If you are piloting an ultralight or light plane VFR, you really don’t need an artificial horizon or a heading indicator. But you do need airspeed and altitude, and it’d be nice to have that available in a compact, clear, modern package. Even better, you’d like to make sure everything is happy in the power barn, as well as your airspeed and altitude.
In the spirit of providing everything you need and nothing you don’t, Wapsi Aero brought a bright and affordable electronic flight instrument that has generated quite a bit of buzz at AirVenture’s ultralight field. The rectangular instrument provides graphical engine data mid screen with airspeed and altitude in legible tape readouts on each side—combining a partial EFIS with an engine monitor. The screen is bright and easily readable, even in direct sunlight. The instrument also provides Hobbs and flight timers as well as battery voltage.
Even better, the Wapsi device is designed to fit into the same hole that may currently house a GRT EIS engine monitor—of which there have to be thousands in the field. It has the same physical footprint and the exact same connectors and pinouts. Installation appears to be just that simple: If you have a GRT EIS, swap out the unit and keep all the existing sensors. Add pitot and static lines to get airspeed and altitude. The only parameter the Wapsi units don’t currently support is fuel flow, though that’s in the works.
Wapsi currently has instruments for two-cylinder, two-stroke engines ($699), two-cylinder four-stroke engines ($749) and a four-cylinder, four-stroke application ($799). All prices are less probes; the Wapsi devices can use GRT, MGL, VDO and generic thermocouple probes. More configurations are under development. For more information, go to www.wapsiaero.com.
