DFC90 and the Aspen PFD

I hope the A36 and other Bonanzas are on your short list.  I know that a reasonably priced PFD and autopilot system for my Bonanza would make me a buyer.

I am already prepared for the installation in my T210F: Aspen and STEC30, so the servos are all there already. STC please!
Robert

And I pre-ordered.  Spend my money wisely please.

AviJake wrote: Thanks Eric.  Money being spent wisely.   I see from your Beechtalk Avatar that you are located in Ok City.  It's a distance but the invite is always open to visit our MA or FL offices for show/tell and progress checks.

Thanks.  I might just take you up on that.  Actually, I'm so enthused about what you guys are doing I'm thinking about asking if you need any more computer engineers.

A short update on the progress of the Aspen PFD-DFC90 Integration efforts.....

Hi Robert,

I am considering the Aspen Backup display (see http://www.aspenavionics.com/pdfs/Evolution-Backup-Display-product-sheet.pdf ) as a replacement for the three remainig steam gauges.  Aspen advertises the product interfces with most GA autopilots.  Will the DFC 100 accept any commands, e.g., GPS steering, from this system?  If not, are you planning on any such linkage?  I am particularly interested in this unit because it provides a two hour battery back up and will fit in the existing panel slot.  The Cirrus electrical system has not proved to be very robust and the Aspen system will leave me with a functioning AHRS if and when the alternators go down again.  Does Avidyne have any such project in the works? 

AviJake wrote: DFC90-Aspen PFD Integration Status Update:  We now have working Aspen PFDs talking to and driving the DFC90 autopilot in our company labs.    Aircraft are being prepped now for flight test as soon as we feel confident in flight readiness.

DFC90-Aspen PFD Integration Status Update (26 Oct 11):

Avidyne has several flights under our belts now with an Aspen Pro PFD driving the DFC90 in our company Cessna 182.   So far we've validated the Aspen AHRS mods and VHF modes.  After several flights of tuning and debugging, we're now happy with that performance.

Aspen plans to install the DFC90 into their company Cirrus SR22 in November and begin flights themselves.

The design of the autopilot annunciators and bugs needed some modification for the SynVis version of the Aspen PFD and we're working on that now.

DFC90-Aspen PFD Integration Status Update (11 Nov 2011):

No new news to report.  We're busy plugging away in our labs integrating with the King servos and continuing flight test in our company airplane that is equipped with the Aspen PFD and the DFC90 autopilot.

I am very interested in the Aspen / Avidyne DFC90 for a Piper Turbo Arrow.  I know there are a lot of Cherokee drivers that would love this combo!

DFC90-Aspen PFD Integration Status Update (29 Dec 2011):

Avidyne has two Aspen-equipped and DFC90-equipped C-182s that we're using for development and certification platforms and Aspen now has their company SR22 equipped with an Aspen PFD and DFC90 autopilot.  We believe the Aspen attitude and nav output performance is now acceptable and we are working on the user interface for the Aspen PFD.

We are running two aircraft certifications in parallel.  Aspen will achieve the STC on the SR2X aircraft and Avidyne will achieve the STC on the 182 platforms.

As noted in an earlier post above, Avidyne also has long-term possession of a 1984 F33A Bonanza.  This is a King servo equipped airplane.  We are currently running characterization testing of the MET circuit so we understand pitch trim speed, responsiveness, bandwidth, circuit design, etc.  As soon as we are done with that MET testing, we will run the aerodynamic model flight tests (January 2012) where we measure the aircraft response to various control inputs which then gets rolled back into the DFC90 aero model and software.   Next steps after that are to install an Aspen PFD in that airplane.

I expect the next meaningful milestone to report on will be the completion of the user interface mods to the Aspen PFD.

What are there, if any plans for Mooney aircraft being considered to add to the certification list?  

Edited by Victor - 04 Feb 2012 at 7:33am

Thanks Steve.

Edited by Victor - 05 Feb 2012 at 5:43am

Awesome, I can't wait to see the marketplace effect when these are certified.

DFC90-Aspen PFD Integration Status Update (31 Mar 2012):

DFC90-Aspen PFD Integration Status Update (12 Apr 2012):

V35B Progress Report:  Tuning for the V-tail Bonanza is complete.  We ended up flying 6 or 7 sorties over the last two weeks and have fully tested all aspects of the V-tail envelope up to 17,500'.   I even had the good fortune to personally fly the 2 hour "final exam" tuning flight today and can attest to how well this autopilot flies the airplane.

We return the airplane to Normal category tomorrow and turn over the airplane back to its owner on Saturday.

Our next steps are to take that tuned software model and perform the necessary certification testing and put it in the cert line with the FAA. 

Likely next milestones to report on in this forum are:

Final Aspen software delivered (there is still a small punch list of minor user interface changes to make);

Final cert package turned into the FAA for the Cessna 182 model;

Final cert package turned into the FAA for the Cirrus SR22 model equipped with Aspen PFD;

Final cert package turned into the FAA for the BE-35 series;

Flight testing and tuning of BE-36 models and the Barons.

Hi David,

DFC90-Aspen PFD Integration Status Update (28 Apr 2012):

DFC90-Aspen PFD Integration Status Update (19 May 2012):

Hi Quinn1520,

I think you should plan on trying to keep your STec 50 on life support for another 4ish months.  What year is your F33A - is it 14V or 28V?

The biggest unknown now with the schedule is the FAA.   We're certain they will be heavily involved in the first Aspen cert we do (Cessna 182) but they haven't decided on what level of involvement they will have with the follow-on certs (this includes the F33A).  We have our autopilot model created for the Stec equipped F33As so our plan is to submit that STC paperwork as soon as the 182 STC is granted.

Is there something specific on your STec 50 you're struggling with right now?

Hi Tom,

Hard to say for sure but here are a few thoughts:

1.  Not immediately helpful to you but the DFC90 does have extensive data logging such that we would most likely know within minutes of getting a copy of the data logs what the cause of that behavior would be, whether it be bad input from the navigator, bad signal from altimetry, or dirty/out of spec servos or trim system.

2.  My first thoughts turn to the health of your existing servos.   They are brushed DC motor type servos that can build up carbon deposits over time and affect the performance.  Do you known when the last time they may have been serviced/cleaned?

3.  In alt hold mode in your existing setup, there is a separate pressure transducer that serves as the target alt to hold sensor/device.  That entire set up goes away in a DFC90 install which, from all field reports I've received to date, has completely squashed those kinds of pre-DFC90 reports.

4.  If your airplane tracks the magenta line well in enroute cruise then I'd be inclined to first look at the roll axis servo system.  I'm not aware of Garmin navigators tracking well in cruise but not in approach - that phase of flight change is more often associated with autopilot roll control gain changing so it typically points to the flight control computer or servo setup.

5.  One relatively quick and easy way that we check the health of brushed DC servos is to measure the startup voltage - that's the voltage it takes to get the servo to start turning.  This is a ground based test and most savvy avionics shops that work with autopilots know what the startup voltage specs are for those servos and how to test it.

You definitely sound like a perfect candidate for the DFC90.   We trucking as fast was we can to have a certified solution for you.

If you'd like to continue the discussion off-line, my email is sjacobson@avidyne.com

Steve

Steve,

Hi CW,

We think the PA30 is another great platform for the DFC90 autopilot.  However, as I'm sure you've read, we have not announced that, or any other airframes as the next in line for the DFC90 STC work.  We want to get through our pretty full plate before getting committed to any other airframes.  That being said, I will definitely add you and your airplane to PA30 list.

Steve