vertical card compass installation

[DKirkpatrick]

Hi, Looking at an older airplane that doesn't have a heading indicator in the panel. Is is ok, legal, otherwise koposetic with the FAA and the world to install one of these in the panel for use as a primary indicator?
coaching appreciated

dan

 

[Jesse Saint]

A compass is required equipment. It can be an electronic slaved compass if certified as primary, but either a wet compass or vertical card compass is required.

 

[DKirkpatrick]

Got ya. THANKS for the response. This is an old airplane with only an old whiskey compass on the windshield. And it's adequate for the antique airplane... just thinking that the vertical card compass doesn't dance around as much, and if it was mounted in the panel, would make a good indicator to navigate by — in sever VFR conditions... or at least better than just the whiskey compass. Can the compass be mounted just right in front of the pilot? The airplane has an attitude indicator coupled to an external Venturi source... but no heading indicator... THANKS!

 

[Brad Z]

VCC are notorious for bouncing around in some aircraft. I'm on my third VCC in a Cessna 182 that hops around. My next compass will be whiskey.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

I can only speak for myself. On a VFR only airplane, I pretty much don’t care much about a compass other than in very general terms. I would just leave what is there there and look out the window.

 

[DKirkpatrick]

good info. THANKS

 

[Howard Wilson]

How old is the airplane? Was a compass on the required equipment list? ;-) The 1936 Parrakeet didn't require a compass or airspeed indicator.......
I replaced the whiskey compass on my '56 172 with a VCC and thought it was a big improvement. Very DG like without the precession.
h

 

[Jdm]

We just had a new VCC put in the 172 along with a fresh compass swing. It cost way more than I expected but it’s much better than the old whiskey compass that we had before. I’ve read a lot of bad reviews about VVC’s but this one seems to be pretty solid. The only issue I have is the large E deviation according the new card. It’s off about 7 degrees in that direction. Other directions are normal with about 3 being the average. Here’s a pic. Seems like we got it from Spruce.

 

[DKirkpatrick]

think it's a 57 C-172... Sounds like the VCC will work. THANKS

 

[DKirkpatrick]

and Jdm... that panel's beautiful