Reviews - Waddya Want?

[Guest pelorus32]

Now recently Ian very gently stirred me up for my sloth with respect to reviews.

 

I have to apologise for the lack of reviews recently. I've had a few things on my plate including some so and so who broke a key piece of equipment on my boat - that means that the maintenance manager has had to fix it (me). Also I've been building a new website which has been fun but very time consuming.

 

As a result of the website build I could do a very good review of web Content Management Systems - but this of course is a a Rec Flying website. So the question is:

 

What reviews do you want?

 

Please let me have suggestions and requests.

 

Galpin wrote me a note:

 

I am trying to decide what flight systems to use. To stay with "steam gauges" or go with a glass cockpit. In the Oct. edition of the RAA Magazine there is an advertisement for the Trutrack flight system. I like the look of the screen. Will you be doing any reviews of this system or other glass systems in the near future.

 

Just wondering.

 

Kind regards

 

Galpin

 

The answer is I could review the Dynon D100 but I'm not sure how I would review the other ones. I need to have access to aircraft with the system in them and that's hard.

 

Any thoughts welcome. I've got a couple in the pipeline but really need to know what you want.

 

Kind regards

 

Mike

 

 

[Guest drizzt1978]

Its not an easy one....but reviews of different aircraft. I am sure there is some helpfull people here,(might give you some biased opinions) but they may night like the reviews. Maybe comparing aircraft to a bechmark like a JAB 160, or something....just an idea...

 

 

[Guest Graham Lea]

Reviews of the glass systems would be excellent as these are of interest to all of us considering upgrading. Maybe the manufacturers/agents could assist you with someone with the one installed.

 

 

[jetjr]

Dynon D100/180 with AP?

 

Trutrak screen and AP?

 

Dynon have brought the price down to a point where a leveller is very attractive

 

JR

 

 

[Galpin]

I received a brief information package + photo of the TruTrak system last week. This came from Flymore P/L of Goolwa, SA. If the person behind this enterprise is on the forum, then greater information can be forwarded to us or Pelorus32. If not on the forum, does anybody know who this is?

 

Tony Brand at Horsham handles the Dynon systems.

 

With the Australian dollar where it is in relation to the the US dollar, any glass cockpit will now cost considerably more. For that matter so will a GPS and radios.

 

 

[jetjr]

$AUD has made it harder but Dynon AP is $750 add on to any D10, D100 or D180

 

Servos are availiable now, software sometime in Nov (free)

 

See Dynon website for info

 

JR

 

 

[Admin]

Its not an easy one....but reviews of different aircraft. I am sure there is some helpfull people here,(might give you some biased opinions) but they may night like the reviews. Maybe comparing aircraft to a bechmark like a JAB 160, or something....just an idea...

This is coming up in the not very distant future and it has been on the books for some time now, in fact since July 2007 - nearly 1.5 years ago when I asked if there were any volunteers for this role:

http://www.recreationalflying.com/forum/announcements-notams/3744-forum-job-vacancies-enhancements.html

 

Each review will be constructed in a way that is like what you say in that all aircraft reviewed will be benchmarked on the J160.

 

It isn't really a big thing but we just want to do it properly not like the amateurish way it is done elsewhere but more on this later.

 

Anyone want to help out on doing this?

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

I really enjoy reading pilot reports, but the subjectivity of the individual reporter has always been an issue for people wanting to put that information to practical use. A former fighter pilot is going to interpret flying qualities and say different things than someone who has always flown ultralights. It'll be a real accomplishment if you're successful in defining a test report bench mark, especially if the results are repeatable regardless of who the pilot is.

 

Can I request the Morgan Sierra as one of the first tests? As far as I can tell it's one of the few aircraft in this country that's never had an independent review published. Actually a comparison between the Cheetah and Sierra would be a good idea.

 

 

[Admin]

The 160 needs to be the first one to get the benchmark but offcourse before that we need one single person who is willing to volunteer to be the Recreational Flying Chief Aircraft Reviewer to do the reports first - anyone willing to put their hand up??????????

 

One thing that needs to be included is substantial weather reports for the review flight, a priority numbering system for scoring based on the general consensus of Rec Flying members on what they like/dislike in an aircraft (a score sheet for everyone to comment on will be done soon) and much more - as I said this needs to be done properly and professionally so people can compare more accurately then a person's own personal comments which doesn't reaaly reflect the aircraft to the person reading the review.

 

Hey Pelorus32, feel like being the aircraft reviewer - you would have to start with a Jabiru ;)

 

 

[Guest landmann]

I have used the Dynon 100 for two years. 10 instruments in one. Digital readouts. Just love it. Would never ever consider going back to the steam age.

 

Martin:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

The answer is I could review the Dynon D100 but I'm not sure how I would review the other ones. I need to have access to aircraft with the system in them and that's hard.

Maybe just for this website is too limited for them to spend money on, but if you manage to get the reviews into print also you might have luck with the importers and manufacturers taking you for a ride. (and give you access to simulation software if they have it)

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

[snip]

Hey Pelorus32, feel like being the aircraft reviewer - you would have to start with a Jabiru ;)

Well as it happens I broke my own rules when I accepted an offer from a very nice bloke and went for a fly in a J120 recently.

 

Whatever the case when you review aircraft (or anything else) you will get subjectivity simply because a human is involved.

 

So for example it matters not a jot to my daughter if the seating is cramped because she's small - but I'm not and it does matter to me....

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

No point me nominating, my grand total flight hours in RAAus aircraft is 0.3 hrs. But I can write a review based on my experience with the G1000 if you like, and I'd be happy to review other glass products. As Martin said, once you've used glass there's no going back. If I ever do build a Morgan Sierra it may be the first one with an all glass cockpit.

 

 

[Admin]

Well as it happens I broke my own rules when I accepted an offer from a very nice bloke and went for a fly in a J120 recently.Whatever the case when you review aircraft (or anything else) you will get subjectivity simply because a human is involved.

 

So for example it matters not a jot to my daughter if the seating is cramped because she's small - but I'm not and it does matter to me....

 

Regards

 

Mike

Mike, this is why we need to use say the 160 as the benchmark with many areas quantifiable i.e. cabin width at hips:

J160 is X and scores 5 points,

 

Aircraft being reviewed is X + 2" so it scores say 7 points in this area

 

All this is based on whether "cabin width at hips" is in fact a priority choice as defined by the forum users and if it is a high priority it may be given a multiplier of say 1.2 as well. A lower priority area may be given a multiplier of say 0.8

 

This is an example of what I mean by a proper scoring system. Naturally there has to be some humanised element but a mixture of both I believe will work well especially if the humaniser is of a high level experienced pilot.