Berni,
I have an IV-P with Chelton IDU-I screens installed and love them. The later/STCd screens were IDU-3s. Don’t know about the Legacy but you’ll be pleased with the Chelton performance. They were equipped with a Crossbow (perhaps 2 models?) or PinPoint AHRS; get one with the latter if possible. They also used the internal PinPoint GPS, or an external GPS receiver. The FreeFlight 1201 is a WAAS receiver and works well with the Cheltons, providing a limited GPS approach capability.

WRT the Cheltons themselves, they have proven extremely reliable and dependable. Cobham still supports them, but I’ve only needed work on one screen (of three) once in 4+ years to date.  Your “path to the future” is a valid concern, but that will be true of any system you buy today. Many are trading out steam gauges today for glass; we’ll all be trading the current glass for new if we live long enough…it’s just a matter of time. So, I wouldn’t turn down an airplane with steam gauges if the price were right; ditto for one with Cheltons. My system displays traffic and weather, and looks like it will accommodate ADS-B, although what I have now is TIS.

 

My two cents…

Bob

 

From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Berni Breen
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2012 9:03 AM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Chelton + Legacy

 

I am a ten year Lancair pilot having owned almost every flying model except a Legacy (bought a Legacy kit from Lancair in 2000 but never flew it) but I am seriously considering the purchase of a flying Legacy.  There are some very, very nice airplanes out there but I have a concern on the avionics side of things.  Many of these airplanes have Cheltons installed.  I have never flown with Cheltons but have heard very good things about them.  My concern is that they are what they are today with no chance of a path to the future. There are a couple of Legacy airplanes for sale that I would like to pursue but the Chelton thing tells me not to go there.  I would appreciate comments regarding this dilemma.  Should I feel this way?