Pilot Products

uAvionix said the AV-30-C can be installed as either an attitude indicator or directional gyro and that it adds a suite of in-flight information to the panel right out of the box—including a probeless angle of attack indicator, baro-corrected altitude, indicated/vertical/true airspeed, non-slaved heading, bus voltage, G load, and GPS navigational data.

By installing two units, one as an attitude indicator and another as a directional gyro, uAvionix said the aircraft’s vacuum pump system can be removed, providing the additional benefit of a fully digital primary instrument cluster. The AV-30-C fits in a 3.125-inch round instrument slot and because it mounts from behind the panel, the panel’s classic look can be preserved.

The digital display is highly customizable, offering three primary screens and a decluttered view.

The AV-30-C STC allows installation in FAR Part 23 Class 1 and Class 2 aircraft—singles and twins weighing less than 6,000 pounds. The full AML, available online, includes 635 aircraft models from Cessna, Beechcraft, Mooney, Piper, and others.

In addition, the AV-30-C can double as the control interface for uAvionix’s tailBeaconX, the company’s tail-mounted 1090-MHz ADS-B Out transponder that is pending FAA certification.

Future enhancements will include display of ADS-B traffic and autopilot interfaces allowing coupled IFR approaches. The AV-30-C can be purchased online or from authorized resellers for $1,995, plus applicable tax and shipping.

Book Review

Demystifying engines

Piston aircraft engines are such strange, complex, and mysterious creatures they can perplex both students and veteran pilots alike. Carburetors? Magnetos? Shock cooling? Even those who come to general aviation with vast mechanical knowledge in other areas get tripped up by these antiquated items and the alphabet stew of acronyms we use to describe them.

In Airplane Engines, Jeff Van West of Pilot Workshops does a heroic job of demystifying the engines we rely on, dispelling myths, and describing exactly what happens under the cowl from start to shutdown. He does so in plain, matter-of-fact, non-gearhead language that nontechnical readers will appreciate.

Airplane Engines also includes practical, step-by-step instructions that actually work for hot starting big-bore, fuel-injected Continental and Lycoming engines. Van West also addresses controversial topics like leaning during full-power climbs, lean-of-peak engine operations, shock cooling, multigrade engine oil, and aftermarket additives—and he does so concisely with facts and data, not opinions or anecdotes.

Today’s graphical engine monitors, color borescopes, and oil analysis provide pilots with more information than ever about the status of their aircraft engines. Van West shows us how to interpret that information and use it to fly more efficiently, and how to diagnose and fix problems before they become critical. Van West does a valuable service for fellow pilots by explaining the “why” behind each of those actions. In doing so, he provides insights that to allow us to fly with greater knowledge, better understanding, more confidence, and broader margins of safety.

PRICE: $49
CONTACT: pilotworkshops.com

—Dave Hirschman