Instrument Aircraft Platform

dkalwishky · Post by **dkalwishky** » Sat Feb 21, 2004 2:15 am

I am wanting to obtain my instrument raiting. I've started a few threads in the past with questions. I have one more.

What do you feel is a good platform for training with regards to how the airplane is equipped?

I own a 1956 C172 and am looking to do some upgrades to it. Right now she is a very VFR only plane. I have one comm radio and a yoke mounted GPS for navigation. I would like to put a Garmin 430 in it so I will have two com radios, a gps, a vor, localizer and glideslope. What else do I need? I won't have a DME or ADF. Are those two items needed during training for the rating? I want to train in my own plane since that's what I'll be flying in the weather but I don't want to invent in those two technologies unless I need them.

Before anyone asks why I would spend a bunch of money on a plane this old when I could easily buy a newer skyhawk that has some this already in it, I have my reasons

Dave

Post by **Bruce Fenstermacher** » Sat Feb 21, 2004 2:14 pm

Keep the old plane.

If you look at the regs. all you need to do is demonstrate a precision approach and a non-precision approach and holding. I just greatly simplified the requirements here.

So all you need is a 1 com, 1 VOR and a glide slope. In fact if you have installed any other equipment like a ADF or a IFR Cert. GPS you could be asked to demonstrate those approaches as well.

I suggest you get a good comm like the KX155 with a glide slope to cover the requirements. Then look at other options like older but good IFR certified GPS systems if you want to be "IFR Legal" with the GPS.

I bought all of this for my 170 at SunNFun a few years ago for $3000 and installed it myself with help which cost another $1000.

dkalwishky · Post by **dkalwishky** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 4:31 pm

Bruce, do you have a picture of your planel with this equipment tat you post or e-mail to me?

Dave

Post by **Bruce Fenstermacher** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 9:42 pm

No I don't have a picture handy. I don't actually ahve a KX155. I'll describe what I do have. my plane came with a Terra 960 which is a nav/com/glideslope/indicator all in one. I moved that and the Narco 150 transponder from the left radio position to the right in what was the glove compartment.

I bought a Colins 251Com, a 351 Nav with a 351 glidespole receiver and a 351 indicator. I also bought a Garmin 155 and an annunciator panel. the Garmin 155 is a IFR certifiable GPS. All this for $3000 If i was doing it again today I'd probably not buy the Colins and replace that equipment with the King KX 155 that I suggested to you. It will cost more but after all the work it would have been a nicer outcome.

I also picked up a KMA20 Audio panel on Ebay for $200. Forgot to say I bought the audio panel primarily for the marker beacon.

I installed all of this equipment to the left of the yoke. Starting at the top left is the annunciator panel with the 351 Indicator to the right. The 351 indiactor also serves as a left right indicator for the GPS. Under that is the GPS. Under the GPS is the KMA20 Audio panel. All of this brings us down to the bottom of the origanl panel. In a subpanel I fabricated which hangs directly under the GPS/KMA20 equipment is the Colins Com and Nav.

My thinking here is I wanted the GPS as high as I can get it so it fights my scan easier. At some point way doen the road I may replace the Garmin 155 with a Garmin 300 which is a direct replacement (there is another harness that must be added) then elminate the Colins stuff under the panel.

So what I end up with is 2 navs, 2 Coms, 2 glideslopes, 2 nav/glideslope indicators, one that serves as a left right indicator for the GPS. My GPS installation is also IFR certified.

Here is a half scale drawing that I used for planning purposes. The Yoke enters the panel just to the irght of the top of the GPS and the indicator. The original instrument locations and overlay are left untouched.

rudymantel · Post by **rudymantel** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 10:48 pm

My airplane came with only a Narco Transponder and a Val Com.
Since there was no nav radio I decided to buy the best handheld GPS which 3 years ago was the Garmin 295. (I think it still is). I mounted it on the yoke with an external antenna. It's not very neat with those cables but works well there. Now I had a good VFR airplane.
But I wanted to go IFR and bought a used KX-155 with G/S and an audio panel with Marker Beacon Receiver. Had it mounted on the left side of the panel above the Val Com. This gave two Coms and a VOR/ILS which made IFR legal. (Unless you have an IFR certified GPS - very expensive- you must have a ground referenced nav radio).
Of course I still use the 295 for primary navigation with the VOR as back-up. And I use the KX for ILS approaches. The 295 compliments the ILS nicely. I should probably have an ADF for those ILS approaches that call for it but I hate to spend the money and don't know where it would fit.
I'm very happy with this combination for IFR and VFR.
Rudy

Curtis Brown · Post by **Curtis Brown** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 11:11 pm

Rudy,
That 's about what I wanted to do... what did it cost you for the KX 155 and installation? By the way do you have a DG? I do not... I use the Garmin 195 and go VFR now.
Curts

rudymantel · Post by **rudymantel** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 2:10 pm

Curtis, the KX-155 with glide slope and indicator in "serivceable" condition with installation kit was $3,300. It looked like new and worked very well from the start.
The Audio panel, a KMA-24 also "serviceable" with installation kit was $900. I also bought a marker beacon antenna, two new VHF com antennas and an external GPS antenna for the 295 (which I provided- I highly recommend the external GPS antenna, mounted on top of the fuselage).
Installation for all this was $1,200. This was all done by Alca Avionics an FAA approved repair shop at Opa-Locka airport, Miami. I also bought a new magnetic compass which was swung. And static altimeter and transponder certification.
Recorded on a 337 with new weight and balance.
The whole thing came to $7,706 (with 6.5% tax)- quite pricey- but I'm glad I did it.
Rudy