to the engine’s serial number and main- 2004, however, Continental released
occupants if the aircraft comes to tenance/parts history to determine a handful of service bulletins and
rest upside down. In one of the only the manufacturer’s recommendation. service letters designed to address
three fatal accidents in the NTSB’s Presently, the Aircraft Bluebook Digest what were termed an “idle stabil-
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 27
u s e d a i r c r af t g u i d e

Accident scan: Botched landings and dry tanks

When we look at accidents for a specific make and mod- any stall accidents due to pilots trying to counter high
el, we go back a minimum of 10 years and 100 incidents density altitude with more aft stick.
if we can. We couldn’t with the Katana, as there were Some stall outcomes speak volumes about the
only 42 total in the NTSB database. This makes for a small DA20’s crashworthiness. A failed go-around that led to a
sample size, but some trends still emerged. stall had noted: “Examination of the airplane by an FAA
Pilots ending their landing effort somewhere other inspector revealed the engine was crushed against the
than a taxiway turnoff topped the hit parade. There were firewall.” The pilot was uninjured. Minor injuries resulted
no smoking guns for conditions, although we were as- after (inadvertent) IMC caused the aircraft to “impact the
tounded by three cases of pilots stalling out of the land- trees in a 90-degree right bank and at a 45-degree down-
ing flare. The DA20 has a Vso of 34 knots at gross weight. ward pitch.” There was the one post-crash fire already
How slow were these folks going while still airborne? noted and three incidents of open canopies—one of
There were a surprisingly high number of stall/spin which departed the airplane but luckily missed the tail.
incidents for a plane with such docile stall characteristics. Mechanical problems were the usual human foibles,
One was even except for one where mistorqued bolts caused partial
accident summary fatal: a non- separation of the horizontal stabilizer. They landed with-
recovered spin out incident. The “Other” category was a hodge-podge
r-loc (29%)
during flight including taxi collisions and wake turbulence.
Mechanical (19%)
training. CFI Fuel management in the DA20 is simple: Have some.
Fuel management (17%)
skill (or lack The DA20 is efficient, but it needs at least some gas to do
Other (17%)
thereof) was more than glide. One determined DA20 pilot departed
Stall Related (14%) implicated by with the fuel selector in the OFF position. The DA20 tried
CFIt (2%) the investiga- to warn him: “The low fuel warning light illuminated on
vfr/imc (2%) tors. Notably takeoff roll with sufficient runway remaining to abort the
absent were takeoff. The pilot elected to continue the takeoff.” Sigh.

ity problem on the IO-240 engine C1 at all, other than some shotgun ample, there’s no nosewheel steering.
models.” ADs related to placards or third-part Instead, there’s a castering nosewheel
Transport Canada (TC) put it avionics. and steering is accomplished via
more bluntly in early 2008: “There Finally, potential buyers may differential braking, which seems to
have been a number of rough run- come across a “Katana 100” vari- be the trend in modern fixed-gear
ning/unstable engine events and ant. This is a DA20-A1 that has been aircraft. Early Katanas had high
engine shutdowns occurring on Dia- through a factory program costing brake-pedal pressure. Meanwhile, a
mond Aircraft (DA) model DA20-C1 some $30,000 and consisting of shelf-like structure built into the air-
powered by the Teledyne Continen- a complete mechanical and cos- frame near the rudder pedals made
tal Motors (TCM) IO-240-B series metic refit. Part of the bargain was it difficult for those with larger feet
engine.” a factory-new 100-HP Rotax 912S to steer and brake the airplane. This
A TC-issued service difficulty advi- and a gross weight increase, to 1654 was corrected in later models.
sory noted, “Uncommanded engine pounds, providing a 44-pound use- Except for the rudder, which is
shutdowns have occurred during ful load boost. This variation also is cable-operated, the flight controls
various phases of training flights listed in the FAA type certificate and are activated via push rods, which
(stalls, spins and sideslips). Engine references Diamond Aircraft Draw- generally provide the pilot with more
idle instability and sputtering at low ing No. 20-0100-00-00. The Aircraft feedback and responsiveness. The
power have also occurred during Bluebook Digest doesn’t list any flaps are electric with three positions:
the critical approach phase and after Katana 100 models. retracted, takeoff and landing. The
landing.” It does list, beginning in 2001, flap switch is panel-mounted and
To address the problem, Diamond an additional C1 model called the includes a position indicator.
issued a mandatory service bulletin Eclipse. This wasn’t really a different Pitch trim is electric, with no
(MSB) and Transport Canada Civil model but simply an upscale equip- manual provision, yielding one of
Aviation issued AD CF-2007-27R1, ment package that included leather the few things we don’t like about
mandating Diamond’s MSB and seats, Garmin avionics and other the airplane. A rocker switch on the
specifying incorporation of Revision goodies. It remained in the model center console behind the throttle
23 to the DA20-C1 Aircraft Flight line until 2008. operates an anti-servo tab on the
Manual. elevator (A1 models), but fine-tuning
We couldn’t find any U.S. airwor- SYSTEMS the trim can be an exercise in excess.
thiness directives targeting Conti- In a nod to maintainability and its We think the Katana’s center stick
nental’s IO-240 series engines. For intended use as a trainer, Diamond is one of the airplane’s strongest as-
that matter, we couldn’t find any made the Katana about as simple as sets. We’ve always believed students
significant ADs against the DA20- certificated airplanes get. For ex- or pilots new to a type adapt more
28 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
 u s e d a i r c r af t g u i d e

quickly to a center stick, which we of the A1’s hinged flaps and the can-
prefer over yokes and the more- opy latch was improved, as were the
recent innovation of side sticks. Even brake master cylinders. Wing sweep
pilots who don’t like the Katana for was tweaked by half a degree.
other reasons seem to like the stick. Ergonomically, the instrument
The Katana’s fuel system, while panel was moved higher and fur-
as simple as the rest of the airplane, ther forward, creating more knee READER SERVICES
does pose a potential problem. A room. Seatback recline angle was
single aluminum tank is located be- increased to improve comfort. This TO VIEW OUR WEB SITE
hind the seats, forming the baggage was a necessity, in our view, because Visit us at:
compartment’s floor. It holds 19.5 although the fixed seats—the rudder www.aviationconsumer.com
usable U.S. gallons in the Rotax-pow- pedal position is adjustable in all
FOR BACK ISSUES
ered A1 version and 24 U.S. gallons models—are comfortable enough for
usable in the C1. In both models, a short training session, they can be See:
it’s filled from a cap located on the excruciating on a long cross-country. www.aviationconsumer.com/backissues
fuselage aft of the pilot’s seat. Even so, some owners complain that FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR
As a design feature, we don’t like the seats are rock-hard after a flight
SUBSCRIPTION:
the idea of putting fuel lines and of more than an hour.
hoses in the cockpit space, let alone There were some name changes, Phone us at: 800-829-9081
the entire tank. In our view, the gas- too. The C1 initially carried the
oline should be outside the people Katana name but in 2000, Diamond TO CHANGE YOUR MAILING OR
area, preferably in the wings. Even renamed the airplane the Eclipse E-MAIL ADDRESS, RENEW YOUR
so, we’re aware of only the previously and Evolution, with the former being SUBSCRIPTION OR TO
mentioned single accident involving the gussied-up airplane intended for CHECK PAYMENT STATUS,
post-crash fires private owners and the Evolution VISIT OUR
Since there’s only one tank, the training model. The Eclipse has ONLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE:
switching isn’t an issue. The single rear windows, pop-out vents, wheel Log on at:
shutoff valve is located on the left pants, inertial-reel harnesses and
side of the center console, near the Garmin avionics versus Bendix/King www.aviationconsumer.com/cs
pilot’s feet. The tank has one sump products in the Evolution. To change your address by mail,
drain located on the left side of the attach your present mailing label to
fuselage. In Continental-powered PERFORMANCE, HANDLING this form (or a copy of this form) enter
your new address below and mail it to:
C1 DA20s, an additional fuel system Stick-force-to-G is a bit on the light
drain is installed on the fuel filter side, which is fine for a trainer, in
bowl. All DA20s are 12-volt air- our view. While we don’t think man- THE AVIATION CONSUMER
planes. The airplane is all-electric, handling will ever pull the wings P.O. Box 8535
but DA20s usually don’t have exten- off a Katana, students should find it Big Sandy, TX 75755-8535
sive avionics for the simple reason light enough to be easily mastered.
they were never certified for IFR The ailerons are effective—and what
Name_ _____________________________
operation, something many flight adverse yaw there is encourages
schools and owners have complained rudder use. But rudder input require- Company_ __________________________
about. ments remain light-pressure-on-the- Address_____________________________
pedal, not the thigh-numbing stomp Address 2_ __________________________
A1/C1 DIFFERENCES encountered in heavier airplanes.
City_ _______________________________
The Rotax-powered Katana A1 is an Stalls are quite gentle and even
easy-to-fly starter trainer, but many when we’ve tried to provoke the air- State_ ___________ Zip:_______________
flight schools wanted more. The plane into something more sinister, E-mail_ _____________________________
main thing they complained about it won’t go along. Although plenty of
was poor climb performance. Dia- students have ham-handed Katanas To order or renew a subscription,
enter your name and address above and
mond’s first solution to the perfor- and broken plastic as a result, none check the subscription term you prefer:
mance problem was the aforemen- of these have been due to stalls or
[ ] 1 year (12 issues) $69
tioned Katana 100 retrofit program. stall/spins, as far as we can tell from
[ ] 6 months (6 issues) $34.50
The second solution involved the reviewing the Katana’s accident
[ ] Check enclosed [ ] AMEX
C1’s Continental IO-240B, with 125 record. The airplane is approved for
[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa
HP. At the same time, Diamond spins, with the flaps up, something
tweaked up the basic airframe, desirable in a trainer. Card #______________________________
squeezing an impressive 60 pounds In addition to its training duties, Expiration Date_ _____________________
out of it. This helped accommodate the Katana is perfect for low-and- Signature______________________
the heavier Continental engine. slow cruises across the countryside.
With the lighter airframe, the C1 The Rotax-powered Katanas cruise YOUR RENEWAL
also got a redesigned horizontal in the 110-to-115-knot range, which IS JUST A CLICK AWAY!
stabilizer, eliminating the anti-servo makes them a bit faster than a Cess- www.aviationconsumer.com
tab. It also got slotted flaps in place na 150. Expect fuel burns of 3.5 to
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 29
u s e d a i r c r af t g u i d e

Most DA20s have conventional

instruments (below). The Aspen sys-
tem was offered as an option (left,
courtesy Capital City Aviation).

saw complaints about oil pressure is-

sue and broken exhaust springs, but
4.5 GPH, which places the A1 Katana weight of 1609 pounds. That yields few beefs about the airframe itself.
firmly on the positively frugal end of a useful load of about 450 pounds. We didn’t find many repeated com-
the spectrum Throw in full fuel and there’s barely plaints about the C1, either. There
The Continental-powered C1 ver- enough payload left for two FAA were the usual reports of cracked
sion burns more fuel, but is quite 170-pounders. Obviously, a pair of parts—nosewheel assemblies, rudder
a bit faster. On 7.3 to 8.3 GPH, it’ll 200-pounders up front won’t cut it. pedals, some composite components,
true out at 125 knots. Also, the C1 Allowable baggage weight is 44 but nothing we would consider a
comes with a noticeably improved pounds, which is quite generous characteristic flaw in the airplane.
climb rate, easily turning in an 800 considering that there’s very little This tends to indicate to us the type
FPM initial performance, bleeding space behind the seat for anything has matured and installing revised
off to 500 FPM or so at practice-area more than underwear and a tooth- components—either in the field or
altitudes. If you don’t think that’s brush. The Continental versions at the factory—has resolved many
a considerable improvement, you have a higher gross weight of 1764 recurring issues.
haven’t spent much time instructing. pounds for a typical useful load of The DA20 can be thought of as be-
As should be expected when 600 pounds. That means full fuel ing relatively AD-free. We count eight
considering its role, Katanas have and a pair of heavier pilots up front ADs, on the A1 version and only one
adequate but not generous payloads. is a realistic option. on the C1 version. All of these ADs
Early A1s had empty weights of are of relatively minor consequence,
about 1160 pounds against a gross MAINTENANCE, USER GROUPS not the gotcha variety that might
Given its simple airframe and overall queer a pre-buy inspection.
Our Mailing List Policy design, Diamond predicted the DA20 The Diamond Aviators Associa-
Like many other publishers, we make por- would be a low-maintenance air- tion (www.diamondaviator.org), is
tions of our customer list available to carefully plane. That’s true, but the airplane a relatively new group, having been
screened companies that offer products and isn’t without foibles. Thankfully, formed in 2007. A traditional type
services that you may enjoy. Indeed, in all none of them are deal breakers, in club, the organization has more of a
our view. virtual presence than a physical one,
likelihood we were able to first reach you Brake wear and replacement rates but acquired the apparently defunct
only because another company graciously can be high, which should not be a Diamond Owners and Pilots Asso-
permitted us access to its customer list. surprise, since the airplane is steered ciation and merged its membership.
If, when we make our list available, you with brakes. Early in the A1 ver- The organization says it is inde-
do not want to receive those offers and/or sion’s history, there were a number pendent from but endorsed by the
information, please let us know by contacting of reports of cracked spinners. One manufacturer and works closely with
us at: reporter found all nine of his fleet Diamond to maintain a two-way
aircraft with cracked spinners, sug- flow of information.
Aviation Consumer Opt-Out Program gesting pilots pushed on the spinner
800 Connecticut Ave. during ground maneuvering. READER COMMENTS
Norwalk, CT 06854-1631 A recent review of the FAA’s I own and operate Summit Aviation,
Please be sure to include your cur- service difficulty reports did not a busy flight school in Bozeman,
rent mailing label. uncover a series of related or linked Montana. We currently operate five
problems. In the Rotax models, we DA20 aircraft, as well as DA40s,
30 • The Aviation Consumer w w w.av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012
 u s e d a i r c r af t g u i d e

DA42s, a Cessna 182RG, a Cessna flight characteristics and strength of Everybody thinks it’s an LSA. I
172S and other aircraft. The flight the airframe have contributed to our think the DA20 is the earliest all-
school began with one Cessna 150 in safety. Every pilot makes mistakes. composite aircraft still in produc-
2000 and grew to a fleet of Cessnas It helps me sleep at night know- tion (Windaker Eagle #1 and Beech
in 2004. ing my students are flying the most Starship #2). A1s rarely come up for
In 2005, the flight statistically safe training sale and when they do, they don’t
school was growing TV DA20 flight aircraft available. last long. Unfortunately, most get
exponentially, requiring Success as a flight boxed up and exported to Europe
us to consider a fleet of school is due to many where avgas is $12 a gallon or more.
aircraft. My plan for a factors. Our amazing Of the 341 made, the FAA registra-
new Cessna fleet was re- staff, good business tion database lists fewer than 50 still
considered after a friend practices, effective adver- flying in the U.S.
convinced me to fly a tising, safety programs I only wish there were more still
Diamond before moving and a focused effort here so owners could meet up,
forward. I flew a DA20 have helped us succeed. exchange experiences and help keep
and was immediately I do believe, however, them flying. An excellent online
sold on its safe flight that if I did not take my resource is Diamond Aviator’s Net-
characteristics, economy, friend’s advice to fly the work forums at www.diamondavia-
modern design and fun DA20, our school would tors.net.
factor. http://snipurl.com/24khv29 not be the success it is
Fun to fly is very today. Alex Gibbs
important to me as a flight school Via e-mail
owner. After many thousands of Ben Walton
hours in training aircraft, it’s easy to Summit Aviation, Inc I got my pilot license flying a DA20,
lose the thrill of flight. Our beautiful rented DA20s and when tired of
mountainous environment com- I fly a 1996 DA20-A1 (with the Rotax renting, bought a used DA20 from
bined with the incredible visibility 81-HP engine). It is a joy to fly, with the flight school. In the last five-plus
and fun flight characteristics of the excellent visibility, smooth/respon- years of ownership, I have enjoyed
DA20 has been a major key to our sive controls and an excellent safety taking care of my DA20.
success. Student and CFI retention is record. I cruise at between 95 and Adding wheel pants and an MT
well above average with our school. 122 knots, depending on how much prop, I now can get 140 knots TAS,
The first DA20 was a tough sell to fuel I want to burn en route, and see still on 6 GPH. When first insured,
the students initially because it just an average of 3.7 GPH over the past the cost was close to $2000. Now it
didn’t look like other aircraft. After a year of operation. is just over $800 for the year. The an-
couple flights with a few willing stu- My insurance is about $900 per nual at the Diamond service center at
dents, it wasn’t long before the bulk year and while parts are expensive, my airport is very thorough, but very
of our fleet was converted to Dia- Diamond has done an excellent expensive. Maintenance between an-
monds. The DA20 proved to perform job supporting us, providing a new nuals is light. There have been some
better at our high elevation airport downloadable (free) illustrated parts repairs along the way, but nothing
than other aircraft in our fleet. We catalog. Annuals have been between what I would consider odd.
could climb and cruise faster and at $650 and $980 a year. My mechanic
half the fuel burn. lets me assist to keep costs down. Name withheld
We found that the DA20 nearly
cut our fuel, maintenance and insur-
ance in half from what we were see-
ing with the 172s.
The ability to offer a brand-new
aircraft for the same rental price as
the competitors’ 30-year-old trainers
gave us the leg up needed to succeed.
We were also able to get through dif-
ficult economic times and high fuel
prices, due to the fact our aircraft
were so inexpensive to operate.
After more than seven years of
operating Diamond aircraft, we have
experienced an incredible safety
record. The low stall speed, docile

There are even Garmin G500

DA20s out there—but still VFR-
only. Photo courtesy GLDAS.
September 2012 w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m The Aviation Consumer • 31
 f e e d bac k wa n t e d

CESSNA 206

For the December 2012 issue of

Aviation Consumer, our Used Air-
craft Guide will be on the Cessna
data do exist look promising to us.
Cessna Diesel We’re reserving final judgment for
206, a popular heavy hauler. We
want to know what it’s like to
now. own these working airplanes, how
(continued from page 7) If Jet A is the future fuel—and at
much they cost to operate, main-
this juncture, it sure looks as though
and payload advantages. The diesel it will be—Cessna’s 182 NXT may tain and insure and what they’re
version will carry the same 87 gal- be timed perfectly to ignite if not like to fly. If you’d like your air-
lons that the gasoline version does a torrent of sales, a modest trend plane to appear in the magazine,
but because it’s more economical, it in a positive direction. Although send us any photographs you’d
can tanker less fuel for the equiva- the economy of diesels is attractive, care to share. We accept digital
lent range, improving the payload. what the trend is really all about is photos e-mailed to the address
Overall, the SR305 installation is fuel availability. Jet A can be found below. We welcome information
about 15 pounds heavier than the almost anywhere­—avgas can’t. on mods, support organizations
gasoline version, but because the We’ve heard it claimed that diesel or any other pertinent comments.
prop arc is at the same point, there’s aircraft sales wouldn’t take off until Please send correspondence on the
no hit on center of gravity. Since it’s Cessna got into the game and now
206 by October 1, 2012, to:
a four-cylinder, the SMA is shorter that it has, we’ll soon see if the claim
than the Lycoming, so there’s plenty has merit.
of room for wrenching between the Aviation Consumer
back of the engine and the firewall, ConsumerEditor
although there’s not much back there @hotmail.com
to service, other than the fuel rack.
Letters
Conclusion
At $515,000, the Cessna 182 NXT (continued from page 3)
will sell for a 16 percent premium
over the $443,000 T182T it will The noise attenuation is better
replace. We’re not sure how much of just over five hours each way, non- and different from my old TELEX,
the $72,000 price Delta is assigned stop. I flew with Gulf Coast ANR-II and the airplane just sounds differ-
to the engine, but some must be, headsets. ent. I need to get used to that.
confirming Lycoming’s claim that I’ve got to say that I am impressed The old headsets had served me
diesels are more expensive to pro- with these headsets. They were for about 3000 hours. I may try
duce than proven gasoline engines. reasonably comfortable for that long replacing the earseals that came with
That’s one reason Lycoming has de- a time, perhaps a little tight, but it with the gel earseals that I had on
murred on developing its own diesel. they are brand new. Passive noise my old TELEX. May or may not be
The payback is life cycle and op- attenuation is very good and then better, but I’ll probably try.
erating costs. Two Aviation Consumer add the ANR and things are pretty All in all, I think GCA has come
investigations of STC conversions of darn quiet. up with a good product at a great
the SMA diesel revealed that long- Things I like: The AA batter- price. I have always thought that
term cost of operation of the SR305 ies rather than 9-volt; controls are ANR headsets were overpriced, so
is measurably less than the equiva- simple and easy­—they do the job it’s nice to see someone make a ma-
lent gasoline engine, if the diesel and ATC said my voice quality was jor cut in the pricing structure. I just
makes its TBO numbers without good and finally, the price! hope it’s not a matter of “you get
onerous mid-stream maintenance. In Concerns: I wish the control what you pay for.” Time will tell.
our view, there simply aren’t enough panel came with a hanging hook or
fleet hours on the SMA engines to a mounting bracket. I made one up, David Lee Ingram
prove this beyond question, but what but it would be a nice feature. Via e-mail
32 • The Aviation Consumer w w w. av i at i o n co n s u m e r. co m September 2012