C510 yes definitely
Question for regular radar users :
the DA42 G1000 manual recommends that the radar is on standby mode during all taxi operations to avoid damage.
The reason is that when it is in standby it stabilized and centered (as opposed to off where it can drop against the stops).
Do you know how critical is it to respect that ? and how quickly damage can occur otherwise ?
Do the same recommendations apply for C510, PA46 or TBMS ?
Thank you in advance
The old King radars had some form of pitch and roll stabilisation, because the KI256 (which is at least 35 years old now) pitch and roll outputs have since for ever been used for radar stabilisation. Especially the Mod 11 on the KI256 which AIUI was introduced specifically to avoid the loading effect on its outputs when driving both a King autopilot and a King radar.
Snoopy wrote:
I must add here that diamond really provides the best bang for the buck with the 42/62: twin, diesel, fadec, wx radar. If one isn’t up to spending significantly more they are very good options.
I like my DA42 and DAI produces really good aircrafts but they have some issues with aftersales support (not fulfilled promises to DA62 owners regarding G1000 functionalities), lack of SW/HW upgrade availability legacy G1000 for all aircrafts, so it can challenged whether DA62 is best bang for the buck ($1.5 million for unpressurized, FL200, 180 KTAS, 1800 hours TBO).
I must add here that diamond really provides the best bang for the buck with the 42/62: twin, diesel, fadec, wx radar. If one isn’t up to spending significantly more they are very good options.
there is significant non reflecting stuff above a cell which should not be flown through (I agree). It is amazing that publications on radar use disagree so much on its proper use.
The newer engines (and obviously the pitot vanes) do not like ice crystals, another factor when deciding about overflight.
I like the radar very much and 99% of the time the auto function works well. The exception is a major squall line (all red) where you have to pick the least worst route in manual mode. There is also a automatic windshear warning system, which runs off the wx radar in the background, even when the radar is manually selected to off.
As I learned to operate wx radars in a twin turboprop this modern stuff feels like a piece of cake. After a few years of using not so sophisticated equipment it’s really a lot about using one’s intuition. I felt very comfortable interpreting the replies on a non „automatic“ radar. Some things need just need time and experience.
Looking at youtube videos, the GWX80 is closer to what big planes use with it’s auto tilt, volumetric scanning, ground suppression, turbulence detection and lightning prediction functions. Still limited by antenna size, but it’s an upgrade that I’d be happy to install. For me the GWX70 that I currently use is difficult to set up correctly and ground clutter makes it hard to read.
Snoopy wrote:
787 uses this.
Thank you for posting. That radar system seems to be far superior to what I have seen in GA aircraft. Real 320Nm range, auto calibration of installation errors, no ground clutter, probably close to 180 degree sweep, even radar in turns, turbulence detection…
While some publications focus so much on scanning whatever thread is at the current cruise level this video insists on the fact there is significant non reflecting stuff above a cell which should not be flown through (I agree). It is amazing that publications on radar use disagree so much on its proper use.
Peter
WX Radar can’t detect lightening but it can detect turbulence and you can assume that the two phenomenon are connected, I am lucky to fly with what is just about the best WX Radar on the market.
I was very fortunate to attend a lecture given by one of the manufacturers engineers who spent two hours telling us about the system, in short it has a brain the size of a planet with compensation for each 10 degree grid square for the rain drop size vs turbulence so the picture is constant for the severity of the turbulence world wide.
The punch line of two hours of talk was the system is best left in the auto setting except when about to start descent then set the Radar down a few degrees and then put it back into auto.
