Pilot Products

David Clark H20-10

Evolution seems to come slowly to David Clark's products. The Worcester, Massachusetts, company's familiar surgical-green headsets, long an industry staple, have developed so gradually and seamlessly that it at first looks as though nothing's happened. In the great evolutionary scheme, the original and immensely popular H10- 30 appears to have melded into the substantially lighter and more comfortable H10-13.4 with no loss of familial resemblance.

That has all changed with the coming of the H20-10, a remarkable departure from the David Clark norm. Take away the cord and microphone boom and there will be nothing left in common with the existing line. Matte-finish ear cups (still resplendent in David Clark green) are more squared and allow the support stirrups to fit more flush than before. With the gel ear seals uncompressed, the cups are slightly thicker than the predecessor Clarks. The ear-to-ear interconnect cord is hidden neatly along the inside of the headpad support, and both the single volume control and the main cord strain relief are cleverly recessed.

New-style ear seals use the thick gel system Clark brought out several years ago with the now-discontinued DCNC active headset, and they offer perhaps the best compromise of overall comfort and noise attenuation of the gel seals we've tried. With the H20-10, these seals are glued to a plastic backing plate that, in turn, snaps into the speaker dome; no more struggling with the seals to get them over a flange, as on the other Clark models. Furthermore, the seals are slightly wider along the bottom half of the cup, to better distribute the weight of the cup on the wearer's head. The width of the seal along the lower section is about the same as that of the conventional Clark gel seals; the upper section is slightly thinner.

In place of the usual steel head strap, the H20-10 uses a molded plastic part. As such, you can't reshape the head strap (as you can on the other David Clark headsets) to make large changes in clamping pressure. The company says that you can make subtle changes by altering the height of the elastic headpad fixtures; the farther down the settings, the more pressure will be exerted by the ear cups. Moreover, the new, slightly thinner ear seals do a less-than-stellar job of conforming to the temple pieces of even wire-rimmed sunglasses, opening a path for noise intrusion. By lightly pressing the cups, you can easily discern that a slight increase in clamping pressure would alleviate this problem. This headset would benefit from greater ear cup pressure adjustability.

A new headpad system also debuts on the H20-10. A strap of elastic hides under a soft foam pad, its outer edges hooked to locking tabs. These tabs meet with rows of smaller tabs on the headpad stirrup; you are expected to adjust the headset vertically by repositioning the tabs. In part, this system works well, because the headpad itself is soft and smooth, evening out weight distribution. But the whole mechanism makes the headset overall much taller than most others. Typically, a headpad will add around .75 inches to the wearer's head. With the H20-10, this dimension is about 1.75 inches, making the headset unsuitable for use in airplanes with marginal headroom.

For instance, taller pilots may not be able to wear the H20-10 in an airplane with a low cockpit head liner. We tested the new Clarks in an Aerospatiale Trinidad and found them basically incompatible with the available headroom. A trial-and-error session in your airplane therefore is strongly recommended.

Other David Clark strengths have, fortunately, been left intact. The microphone, on a flexible boom that can be positioned for right- or left-side use, is superb and apparently compatible with a wide range of radios and intercoms. Likewise, the speakers provide clear communications, and the volume control has a useful range of adjustment. David Clark has fitted a hefty cable, and the molded phone plugs have enough strain relief for two pair of headsets.

Suggested retail price for the H20-10 is $315, with typical street prices in the $265 range. David Clark has also announced a new active noise-canceling headset to be based on the H10-13.4 shell that will be available next year at a cost in the neighborhood of $550. That being the case, it's unlikely that the older David Clark platform will become extinct any time soon.

For more information, contact the David Clark Company, 360 Franklin Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01615; telephone 508/751-5800.

John Frank's Cessna 210 Centurion Buyers Guide

Every once in a while a no-frills, tell-it-like-it-is piece of work comes along that makes you think, "Why hasn't anyone done this before?" So it is with John Frank's Cessna 210 Centurion Buyers Guide. Frank is the head of the Cessna Pilots Association's technical center in Santa Maria, California, and the owner of a Turbo 210. In his daily rounds, he hears from many 210 owners and sees a substantial number of Cessna's high-performance retractable single through the CPA service center.

This 78-page guide has not a single photograph, no fancy art direction, no mushy "I love this airplane" commentary from owners. Instead, the book tackles the history of the airplane, including its strong and weak points, systems experience, and maintenance history. Frank dispels many of the myths that seem to have risen around the 210's wheels like runaway weeds and discusses in depth the pros and cons of turbocharging. Safety issues come in for discussion, and Frank debunks much hangar lore regarding the 210's gear system. Moreover, the information in this book will help those not well versed in the 210 become smarter shoppers. Even those for whom the Centurion is a familiar beast will learn something from Frank's work.

Also included is an extensive prepurchase inspection checklist, a collection of relevant airworthiness directives, and general aircraft-buying advice. Fancy it's not, but the guide is by far the most complete and useful reference work available for the 210. It's not too much of a stretch to say you'd be crazy to buy a Centurion without one. The buyers' guide is available to CPA members at $20 or $25 for nonmembers. A similar book on the Cessna 182/Skylane has just been published, too. For more information, contact Cessna Pilots Association, Post Office Box 5817, Santa Maria, California 93456; telephone 805/922-2580.

Precision Flight controls simulator hardware

It's really only a matter of time before the FAA comes fully aboard the technology bandwagon and allows PC-based flight simulation to be logged for initial instruction and currency training. And when that day comes, Precision Flight Controls will be ready to establish a critical link between man and microcomputer with the Flight Console.

The Sacramento, California-based company builds a sturdy control-system replicator intended to be used with any of a number of PC-based procedures trainers. The steel case of the Precision Flight Console is intended to carry a 15-inch monitor directly above the yoke, and it can be set up with either a single-engine or twin power quadrant to the right. All the switches will be familiar to pilots; and with a few minor exceptions, the feel and response of the controls are accurate and first-rate.

Inside the Flight Console, you'll find heavy castings and aircraft-grade stainless steel control cables linking a realistic yoke to potentiometers that drive the PC inputs. But what sets the Precision controls apart from the rest is a series of spring-loaded and hydraulically damped control-feel devices. The reaction to movements at the yoke is smooth and linear, and the yoke has the overall feel of being connected to an airplane. Of course, there isn't any aerodynamic feedback, although Precision head Mike Altman says that it can be provided if there's sufficient interest and development money involved.

We tried Precision's controls with the Elite software (running the new Piper Seneca multiengine program) and with the MDM (now Jeppesen) Beech A36 Bonanza setup. After just a few minutes of the requisite over-controlling (and having knocked the rust off the instrument scan), the Precision-fed Elite becomes almost joyful to fly. The hefty yoke feels far more natural than some cheap, spring- loaded joystick; likewise, Precision's robust rudder pedals successfully resist skittering across the floor during engine-out maneuvers or that hairy forward slip to short final.

All the major controls and switches reside on the panel in front of the pilot, eliminating the need to search for the computer mouse in the middle of a high-workload event. There's even a knobs- and-buttons radio stack emulator available that adds an extra dose of realism to the simulation. Unfortunately, with the controls well offset from the screen depiction of the radios themselves, setting and tuning radios is much more difficult here than in the real thing. One other complaint is that the throttle response is a bit touchy near the bottom limits, far more so than is true of the airplane's response.

The Precision setup allows for a student/instructor split, with the instructor controlling the map and configuration screens, while the student sees just the instrument panel depiction. This way, the instructor — sitting out of sight — can fail instruments or engines at any time or use the map screen to keep navigational track of his charge.

For now, however, the Precision Flight Controls setup, along with the PC-based software, is just for fun and off-the-logbook training. This makes for a bit of a tough sell — starting from scratch, you could spend upwards of $10,000 for a full two-station (student and instructor) procedures trainer. You'll want at least one very fast computer — a Pentium or Macintosh Power PC — or, as Precision's own simulator room reflects, a pair of 486-class machines networked together. A high-resolution monitor is on the wish list, too. Then add the Precision components — they run $4,995 for the basic yoke/switches/throttle quadrant box, including rudder pedals. A dual-control version (with two sets of rudder pedals) lists for $8,995. Individual boxes intended to be used with a joystick, with only the throttle and gear/flap switches, can be purchased for $450; a six-lever multiengine version costs $530.

For more information, contact Precision Flight Controls, 11500 Sunrise Gold Circle, Suite C, Rancho Cordova, California 95742; telephone 916/638-1310.

Luminox Navigator's watchUMINOX NAVIGATOR'S WATCH

Made to military specifications, the Luminox Navigator's watch is claimed to have been a favorite of Desert Storm pilots, in part for its good readability in low light. Photo-sensitive paint on the hands and major face markings proves amazingly successful in producing usable illumination even several hours after exposure to light.

According to the distributor, Richard Barry Marketing Group, the Luminox watch is water resistant to 330 feet and the self- illumination feature is warranted for 10 years. The watch has a handsome matte-gray finish and clean, unembellished markings on the face. It does, however, lack a day and date window, and the bezel on our sample would not align with the cardinal points. Suggested retail price is $250.

For more information, contact Richard Barry Marketing Group, 624 Hoover Avenue, Westwood, New Jersey 07675; telephone 201/666-5146.

Unless otherwise stated, products listed herein have not been evaluated by AOPA Pilot editors. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors. However, members unable to get satisfaction regarding products listed should advise AOPA. To submit products for evaluation, contact: New Products Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701; telephone 301/695-2350.