Which aircraft Part II

[Richard]

Mission: to install a IFR panel and most reasonable cost.
Panel minimum requirements: dual VOR head with DME/GS, 3LMB, current nav/comm radios with overhead speaker, ADF.
Optional equipment:HSI or RMI, GMN 430 or equal.

Shown are current panels. Which would be likely to incur lowest cost to meet panel requirements and ease of use?

 

[Richard]

look under separate post titled, Look here, for panel pics. Submit responses in Which Aircraft Part II please. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[SCCutler]

No contest, it'd be the Beech. The Musketeer family have what I think is perhaps the best panel layout in the game.

 

[gismo]

I think the Beech panel has the room to accomodate future improvements without crowding. As to what you should change now, it's difficult to see exactly what's in the panel.

For a very worthwhile setup on a budget I'd consider the KLN-94/KMD-250. The biggest downside is the current lack of XM weather capability which I would consider a must in any serious SE IFR airplane today. The 250 does display King's proprietary wx products so you could go that route. I suspect that they will join the XM bandwagon sometime in the future though or at least provide a means to connect with ADS-FIS but you never know. You could substitute a Garmin 396 for the 250 but then I'd push hard for a Garmin 430 since they will talk to each other and the user interface is similar. With the KLN-94 you still need com radios (2) so unless you already have two good enough ones, the 430 route might be the most bang for the bux.

In any case I'd say an IFR approach capable GPS is a must have, with a nod towards the 430 since it is potentially upgradeable to WAAS (the KLN-94 is definitely not). I do believe you could live with a single VOR/LOC/GS receiver along with a separate IFR GPS so your second com could be com only if you have the KLN-94.

I'd definitely pass on any ADF and even yank an existing one if you need the room/weight. I also think you can live without DME although the current FAA thinking seems to foolishly restrict where you can substitute the GPS for DME. Hopefully that will change soon. And if you are on a tight budget I'd at least delay the purchase of a HSI, it's likely that prices on EHSI will start coming down as more companies get into the market.