PL21 Autopilot Unit

Based on the Pro Line 21 autopilot, we've recently added the PL21 Autopilot Unit to our list of products. This unit is supplied complete with a controller board for communicating via USB to a simulator. 

The unit is fully backlit, as shown in the above photograph.

A small software program is included, which can be used to send commands from the panel to a compatible simulator that has a registered version of FSUIPC, but there is also the ability to communicate directly with the Arduino controller. This allows you the option of writing your own software. Full communication details will of course be provided.

TBM-900 Landing Gear Panel

This is our first completed TBM-900 panel, which is fully backlit and comes supplied with all of the hardware shown in the photos below. 

In order to show the separation of the indicator backlighting, only one 

of the position indicators has been illuminated in these photos.

The following photo shows the panel backlighting on 

but all of the indicators (and the transition light) off.

And with everything off in daylight ...

We'll be releasing several other TBM-900 panels shortly, and we currently have a very patient customer awaiting the first set. They're all 95% complete but we're currently awaiting the delivery of some special switches before we show any photos of them ... ! 

Bell 206 NVG Avionics Stack

Below are a few quick photos showing an avionics stack that we made back in 2017 and which was destined for a Bell 206 simulator that required Night Vision training, hence the green backlighting and the red 7-segment digits.

The blank panel near the top of the unit was just a placeholder that we sent with the avionics stack until we'd made the EFIS units that would eventually be fitted. These are shown further down the post.

The above photo shows the unit with only the backlighting on, whilst below all of the individual radios have also been switched on.

The radios automatically pick up the correct information whenever they are turned on.

Below is the EFIS panel that would later replace the blank panel. The reason behind there being two separate EFIS units is that we built and supplied two separate avionics stacks.

C206 Pedestal Unit

This C206 Pedestal Unit was supplied along with the main instrument panel that was written about in an earlier post, here.

Dummy HF COMM Control Panel

This dummy HF COMM Control Panel faceplate was made for a customer who didn't actually require an operational radio but wanted something that at least looked the part, and so this was what we came up with. 

As much as we can, we like to make provisions so that dummy items can be made functional at some stage in the future if this is required. For this reason, it was constructed using the same measurements that we would use if building a working radio - although there's obviously no circuit board or display fitted to this example. 

And because we don't know how it might be used in the future, we ensured that the paint is bleed-proof should backlighting ever be needed, and the three buttonheads are similarly constructed and can all be individually removed for re-use.

We've previously found that dummy items are just as susceptible to people trying to operate them as functional parts, so we made sure to fit some encoders behind the two knobs - this means that they can be freely turned without causing any physical damage. Dummy buttons are also likely to be pressed, meaning that it's a good idea to secure them in place to prevent frustrated pilots from pushing them through the panel in their efforts to force some reaction!

This particular radio was destined for a Cessna Citation simulator, but we've also seen photos of them being used in TBM-900's, which happens to be the next product range that we're currently working on ...