Avionics 


Avionics (EFIS)
The main instruments are EFIS type. To simulate the EFIS, I bought a 14" tft screen, which a stripped to use only the screen.Then I placed the screen verticalky, and my Graphics adapter driver is tilting the image.This decision is in certain ways a concession to reality, because it places the analog instruments far apart from the attitude indicator and the HIS. This is due to the relative large size of the TFT screen in comparison with real avionics (e.g. Collins). The 14" diagonal translates to a heigt of 9,2" and a width of 12,2" (there is a 1cm frame around the actual screen, thus making it larger than the image area. Now, because a Collins instrument is about 4.13" (10,5 cm)width in image area, that leaves 5,07" to divide over the left and right side of the EFIS screen.

If you want to do the same, make sure that

  • the power supply and the line feed goes directly into the screen and not through a stand.
  • the stand can be removed easily.
  • the frame aroiund teh screen can be removed (look for screws)

I use the Reality XP instruments. The Jetline 2 configuration is specific to this kind of instrumentation for this particular plane. Mainly the Attitude indicator is very nice when it fills the "screensize" of the upper instrument.
The HIS is wonderful and fully operational through control by a Goflight rotary encoder.

To do this, you have to access the config file and asign a letter to each command. Reality xp automaticaly preceeds that with CTRL+Shift. Then in FSCUIP, you can assign the switch to that letter comination. That's it and it works fine, since I use the RP48 to that effect. So I can dial in the range or push in the airport, VOR, INT, or flightplan update.


Avionics (analog)
The other instruments are from Simkits, a Dutch based company who produces instruments based on servomotors. You can either build them yourself as a kit, or buy them ready made. I did this, because it's a lot of money, but it works and I cant's scre up. Anyway, SimKits is a department of TRC Development b.v., who also produce The Real Cockpit complete flight simulators. TRC Development was founded in 1999 and has developed many flight instruments and avionics for the flight simulator industry. More information on Simkits and TRC Development can be found on the web.
I bought an airspeed indicator with a faceplate for higher speeds, an ADF, a turn coordinator, a digital clock, a vertical speed indicator and an altimeter.
The calibration of the instruments is very, very easy. They are working fine and I can assure you that the sense of realism and the degree of immersion in the simulation is second to none (except reality).
Apart from the EFIS instruments from reality XP, I use:
  • Airspeed indicator (IAS)
  • ADF
  • Altimeter
  • Vertical speed indicator
  • turn coordinator
  • digital clock
  • attidude indicator (as standby instrument)


The instruments are connected to a central computer unit (driven by a 5 volt power supply). The unit is connected by USB to the computer with a firmware installed on the CCU.