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Budget Fuel Computers: Shadin, JPI, El

The Electronics International FP-51, on the left, and JPI FS-450, on the right, don't require any panel modification because they fit in a standard 2-inch instrument cutout.

We see plenty of fuel exhaustion events in the NTSB wreck reports, and we suspect some might have been avoided with fuel totalizers. These are valuable devices, especially when interfaced with panel GPS navigators, because you’ll always know how much fuel you’ll have to a given waypoint in the flight plan. 

Better yet, if your long-term plan includes a big-screen engine and fuel monitoring system, you can likely still retain some of the hardware that’s used in a basic, low-cost fuel totalizer installation. Here’s a scan of the market.

Larry Anglisano

Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano has been a staple at Aviation Consumer since 1995. An active land, sea and glider pilot, Larry has over 30 years’ experience as an avionics repairman and flight test pilot. He’s the editorial director overseeing sister publications Aviation Safety magazine, IFR magazine and is a regular contributor to KITPLANES magazine with his Avionics Bootcamp column.