Sandel SN3308 HSI
Instrument pilots love the horizontal situation indicator (HSI) and it's easy to see why. Combining directional gyro information with the primary navigation display greatly simplifies the instrument scan and provides far better situational awareness.
Mechanical HSIs using simple needles and pointers overlaid on a rotating compass card have been around for decades. Stepper motors and remote gyros and flux gates keep the system on track, but these precision components are prone to wear and are spread out all over the airframe, making installation and upkeep relatively complicated.
In the late 1980s, AlliedSignal Bendix/King introduced a four-inch electronic HSI using a cathode-ray tube display; it was ground-breaking but also was (and is) hugely expensive. Now there's a lower-cost alternative from upstart company Sandel. Its SN3308 HSI uses a color liquid-crystal display pro-jected onto the front panel; this method allows for the display to better fill the bezel than would a direct-display method. And while the Sandel's screen isn't as bright as a CRT, we found it more than sufficient even in a sun-washed cockpit. The screen has some nine square inches of viewable area comprised of more than 430,000 pixels. The SN3308 is approved for IFR primary navigation guidance as a direct replacement for other mechanical HSIs or a DG/CDI combo.
Sandel's symbology and packaging are both top notch. Edge-lighted buttons surround the screen and provide the pilot with a straightforward interface. The Nav button selects the navigation sources to be displayed — it can choose from various VHF sources and ADF as well as GPS — while the Map button toggles the map display. The early production unit we sampled had a rudimentary map — just the waypoints spit out by the Bendix/King KLN 89B GPS driving it — but versions shipping now come with a Jeppesen-sourced database and more map detail. (A dataport on the instrument panel allows for updating the database and system software without removing the unit from the panel.) The Vue button selects the 360- or 120-degree HSI modes, while the arrowed buttons select the mapping range.
One other button on the Sandel is worthy of note. The A-B switch acts like an automatic declutter feature. You can configure the A map any way you like — 360-degree view, full map, reading from the GPS, for example — while the independently set-up B side can be configured to have the 120-degree arc and just the localizer displayed. With this feature, you can prime the Sandel for en route flying and instantly switch over to a configuration ideal for the approach — all with the push of one button.
Other ways in which Sandel's engineers have tamed the SN3308's sophisticated features include positioning the data tags in the same place every time — there's no need to scan the face to see where the GPS groundspeed display has ended up. The Sync button automatically slews the OBS to the next inbound course as dictated by the GPS, a handy feature in the en route environment.
As you would expect of an electronic system, the Sandel unit is marvelously flexible. At press time, the company had set up the 3308 to display Stormscope information. The unit is designed to work with a wide variety of conventional navcoms and GPSs, so you probably won't have to change much in the panel to accommodate the Sandel.
In flight, the Sandel box is eminently readable, even in a bright cabin. We flew for several minutes with the sun directly on the screen and could still read every symbol there. In a shaded cockpit, the Sandel's color and resolution are brilliant. Because the projection bulb is critical to the function of the 3308, Sandel recommends precautionary replacement at half the bulb's nominal 400-hour lifespan. The bulbs cost less than $30 and are easy to install. Moreover, there's sophisticated software in the San-del to ensure that the bulb does not overheat, even if the internal fan fails.
Expect installation to run around $2,000, according to the company; more if you are starting with just a DG in the airplane. The Sandel requires an external remote gyro and flux gate — just like the standard mechanical HSI — so if you've already got a KCS 55A, an S-Tec ST180, an old Collins PN 101, or other type of remote-gyro HSI, you've already got some of the equipment on board. Otherwise, budget another $4,000 for new equipment. Add to that the SN3308's base price of $7,895, and you'll be looking at nearly $14,000 for a full system. Make that about $10,000 if you're replacing a mechanical HSI.
If you've been shopping around for an HSI, you know that the Sandel's bottom line is agonizingly close to that of new mechanical equipment. But the tremendous flexibility and expandability of the Sandel puts it far ahead of the trusty mechanical HSI.
For more information, contact Sandel Avionics, 2401 Dogwood Way, Vista, California 92083; telephone 760/727-4900, fax 760/727-4899; or visit the Web site ( www.sandelavionics.com). — Marc E. Cook
Interactive FAR; FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test
Two new Windows-based software products can help you to master the federal aviation regulations and prepare for the FAA private pilot knowledge test. Both are by Smart Regs, a new Ohio-based company started by accountant Andy Rosenberg and his son, Aaron. Both are pilots.
It was Aaron's need for help in getting his pilot certificate three years ago that led his father to adapt a program already used to help accountants with the Internal Revenue Code. Trading FARs for the tax code launched Interactive FAR. Aaron helped with programming and development while in the process of obtaining his certificate.
Interactive FAR, available for $49.95, allows the user to look up regulations by number, by searching an index, or by choosing from a list of questions. A question-and-answer format cuts through complicated concepts related to many of the regulations. FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test, available for $45.95, drills the student on FAA questions and provides detailed explanations if wrong answers are chosen.
The programs require Windows 3.1 or better and have no special memory or processor requirements. For information, write Smart Regs Software, 4833 Darrow Road, Suite 106, Stow, Ohio 44224; telephone 800/713-2098 or 330/342-4498; or visit the Web site ( www.smartregs.com). — Alton K. Marsh
Briefly Noted
Avionics Innovations of Ramona, California, has introduced its new FAA-approved AI-Shuttle system, a multiple compact-disc player specifically designed for GA aircraft. The AI-Shuttle is operated by a panel-mounted control unit that commands either a six- or 12-disc changer that can be remotely mounted. Price of the six-disc changer is $2,595 and the 12-disc system is $2,995. AI also makes a $1,595 AM-FM-CD panel-mount entertainment system as well as a standalone $995 AM/FM receiver. For those entertainment systems playing through speakers, the company now offers the $495 AI-Amplifier, to boost output. For information, contact AI at 760/788-2602; or visit the Web site ( www.avionicsinnovations.com). — Peter A. BedellKnots 2U, of Burlington, Wisconsin, has introduced a main-gear fairing for fixed-gear Piper PA-28 and PA-32 airplanes that is claimed to increase cruise speed by five to seven knots. The fairings cover the brakes and torque link and are claimed to blend the strut into the wing more smoothly than other fairings. A set of fairings is available at an introductory price of $895. For information, telephone 414/763-6152. — PAB
Tanis Aircraft Services has introduced the engine aerator in an attempt to minimize the corrosion-causing humidity inside a preheated aircraft piston engine. The aerator is designed for wet-sump engines and mounts where the oil breather tube exits the cowling. The aerator, essentially a miniature hair dryer, is used in conjunction with the Tanis multiprobe preheater to circulate dry air throughout the engine. For more information, telephone Tanis at 800/443-2136 or 320/634-4772; or visit the Web site ( www.tanair.com). — PAB
Kennon electric engine blanket
Kennon Aircraft Covers offers an alternative to cold-weather engine warming chores in the form of an insulated engine cowling cover that can be fitted with a pair of Symtec aluminum heating elements. The 50-watt heaters attach with hook-and-loop fasteners to a radiant barrier sewn into the front of the cover in line with the cowling air intakes. Built-in thermostats maintain a temperature of 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit at the heater element surface.
The instruction sheet provided with the engine blanket points out that the system is not intended for quick preheats. Kennon designed the Electric Engine Blanket so that it can be left plugged in, maintaining a warm engine for easy cold-weather starts. According to Kennon, when properly installed, at 0-degrees F you can expect engine oil temperatures between 45 and 55 degrees F. Despite the heaters' being located at the opposite end of the engine compartment from the oil sump, the entire engine is kept warm.
An advantage of the Electric Engine Blanket is that the heating elements are not a permanent installation on the engine. Remove the cover and you remove the heating elements. No STC or FAA Form 337 is required. During warm weather, the heater stays in the hangar, so there is no weight penalty.
Installed on a Maule, the Electric Engine Blanket performed quite well. The Maule's large cowling intakes provided plenty of room for the heating elements. Care must be taken when positioning the heaters to make certain they don't touch the cowling. Kennon cautions that the heaters can, when hot, blister paint if they come in contact with the aircraft surface.
Kennon Aircraft Covers are individually tailored for each airplane. The insulated engine cover installed on the Maule was a snug fit the first time out of the storage bag. It's obvious that this is not a universal, one-size-fits-all design: The cover fit the cowling like a glove, with no gaps to allow cold air in. Kennon engine covers are constructed from two layers of waterproof nylon oxford cloth separated by a Dacron polyester insulation. The insulation is laminated to the outer shell of the cover, rather than quilted in, to maintain the insulation's loft and eliminate any unnecessary perforation of the shell. You can install the cover in a matter of minutes thanks to the hook-and-loop fasteners and a series of bungee/ball fasteners along the side of the cowling. Simply pull the ball through the nylon loop and release; it's a simple operation, even when wearing heavy winter gloves.
For more information, contact Kennon Aircraft Covers, 919 West Brundage Lane, Post Office Box 628, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801; telephone 307/674-6498; or visit the Web site ( www.kennoncovers.com). — Todd Kaho
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.
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