@Off_Field, actually, the certified G5 has exactly the same features and is exactly the same unit (both hardware and firmware). The extra price is for paperwork only.
Ultranomad. Thanks, I was aware they were the same physical unit. I had thought that the autopilot driving function and some efis integration that the experimental version had was disabled for the certified version. I’m not up to current speed on this so it has perhaps changed.
Off_Field, no, nothing is disabled, some installation arrangements are merely uncertified from the regulatory viewpoint; also, the new low-cost GFC500 autopilot by Garmin is explicitly designed to be used with a G5 in a certified environment.
The higher price of the certified version also supports the installer margin – of the order of 25%. Installers are not able to install the uncertified version and, in the case of Garmin at least, individuals are not able to purchase the certified version.
dejwu wrote:
Genesys bought STEC business to cash in investments, not to do a bunch of pilots good.
I am sure that is part of the reason why Gensys was formed as a management buyout, but high on the list was local control of their product pricing, development, and support for Stec autopilots. The prior owner laid down too many restrictions.
Peter wrote:
in the case of Garmin at least, individuals are not able to purchase the certified version.
I don’t think that’s correct – you can buy the certified G5 as an individual from Mendelssohn Pilot Supplies in Scotland (as well as a bunch of other certified Garmin stuff, e.g. radios and transponders).
Off_Field wrote:
I’d be interested to also know why you think that one pays more for a for a certified garmin G5 for fewer features.
Because you will pay more for it. Quite simple.
Once established, a certified piece of equipment is just a printed A4 page more expensive as the uncertified piece out of the same factory. This affects avionics as well as propellers, engines, magnetos…
MedEwok wrote:
What other reasons do you suggest for the fact that overall GA technology is decades behind automotive technology?
Volume. But make a simple calculation: How many pieces of equipment will you be able to sell to the aviation community? How long will it take you to develop and test the stuff? Then you need to set up sales, after sales, customer support, marketing, production, accounting, etc. Do not forget your own salary, loans / investment returns, etc. Certification cost do depend a lot on how you start your development and how controlled your processes are in the first place. Then take this sum and divide it by the numbers sold. Certification costs will be in the single percent range of the total price of the unit.
Peter wrote:
We may be in agreement as regards normal avionics (where every mess a manufacturer gets into gets blamed on certification but is probably mostly due to poor processes, lack of money, lack of production QA resulting in bad publicity resulting in more lack of money, etc) but it seems to be true for autopilots which do require a lot of flight testing, at least nowadays.
Peter wrote:
The STC is specific to every airframe and in most cases to every engine option too (e.g. a turbo variant is a different autopilot STC to a non turbo variant – as some have found out to their cost, sometimes a long time after the installation during which the installer did not spot the error) and that means a lot of work.
you can buy the certified G5 as an individual from Mendelssohn Pilot Supplies in Scotland (as well as a bunch of other certified Garmin stuff, e.g. radios and transponders).
I know, but that particular outlet (a perfectly reputable firm AFAIK) is the subject of some controversy within Garmin 
Someone in the trade told me recently that they can get the stuff because they shift a lot of it – way more than most installers will buy. And Garmin let them have only the lower end of their avionics range. You still cannot buy a GTN for example.
No, the STC is TCDS-Specific, unless you exclude any airframes explicitly. Very seldom this is engine-specific. You need, however, show compliance to the Certification Specs within the whole aircraft flight envelope.
Empirical evidence always trumps theory 
but if I posted more detail it would make some people extremely unhappy.
Aircraft Spruce’s website is ambiguous as to whether Garmin dealer involvement is required for G5 installation. After one oblique reference to Garmin installer involvement the site says “more information will be provided prior to orders starting to ship” but they are in stock and shipping now to anybody.
Garmin is under pressure for some products to make “exceptions” to its “installation policy”. For Experimental planes they sell direct and for some products on certified planes likewise. For the GTX 335 ADS-B OUT transponder they’ve explicitly folded and are selling them for customer installation on certified planes, whereas for the GTX 345 they have not relented. You can imagine which of those models I now have on the shelf, ready to be A&P installed. The same would hold true for the G5 – it’s a very interesting product, my plane is in the AML, it can utilize the GTX 335 GPS data within the certified installation options, but there is no way a big fraction of the market will buy it unless they can also install it.
I bought my certified G5 by a French reseller and the installation was done by my mecano. It is totally legal.It is an instrument (artificial horizon ),so it follows the same rules than the other instruments.
No i will install a new radio,that must be done by a radio workshop and he needs to deliver me an LSA (radio)
