AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Glass cockpit avionics11/10/2023 Ingeniously designed to fit in the space occupied by two conventional round instruments, the EFD1000 is hands down the cheapest high-performance glass cockpit in the certified market. The other bargain champ on our list is Aspen Avionics’ Evolution 1000 primary flight display. The Aspen Avionics Evolution 1000 flight display sells for around $6,000. Aspen Avionics has made a name for itself by offering great products at low prices. Both systems are approved for installation in Class 1 and 2 airplanes, meaning the G600 is a good fit for nearly all Part 23 airplanes, while the G500 is limited to those up to the size of, say, a Beech Baron. Another standard G600 feature that’s optional in the G500 is a digital AHRS output to the autopilot for heading, yaw and baro. Garmin’s exceptional Synthetic Vision Technology is standard in the G600 but optional in the G500 (although the price we quoted above for the G500 includes SVT, since we consider it a must have). Approved model list STCs cover installations in hundreds of airplanes, from the G500 in an early model Cessna 150 all the way up to the G600 in a King Air turboprop.Īs for capabilities, the G500 system provides many of the features of the G600 suite but for around $10,000 less. The displays, measuring 6.5 inches diagonally, are exactly the same in either system. The G600 is intended for heavier Class 3 airplanes with MTOWs above 6,000 pounds up to the Part 23 limit of 12,500 pounds. Garmin created the G500 for Part 23 Class 1 and 2 singles and twins with MTOWs under 6,000 pounds. ![]() But let’s face it, the G600 costs more, and we’re bargain-hunting here. That doesn’t mean we aren’t equally enamored with Garmin’s G600 cockpit. The system can do 90 percent of what a full-up G1000 installation can, but in a compact package that’s perfect for replacing the instrument six pack in your light single or twin. It’s available with all of the features listed above, plus optional XM weather and radio interface, Jeppesen charts, and even control and display of Garmin’s GWX 68 airborne weather radar, if you happen to have one, all for the low starting price of $17,895. What is the bargain glass cockpit upgrade that has us drooling? Without a doubt, it’s Garmin’s G500 system. Today you can buy an integrated glass cockpit with synthetic-vision primary flight display, solid-state attitude and heading reference system, air-data computer, built-in terrain alerting, color moving map and a lot more for well under $20,000. Remember when a basic two-display EFIS upgrade cost $75,000? The early adopters of glass cockpit technology got great capability but paid dearly for it. Garmin’s G500 retrofit avionics system ranks as one of the best values in aviation, offering a host of advanced capabilities for under $20,000. Thanks to a down market and fierce competition among the companies that make the products on our list, it turns out you can get quite a lot these days. The overall equation is built around total value - what you get for your hard-earned money. By the same token, we didn’t build our list of must-consider cockpit add-ons based on price alone. That said, cheap is a relative term, isn’t it? It should be fairly obvious that we’re talking about aviation’s concept of low prices and not the image most people conjure when they walk into the neighborhood dollar store. We’ve searched the market to find the best values in aviation, uncovering a host of cockpit upgrades that will make your flying experience more enjoyable - and in many ways safer - without draining your bank account. Well, as we’re about to show, you don’t always have to spend a lot to get a lot. ![]() But hey, you got a deal on your pilot watch, so it’s all good. You might even proudly label yourself a cheapskate - in spite of your $160 aviator sunglasses and $1,400 noise-canceling headset. But pilots who are hit with shelling out upward of $5 or even $6 a gallon for avgas, plus hundreds of dollars a month in hangar or tie-down fees and thousands more on annual inspections, insurance and maintenance will be the first to admit they’re nothing if not bargain shoppers. It can be taken to suggest inferior quality or a poor value. The word “cheap” sometimes carries negative connotations.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |