First Look: WingBug is a handful
Portable pitot static system in your palm
About the size of two fists put together, the battery-powered WingBug hardware can be attached under a wing or on a wing strut with a typical action camera mount. A pitot tube on the leading edge combined with the 12-hour rechargeable battery and other sensors inside provide the air data attitude and heading reference system (ADAHRS) data necessary to safely fly the airplane. The data is sent via Wi-Fi to the Apple device running the app and is displayed as a conventional six-pack of instruments, including actual airspeed, an important differentiator from apps that only display groundspeed. An upcoming change to the app will also allow it to show the information more like a modern EFIS glass-panel display, with airspeed and altitude in a tape format, for example.
In addition to the traditional six-pack information, the system includes angle of attack, slip/skid, and ADS-B In information.
A product of Straight & Level Technologies, WingBug was introduced at Sun ’n Fun this year. The company’s booth was a popular stop for pilots in the Aviation Gateway Park at EAA AirVenture in late July 2018.
WingBug can be used for primary information in an Experimental airplane or as a backup on certificated aircraft. The company points out that at $950 and just 1.3 pounds (including the iPad), the product is a good alternative to conventional instruments—which cost nearly $3,800 and weigh more than six pounds, not including wiring and installation hardware. The app subscription is free the first year with the purchase of the hardware.
The system can easily be moved between airplanes, which can be a handy feature for flight instructors because the app also records the flight parameters in a KML file format. With that, the student or instructor can replay the flight via CloudAhoy or Google Earth, a good debriefing tool.
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MyGoFlight system nears certification
The SkyDisplay HUD-LCD180 head-up display from MyGoFlight is nearing certification. A departure for the company known for its flight bags and pilot accessories, the head-up display (HUD) is a longtime dream of CEO Charlie Schneider. His goal has been to offer pilots flying light turbine airplanes to high-performance piston singles the benefits of a head-up display, devices usually only found on military, airline, and high-end business jets—where the usual price of entry for a HUD starts at six figures.
The system consists of an aircraft interface device that can be buried behind the panel. It sends certified flight information from the panel-mount systems to a small projector from the automotive world mounted over the pilot’s head and projects the image onto a combiner suspended in front of the pilot. Much of the recent advancement has been in the level of sophistication of the presentation, now projected in two colors, and enabling reconfiguration of the display based on phase of flight. For example, at 40 knots, the display switches from ground mode to flight mode, bringing forward the flight path marker. During takeoff, it shows custom V speeds and allows the pilot to keep his or her eyes focused down the runway, rotating at precisely the right speed, maximizing safety and minimizing runway used. In the cruise phase, the HSI becomes larger. That, combined with the zero pitch line and flight path marker, makes for easier en route flying and simplified approaches. On approach, the pilot can again maintain better situational awareness by keeping eyes focused on the runway when transitioning from instrument to visual conditions. Airspeed and altitude trend tapes provide additional pilot cues.
Schneider hoped to have certification flights completed in September and to quickly follow with an approved model list for installation in Cirrus airplanes first, with other high-performance singles to follow quickly. The initial Cirrus approvals will be for those equipped with Avidyne displays; approvals for Aspen- and Garmin-equipped airplanes would be next. The price for an Avidyne-equipped Cirrus should be about $25,000. Aspen-equipped models will be closer to $18,000 because there is no need for the interface device in that configuration. —TBH
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