Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: lml
Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2002 21:41:37 -0400
Message-ID: <redirect-1684220@logan.com>
From: JIMRHER@aol.com
Subject: Flying the SFS/CFS for 128 hours
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Well folks I think I should jump in here and try to tell just how it is to 
fly with the 3 screen SFS and the Mx 20, all lite up, to OSH and back to San 
Jose, CA.
I know I don't have the writer that Brent has but I will try.

As some of you saw at OSH I have a panel in my L4P that I'm quit proud of. 
Since I designed it completely and built it out of AL it doesn't have any 
insert panels or fiberglass frame. I point this out because I had to start 
very early in my build to work on the panel and it forced me to commit very 
early on the EFIS system.

So, now I have 128 hours flying in this most impressive airplane. As you read 
on you will find that I LOVE my SFS and can't imagine flying with the old 
round gauges. I do still have my Bonanza with those gauges and it is a 
struggle flying it now.
 
This is how it went at the begaining. The first hour of flying the L4 I was 
looking at the round, back up gauges and glancing at the SFS to see if the 
numbers were close. The second hour I found myself looking at the SFS and 
checking the round gauges every once in a while. After that I never looked at 
the round gauges again except to set them and check the TAS differences. ( 
When doing the Pitot Static test the SFS speed and Altitude was right on and 
the round airspeed gauge from Lancair was 10 to 15 Kts faster at cruise 
speeds).

The SFS forces you to look at the EAU unit (no screens) at engine start up to 
monitor Fuel Flow and Oil Pressure. Once started you turn on the Avionics 
master and wait. You can't move the plane for 10 to 60 seconds while the AHRS 
finds itself and the units Boot up. Then you can see the engine screen and 
others. The factory tells us that you can move the plane after the testing is 
complete, about 10 seconds, and that is probably OK with the Watson AHRS but 
I now have the Crossbow AHRS and it should be still for 60 seconds. The 
accuracy is improving during that time but working before. I am on my third 
AHRS and must say that all or most of my problems were do to the installation 
of the AP servo being too close to the AHRS. This will be blamed for the 
issues I will explain next.

At first I didn't use the AP (TruTrak) because I was trying to learn to fly 
the plane. To try to hold the aircraft symbol in the center and on my track 
lead to a continuous S turns along my track. Similar but less in Altitude. It 
turned out that the heading was jumping back and forth and I was chasing it. 
We tried updating software, doing in-flight testing for Magnetic anomalies 
and changing the firmware in the AHRS. Everything helped. The AP then would 
not hold the plane in the Boxes and was S turning constantly. The AP people 
thought it was the SFS and they thought it was the AP. When switching to the 
UPS GPS it would be different but still do it. Then we decided it was the 
tight control system in the airplane. Well, guess what? By loosening up the 
controls it solved the AP and the SFS tracking problems. The AHRS is the 
bases for all the good stuff to happen and after having the Crossbow AHRS, 
and the Servo moved, there is a world of difference. I must defend Watson 
AHRS though because I think most of those problems were the AP servo. It is 
really the integration that is the problem.

I caused most of it by putting in the tail, a 3 axis AP, Stormscope, Ryan 
TCAD, internal Air Conditioning and probably some other things I can't 
remember. The TCAD also force's the Boot up time to be longer, while it 
checks in with the SFS.

How does it work? Here is what a flight is like. I filed with FSS an IFR 
flight plan from SJC (San Jose, CA) to SEZ (Sedona, AZ.) by going SJC direct 
LIDAT (Int.), direct BTY (Beatty VOR), direct SEZ at FL 240. When your in the 
plane and call up this flight plan it looks good in the SFS. Then you call 
clearance delivery. They give you the Sunol 5 departure with the ALTAM 
transition then direct LIDAT etc. While all you guys are digging in your bag 
I go to the SFS top left button = Flight Plan, then the soft keys come up. 
Push Waypoint, the FP comes up, you turn knob to ADD in front of SJC and it 
comes up SELECT, you push enter and you can select DP or STARS etc. I select 
DP and all the 6 or 7 departures come up and I choose Sunol 5. That is it. I 
now know where I'm going and this was faster than opening a book. Of course 
the tower changes your course just after take off and then departure changes 
it again and then they give you direct LIDAT in a few minutes.
On another flight coming back form SNF into New Orleans and they told me to 
get ready to copy a new clearance. I said OK. They said that they had a Major 
Military Operation going on and that I must follow the SLIDE II arrival with 
the (something) transition to and ILS 18 R and if I didn't have it in 2 
minutes they would vector me. I started to grab the books behind the seats 
and realized it would take me a lot of time to find it (Remember; Cockpit 
resource managment? I failed). After sweating and getting cotton mouth I 
pushed the SFS waypoint and selected the ADD before NEW and there it was the 
5 th STAR on the list, Slide II, plus the transition, plus the ILS 18 R and 
the TruTrak flew it to the runway. I was SOLD. I have others but this will 
give you a flavor for flying with this system.
The flight to OSH was from a closed Tower at SJC so I called departure from 
the ground, they said call when airborne, which I did and they gave me direct 
Scottsbluff, my fuel stop, cleared to FL 250. 3.5 hours later I landed, 
almost boring. Total 6 hours to OSH, about 1600 nm and 7 hrs back.

This wouldn't be complete without saying that NONE of these systems are "Plug 
and Play." Meaning you must have some very knowledgeable help. I have counted 
on Lancair Avionics and Kirk to work through these issues and without him I 
would not be as happy and maybe many months behind. Also, when I decided to 
buy the SFS in Sept. 1999 I called everyone I could find and talked with them 
about the system AND the company. I knew from being in Silicon Valley and 
through many new products introductions, that when you by an EFIS of any 
kind, You are buying the company also. If they do not stand behind every 
little issue you will be very disappointed, and that they have the staff of 
people to bring the product to it's end. I was very impressed with Gordon, 
Nate, Rick, Brent, and others at SFS. And now, 2 years later they have done 
what they said they would do, and the system is much better than they said it 
would be. I can't complement them enough for making my flying a smiling 
experience.
I also Love the engine page, but that's another report.

Some issues still remain, however, I know the solution is just around the 
corner.
1. The anticipation of the turn at the next waypoint is not soon enough for 
an airplane going a fast as the L4P. I can see the green box tilt to start 
turning before the waypoint but the AP will not start the turn until it gets 
to the box making a large overshoot and then S turning back and forth several 
times trying to get back on the intended track.
2. When on a Flight plan. The course from departure to next waypoint is a 
line that you never get from the controllers, so what happens it that you had 
fly the headings and then want to go two the next waypoint. You can go direct 
to next waypoint but that will erase the remainder of the flight plan and you 
will have to reenter it or recall the saved flight plan and modify it. I have 
chose to reenter the flight plan.
3. When entering a flight plan you put in each added waypoint then push 
Enter. On the last entry you have to remember to push the Clear button to 
keep from erasing the flight plan. After I entered the FP I would scroll back 
to the next waypoint that I wanted to go to and press Enter, that would take 
me to the next waypoint and erase the remainder, so pushing Clear keeps the 
FP and goes to the next waypoint.
4. At the Sedona airport we have a 5,000 ft. airport on a Mesa that is 650 ft 
above the surrounding terrain. The terrain data base only puts one data point 
at the airport level so as you are taxiing you keep getting a STALL STALL 
warning because you have little airspeed and you are up to 650 ft off the 
ground. The runway is shown like a teeter totter out in space.

SFS knows of all this things and have fixes in the works so I feel certain 
that we will get these little things.

In closing I would like to ask How is the guy from BM going to handle this 
same kind of work that has taken several very smart people to develop the 
SFS. This is not a simple task and listen to Brent when he tells you just 
some of the development hurdles. Also, I would check out anyone before buy 
into there plan on Aircraft or EFIS, try: http://www.backgroundfacts.com/

Happy to answer any questions,