But they are! This week I was mulling over my options for instruments and really didn't like what I was seeing. For conventional instruments the weight was incredibly high, not to mention the costs. My next option was the Belite aircraft instruments. These are really neat, but the altimeter is AGL and only goes up to 1200'; the voltage source is a 9 volt battery; they are lighter than conventional instruments but still fairly heavy; and they are expensive too. The next consideration was something like an EIS which is a great solution but expensive and is more serious than needed for an ultralight. So what did I come up with? Well, I have used an Arduino in a past project and I know that I can piece together a simple system for an altimeter, VSI, thermometer, magnetic compass, and ASI. I can add engine functions if I choose to in the future. Now before anyone starts to worry about the safety of such a system, I will also have a handheld GPS in the plane so the systems will offer redundancy. I am not 100% decided if I will add a second screen with engine readouts or not. The awesome part is that this system should weigh in well below 1/2 pound and cost less than $150!
I ordered the material for my front landing gear fork from McMaster Carr today so I should see that in the next day or two.
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