[Wing] Dynon Development EFIS-D10 (long)

[Tedd McHenry]

I visited Dynon Development today, makers of the EFIS-D10.  If you're not
familiar with the EFIS-D10, you can read about it at

	http://www.dynondevelopment.com./

The EFIS-D10 is a combined AI, ALT, ASI, VSI, gyro compass, T&B, clock, and
G-meter in a single unit, with an EFIS display.  It isn't shipping yet, but
they expect to be shipping "in a few months," according to Nick, the fellow I
met with there.  I saw a working prototype, and it looks pretty functional at
this stage, but it's hard to know how much was "vapourware."

I did get a chance to pick the unit up and carry it outside into the bright
sunshine.  This answered the three main questions I had about it:  how readable
is it; how readable is it in bright sunlight; and how smooth is the display
during manoeuvres?  It exceeded my expectation on two of the three questions,
and has perfectly adequate performance on the third.

The unit is quite readable, despite being only 1/4 VGA (3" diagonal?).  I have
better than 20/20 uncorrected vision, so I can't comment on how people with
poorer vision might find it.  But I would guess that anyone with vision good
enough to pass a pilot medical won't have a problem with it.  Naturally, bigger
would be better, and Nick said they hope to one day offer a larger screen.  But
the current format is the best they feel they can offer and still stay within
the price point they've set.  (Their initial price projection is US$1,995.  My
advice is to get in early.  I think this unit will catch on, and I think they
will raise their price once they feel they've honoured their initial offer long
enough.)

I was very impressed with the EFIS-D10's readability in direct sunlight.  I
thought this would be its fatal flaw, but I was dead wrong.  I stood in direct,
very bright afternoon sunlight, with the sun coming right over my shoulder and
hitting the screen square on.  There was some glare from the surface, but it
was quite readable.  I simulated a sunshade with my hand, and the EFIS-D10 was
as readable then as it was under indoor office lighting.  I give it full marks
on this test, much better than I expected.

The only area where I was slightly disappointed was the smoothness of the
display.  The "horizon" indication is perfectly fine, but rapid rotation caused
noticeable jerkiness in the compass display.  However, you'd never have your
head in the cockpit for any manoeuvre that would generate the kind of turn rate
necessary to produce the jerkiness.  I suspect that the altitude and airspeed
displays would be the same, although there was no way for me to produce rapid
rates of change in those displays.  But again, this is not something you are
ever going to see in the airplane.  The horizon display--all the displays, in
fact--are quite smooth in "normal" manoeuvring.  If you were to glance at the
display while coming over the top of a high yo-yo, trying to get on your
buddies six, you'd know it wasn't an F-18 HUD.  But at US$1,995, who's
complaining?

The gyro technology in the EFIS-D10 is pretty clever.  The gyros are
semiconductor devices.  They use a micro-oscillator on a chip.  It's solid
state, and should provide many years of reliable service.  There's an internal
back-up battery, which they estimate will be good for about two hours, plus
provision for two external power sources (i.e. a main and a back-up external
power source).  There's also a serial port for installing software updates.

The general quality of the instrument is good, considering its price.  It's
built from off-the-shelf, high-volume (i.e. PC) technology, for the most part.
So we're not talking about a MIL spec or TSO device here.  But neither does it
seem cheap.  The chassis looks quite sturdy, and the buttons have a reasonably
solid feel to them.  I would not bet my life in IMC on this device, but I'd say
it's perfectly adequate for day and night VFR flying.  (By the way, I think it
would be delightful to use for IFR flying.  But it doesn't have the pedigree to
give me the warm fuzzy feeling I want when I'm in cloud.)

One thing I forgot to ask about was if there's a brightness adjustment for
night flying.  I'll send them that question and post the answer to the Wing.

All-in-all I was very impressed with the EFIS-D10, and it's on the wish list
for my RV-6.  If you're building a VFR panel, this unit has all the non-engine
instruments you need in one package.  Of course, back-up ALT and ASI are a good
idea, but you'd really only need those three in your panel, plus engine
instruments.  When you consider the cost of an AI, that's a pretty good deal.
Oh yeah, AOA will eventually be available, too, for an extra two hundred bucks
or so.

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Tedd McHenry
Van's Air Force
Western Canada Wing
tedd at vansairforce.org
www.vansairforce.org