Cheers!
My diatribe on lift indicators evinced several personal replies. Not
prone to preaching nor anxious to be an "expert" in the field,
nevertheless I could not ignore this topic because of the number of
incidents which occurred. So will reply thus:
Gerry Holland (gdh@ddsc.demon.co.uk) included a pretty complete (to
date) list of suppliers and asked my opinion of them. I suggest he
repeat the list to the net as I can't.
Graham agreed with my remarks in principle and I liked his pining
for the accuracy and immediacy of those magnificent soaring birds whose
every feather base was a lift comparator! Perhaps some day we'll see
such wonderful qualities......
Joe Like (joelike@sprintmail.com) wanted me to suggest an action
path. I won't do that but will give my thoughts for what they're worth.
I spoke to Jim Frantz whose article in May98 Sport Aviation caught my
eye and he offers a really complete system for US$1400 which fills the
bill very nicely, or a "sport" version for US$800 with a simpler
indicator which incorporates virtually the same hardware in the wing.
Having had experience on the redoubtable L-1011, I cannot speak
highly enough of a rapid-eye indicator to which one can glance and
digest when on final - because the flight path is equally important.
Unlike some I do not like a circular 'analog' dial because there is a
splot-second devoted to interpretation which is spent solely on one
small arc of a circle - much like the airspeed arc. Therefore I tend to
the sport version of Frantz's gauge because it is not large (can
therefore be up in the line of vision for pathkeeping, will show the
'margin' above stall, covers all the variables mentionned earlier and
'nags' if ignored). I think an aural warning or flashing LED might be
involved. Aviators are not the monkeys others would like to assume, BUT
occasionally they do reacxt well to a useful banana and that is a simple
indicator.
My personal love for the Europa is (like the Seagull outboard motor)
what I prefer to call its complex simplicity. Ivan and Don Dykins have
provided that quality and the instruments should reflect same.
May I suggest that you ponder the spectrum of choices which I hope
Gerry Holland will display, consider your personal needs and then talk
it up if you wish. The cheapest tool is the brain. Sometimes it is
useful to ask not what it costs to instal, but what it costs NOT to
instal. I'm sure Graham and others will have opinions if you value them
and I only ask, 'What price would you pay in a tight spot for KNOWING
you are 2 knots above stall angle (plus half the gust etc) at fifty feet
above the turf?'
Hope I haven't muddied the waters.......
Happy Landings
Ferg
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