Message-ID: <39BF377B.AB62F055@regandesigns.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 01:14:51 -0700
From: "Hamid A. Wasti" <hamid@regandesigns.com>
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Subject: Re: Re Sierra Flight System
References: <B5E47F9A.1938%cfi@instructor.net>
Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

          <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
          <<  Lancair Builders' Mail List  >>
          <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>
Ron Galbraith-CFII wrote:

> Thanks Brent, Here are a few questions/concerns:

I will let Brent answer most of your questions, but here are a couple of
comments.

> 7 I want to see the heading display more closely to see how quick it
> actually is, and how accurate it is.  Same with pitch and roll.  With the
> turbulence we were in, the display seemed almost too quick reacting, and
> would have been a hand full trying to fly by hand in actual IFR.

I flew the leg into RDM earlier that day.  The flight down from about FL200 to
about 6,000 was mostly in actual.  This was my first time flying with the SFS
system in actual or under the hood.  It was also my first time flying the Lancair
in actual conditions.  I was also flying from the right seat (not the usual spot
for a non-CFI like me) and all the instruments were on the left side of the
panel.  There was also a bit of turbulence to make life fun.  Despite all of
this, I had no problem hand flying the airplane.  I found it much easier than
flying my Mooney with the steam gauges located in random locations.

> I've had at least 8
> vacuum pumps go out on me while flying, and most of them were factory
> airplanes with very low total time on them.

In my 750 hours I have had 1 vacuum failure.  Ofcourse the pump had less than 100
hours on it and as accurately predicted by Mr. Murphy, it happened on one of my
few night IMC flights.  The ceiling was over 6,000 feet so it was an eye opener
but otherwise a non-event.

> The pricing seems to be right at $40,000 for the complete system with two
> IDU's.  When you eliminate gyros, DG/HSI, moving map, etc.  I figure this
> system will cost about $20,000 more than going conventional, including a
> slaved HSI, so it's still pretty pricey, but sure is neat stuff.

Does your $20,000 figure for a conventional panel include a HSI?   I am not up on
HSI's, but isn't a good slaved HSI close to or over $10,000?  Are you replacing
electric or vacuum gyros?  If you ar replacing vacuum gyros, are you adding in
the cost of the vacuum system that you will no longer need?  If you are replacing
electric gyros are you pricing the high quality expensive ones or the low cost
ones with a typical life span of 200 hours.

And last, but not the least, the SFS has a plug and play wiring harness.  What
about the stuff you are replacing?  If you are having your panel built by an
outfit, that will translate directly into labor cost which will affect the panel
cost.  Also, have you added in the engine monitoring hardware?

At least a couple of people have come up with a delta of $5,000 or less.  This
number goes up again if you start adding in backup electric gyros.

Hamid


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
LML website:   http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
LML Builders' Bookstore:   http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair

Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>