Misc

WSI Fan
We just put a WSI Inflight displayed on a MX-20 in our Malibu. It is a fantastic piece of gear. It completely eliminates the need for a Stormscope-we spent seven grand on a WX-500, too-and it is really better than onboard radar due to the panning feature, which lets you look ahead (or around) as far as you want.

The articles that talk about the need forboth are just wrong and I suspect are driven by the same thought process that sold us on putting in the WX-500 and were originated by those who want to sell more avionics gear. The signal is almost never more than two minutes old and I have never seen it older than four minutes. The 1 nm resolution is sufficient bu…

Both companies earn praise for good customer support and warranty performance.

Tiger Payload
In the article Loading with Abandon in your August issue, the author suggested that it was …almost impossible to put two full-sized people in [a Tiger] with full fuel… This statement is at best inaccurate and at worst false.

A survey of several hundred owners has elicited no information which indicates Tigers cannot be loaded with two full-sized adults with nothing in the back seat or baggage area and still remain within the forward CG. It was only with two 250-pounders that the forward CG limit was achieved on any Tiger and given that the FAA considers a standard adult to be 180 pounds [actually 170 or, lately, 190 pounds-Ed.] one can hardly call s…

Want to fly your airplane on company business? Excess liability coverage may be the best (not cheapest) solution.

Who says diesels are stinky, noisy and vibey? This one is smoother than a Lyc but at a princely price premium.

New Engines
I agree 100-percent with your conclusions in the July article about Bombardiers engines. One data point for you: Rotax builds the 998 cc 60-degree V-twin engine used in all the larger Aprilia motorcycles. (Whats this? An Italian bike with an Austrian engine?)

Its a great little engine, powerful and flexible and so far extremely reliable. Itll do 110 HP at the rear wheel in totally stock form and 120 to 125 HP with a freer-flowing pipe and a slight remap. But…they are notoriously thirsty! A similar-displacement Ducati can pound out 40 to 48 MPG all day long, but the Aprilia Tuono I have only once touched 40 MPG; more often its 35.

Just for your interest,…

Electronic engine controls are finding some takers but customer response has been anemic. Heres an update.

Weve been writing sky-is-falling stories about the demise of avgas for 20 years. Heres why its still around.

WSI Price?
In a recent article about data link weather systens, you got it wrong. The price for the WSI InFlight uncertified weather data link system is $3495, not $3995. And it is less pixelated than most of the competition due to its 1-mile resolution. Even the original NEXRAD data is pixelated at the source, since it is a digital system. I think its resolution is about the same as WSIs.

-Norm Crabill
Newport News, Virginia

Actuually, we were referring to the certified system. WSI says the price will be $4995, plus $49.95 a month for datalink service.

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More Weatherlink
Your recent report on aircraft datalink prompted me t…

Our annual look at the best products and services. This years top pick: Garmin GPS 196 portable.

A new product called The Claw grips the ground tenaciously. Its far better than the typical K-9 auger.

Sunglasses Tips
I read your article on sunglasses in the April issue and I look forward to the next installment discussing brands. My wife is a USAF- trained flight optometrist. I met her when I was converting from flying F-16s to C-130s. The vision enhancement requirements were significantly different between those two cockpits! I suggest finding an optometrist with aviation-specific training to determine your vision enhancement requirements if youre able.

Some comments:

Just like your windscreen, never clean your glasses with paper products. Paper is made from wood; its like very fine sandpaper and using it will scratch your lenses and remove coatings. Also, don’t…