The Sandel SN3308, left, and Bendix/King KI825, right. The Sandel has a larger display area and accepts more external inputs. KI825 has a more reliable color active-matrix LCD display.

by Larry Anglisano

When Bendix/King introduced the EFIS40/50 Electronic Flight Instrument System two decades ago, the product was a hit with owners lusting over airplane and bizjet glass cockpits. The $80,000-plus EFIS became optional equipment in airplanes as small as Mooneys and Malibus, although precious few could afford it.

These days, the Bendix/King EFIS 40 and the 5-inch EFIS 50 live on in the likes of Pilatus PC12s and TBM700s. For the rest of us, EHSI options are limited to two decidedly downscale options: the Bendix/King KI825 and the now discontinued Sandel SN3308. The modern EHSI concept is simpler and cheaper than the original EFIS, as there’s no need for expensive remote…