BOM Wing Mounted ADAHRS Flight Trial

Last year, Levil Aviation showed off its wing-mounted portable ADAHRs called the BOM. It kinda looks like its namesake, too. In this video, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli reports on how the gadget works.

[@christopherbeddoe406]

This thing looks like a great upgrade for us frugal aviators to augment old steam gauge output.

[@bobjohn2000]

Forget this BOM thing, I think the dude flying left seat in the bonanza should get an oscar for his acting

[@jonathanwelter]

Love the shoulder harness comment. LOL. Keep up the good reports.

[@BrianMonette]

Especially since they’re not required for taxi. 😆

[@johngilbert1325]

best sense of humor of any aviation channel...

[@paulschannel3046]

Great report. Thanks Paul! Sorry you lost that camera. I like the idea of something like this, simple and not that expensive for so much information beemed to the cockpit. I think of all the info available today and am amazed. I once flew a cessna 152 900 miles each way to see my son in when he was in the navy. All I had was a sectional, and a garmin handheld.... the gps 3 pilot. That screen as you know was about the size of a box of matches. No traffic, no weather. Almost seems fool hardy now.

[@broken2352]

Wanna say that while reviewing the BOM they invented a new meaning for "photo bomb" when they lost the camera .. Very fitting

[@gumby442]

wow...I am impressed , don't you just love technology

[@carpenterfamily6198]

Would love to see an update on this product. ( June 2020 )

[@brianb5594]

Great report as always Paul! I look forward to reading about the BOM in AC. Thanks!

[@RumblestripDotNet]

11:40 best part of the video when Paul calls out the Chairborne Warrior Brigade and the Safety Stasi! :D

[@formulaben]

LMFAO!!

[@28881828]

@ Rumblestrip.NET hey dude. May I ask you, where you from? I´m surprised you use the word "Stasi" in this way. Thought only people in germany, especially in eastern germany use this word. Thanks

[@marks6663]

nazi is so overused. So we give the nazis a break once in a while. Insult the communists now and again. Stasi sounds like Nazi, but more accurate.

[@Kimoto504]

BTW, the bomb dropping sound effect was apropos considering you did drop some ordnance (the camera). 3:-)

[@birdwing98]

Neither front seat occupants were wearing pocket protectors! I'm gonna call the FSDO.

[@jamesedmister9922]

Amazing instument!!!

[@bjs2022]

Good report, thanks, with fairly good inflight sound. (Many headsets are terrible for recording.)

[@hogey74]

Good report thanks. Here come the reasonably-priced avionics upgrades. All that's lacking is a panel-mounted jettison button...

[@mikemeyers6514]

How about for use as an instrument solution for experimental aircraft? With the BOM on the wing, the only things you need on the panel are an iPad mount and an engine management system. In essence, a quality glass panel (especially once integrated with Foreflight) for under $3000 and a lot easier to install.

[@brent1041]

That's how I see the BOM working too. Especially for the low cost experimental guys

[@AlejandroIrausquin]

That is the idea Mike Meyers, that is were Levil Aviation comes from!

[@vasicp]

And apparently, they can integrate engine sensors and data into this BOM thing, although I'm not sure what would be the benefit. Unless they sell sensors that wirelessly connect to the BOM device, which then wirelessly streams all that data to the iPad in the cockpit, it isn't all that valuable. Engine sensors will most likely have wires leading to a single device (somewhere on either side of the firewall). That device may well work with a separate display device (another iPad, or a phone, or a discrete monitor), since none of the engine data depends on any of the sensors in the BOM. You can only cram so much stuff onto the single screen, and while having engine data displayed together with the rest of the EFIS, weather and traffic may be a nice feature to have, I have a feeling most people would rather declutter their primary flight display just a bit.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@AVWeb >>> Could a BOM be mounted on the fuselage -- somewhere _outside_ prop wash -- to negate that underwing higher pressure issue?

[@bcfreedomfighterbcff167]

This is a game changer!!!!!

[@AnthonysResurrectionGarage]

You made me subscribe and hit like when you commented about people on KZbin losing their S**T if you don’t have your shoulder harness on. LMAO.

[@johncarr123]

When it comes with the internal ADSB antenna that is when I would consider a purchase.

[@sopilote56]

Lost the Virb Elite :-( at 3:54 My favorite action camera as well. A good lesson reminding us that suction cup mounts are not a good idea on external aircraft surfaces. I (usually) use suction cups outside only with a paracord safety line and gaffers tape as backup.

[@AVweb]

Not a suction cup. GoPro adhesive mount. Probably bad adhesive, because I've never lost them in dozens of flights, not to mention skydiving helmets.

[@sopilote56]

Yikes! That makes me very nervous. I use a GoPro adhesive mount for my Virb E. It is located in a spot directly behind a glider canopy where nothing else would work. The Flight Flix stuff is good but they don't do adhesive. GoPro does recommend alcohol swabbing and letting adhesive mounts set for an hour before use which I am sure you - being the careful guy that does pull tests - did.

[@AVweb]

If it hasn't come off yet, it probably never will. I think the adhesive was just substandard or maybe the surface contaminated.

[@Kimoto504]

So that's the ordinance you dropped, fitting of the sound effect at the start of the video :-P

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@AVweb >>> You could say your camera really _"came unglued"._ {I'll see myself out now...😝}

[@nyrubin]

Would you say that it’s the same as one of the more expensive stratus together with synthetic vision on ForeFlight?

[@Recovering_Californian]

Years ago I had the same thing happen: My GoPro suction mount, complete with running GoPro, fell off mid flight. Fortunately it was over CA Death Valley. I still filed a ASRS later that same day.

[@happysawfish]

Recovering: What is NASA going to do with that one. Wait . . I bet one of the clean up crew in Mission Control has already found it.

[@oneskydog4401]

Suction mounts depend on air pressure. Air pressure is reduced as altitude is gained which reduces holding power.

[@givemethedaily1052]

So next time I fly commercial, can I ask them if I can install my BOM on their wing? And really, what was with the camera, is there a GPS on that for you to find it or did someone forget the suction cup camera?

[@timduncan8450]

Can one use this to get IFR ratings if the plane has an old certified IFR six-pack & VORTAC system? I want to learn GPS approaches as well as old school

[@jmaridon]

Is Levil Aviation still around? The "latest" news on their website is from a year ago. They are also still pitching NavWorx (shut down back in October 2017) on one of their pages.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

shop.levil.com/ That webpage says "© 2020".

[@khadijagwen]

Nice to see this development. I'd take the "jargon" back a notch so newbies can get it.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Excellent review. Sorry about your camera. Hope you did a gps mark so you had an idea where it hit: worth a shot. I use a hunk of 0.025 safety wire trailing camera to somewhere handy, so if it departs, it is not banging wing. Looks like a pretty nice product. With two pounds of drag, I wonder how much that would affect my cruise in my Varieze?

[@vasicp]

I think two pounds is the actual weight of the device. I'm not sure what is the effective drag, though, as it is apparently fairly aerodynamic and smooth. I'm guessing, one could possibly improve it a bit aerodynamically, by wrapping the mount in a more aerodynamic fairing, but that would likely only make a meaningful difference at 200 kts and above.

[@cduemig1]

The pics on their site make it look a lot bigger.

[@DerekHundik]

Turbine you mean like air preassure engine ?

[@Kaipeternicolas]

Can't believe how calmly he talked about losing his camera. I'd lose my shit and would only be concerned about that camera hitting something or killing someone. Hope it landed in a field.

[@AVweb]

Landed in the water.

[@2Phast4Rocket]

AVWeb: 1, CWB: 0

[@shovelyjoe1059]

The horror. Almost a dangerous as someone doing sports car reviews on public roads.

[@togen8032]

+Eddie R. most stupid comment I've read in months.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@AVweb You mean it _"ditched"._ 😉

[@Kimoto504]

If it's icy enough to freeze up that turbine, would it be reasonable to fly a light plane in such conditions? Sorry if it's a silly question, only a aero/flight physics geek and R/C pilot.

[@call911forcookies2]

depends on the anti ice/de ice equipment your aircraft has

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@call911forcookies2 >>> Agreed. Most aircraft these things would be used on are NOT certified to fly in icing conditions.

[@kdrapertrucker]

Not the turbine, the pitot. Ice can build up in the pitot hole and cause all sorts of weird data, airliners on autopilot have went out of controlled flight and crashed due to iced up pitot tubes. Not a problem for this device though since it also can get the information through GPS.

[@bebo5558]

How about a link to the BOM!

[@Iowarail]

I have your camera, it's embedded into the hood of my Ferrari. You want to claim it?

[@MrEbug68]

Iowarail you misspelled Hyundai.

[@djjoegoodnov4107]

But what about accelerated stalls when your speed is above 62 kts ?

[@DanFrederiksen]

I think it should be possible for software to learn the correlation with pressure sensors for a specific plane configuration by watching accelerometer and GPS. Similarly it can be learned for some kind of pressure tape attached to wing surfaces instead of pitot style. Pitot always struck me as an offensively crude device.

[@zaco-km3su]

If you want it to learn you're asking for what is commonly called artificial intelligence. That can be expensive. You can program the software to use that data from the get go in certain situations.

[@DanFrederiksen]

@@zaco-km3su well this would be very basic machine learning. a half decent student could throw that together once and for all.

[@zaco-km3su]

@@DanFrederiksen You want a bit more than something very basic. It will probably get expensive. Theory look simple until you actually start implement things and you figure out that you will need a bit more research to get thing done.

[@ernestodeoto1312]

Dont forget the drag aded

[@CubeestOfficial]

Super

[@Qp0int]

Lol, shoulder harness, good-one

[@BonanzaPilot]

you missed an opportunity to have the pilot do fun maneuvers in the BO while talking about the BOM

[@fingerhorn4]

A bit casual about the camera. A bummer for you but that thing can kill someone on the ground.

[@happysawfish]

Hell yeah Paul. I like the video. Your friend, judging from the expression on his face throughout, apparently did not. : (

[@YogiCub181]

Someone probably already said it, Dropped Object Report? Bummer dude😲

[@lemonator8813]

Dont let the FAA see that camera come off...

[@felipe69420]

Paul keep your iPad up to date.

[@skinnyflea2628]

May the camera rest in pieces :(. Special meteor from space. How does GPS work if it’s under a metal wing?

[@haydensaviationgaming2156]

My question is who would name their product for aircraft BOM. Imagine checking in with the ATC and saying yeah, I got my BOM with me.

[@ryanmcelroy5512]

I found it great information for a great upgrade. and as for the Arm Chair Coaches / aviation regulation desk jockes, they can kiss it, bet they dont wear their set belts every time they drive.

[@bpnracing1256]

Might want to keep the camera falling off on the down low.

[@JohnnyMotel99]

liev schreiber lookalike in the pilot seat

[@guntmar]

...the only concern any pilot would have watching this video is the fact that the camera fell off, potentially injuring or killing people on the ground. 14 CFR 91.15 comes to mind.

[@General-Grant]

Well, the camera was reading the N# on the side of the BOM, so any fatality will likely be in the next AvWeb report on mounting cameras :)

[@seoceancrosser]

It’s all about intent. 😁

[@guntmar]

I enjoy Paul B's video's, i know this was not intentional, I even tip my hat in respect that he left that footage in the video, despite it being unwise, legally speaking. And no, I'm not "loosing my shit" over a camera falling off, but general aviation has enough haters as is, we don't need poorly attached cameras falling from the sky adding to the myriad of issues being used to make the life of aircraft owners/operators difficult.

[@SkylaneGuy]

Oh please, the odds of that piece of plastic actually hitting someone are one in a billion. Probably more.

[@AnotherPilot1]

Does the pilot ever smile? I’d hate to do his flight review...

[@jayzenitram9621]

How does one keep their $2000 instrument held by two screws from "walking away" while one's having a $100 Burger?

[@9999plato]

Put a concealed carry sticker right next to it. Just kidding.

[@Kimoto504]

Security Torx, perhaps?

[@leeross7896]

certified for flight into known icing ?? :)

[@ballygeale1]

i watched your video 2 times and i dont understand what it is and what its for

[@AlejandroIrausquin]

Lookup what a ADAHRS / ADS-B in is for...

[@lesterstanley7019]

spindrift 1 ...... then it’s obviously not meant for you. However if you are interested in educating yourself why don’t you spindrift some of your time on the Internet instead of complaining..??

[@sharkheadism]

@@lesterstanley7019 Why don't you just use some of your time to educate him instead of complaining

[@lesterstanley7019]

sharkheadism ..... seems you also need to educate yourself also in the area of understand the difference between suggestion and complaint ..... if you didn’t get the point I was suggesting Not complaining....

[@sharkheadism]

@@lesterstanley7019 You're complaining again

[@georgeroberts2801]

Thanks

[@brambakker1939]

?????

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

FWIW, at 06:49 in this video: Back in the 1970s, while a Boy Scout, I went camping at _Myakka River State Park._ {I have been living in North Carolina since 1995, but I am originally from St. Pete.} *_"It seems a thousand centuries ago."_** -- APOCALYPSE NOW [1979]*

[@peachtrees27]

Interesting concept but I don't really want something hanging off my embarrassingly elderly, un-aerodynamic pop can...

[@joeygemini6390]

A Stratus beats this hands down. It's the size of a bar of soap and requires no wires if on the dash and charged up. As far as I'm concerned the BOM is not a AOA indicator. The way it tries to be is just way to complicated to trust to be accurate. Also vulnerable to rain. Vane type is only type to be completely trusted.

[@patriotsfan1236]

Joel M. A stratux beats both for 155$ and super easy build. does everything a stratus does with no compromise. better battery life than a stratus if you use a big battery pack. Stratux picked up more towers to from my test with both (2s) on In flight. Uses good parts to raspberry pi 3 and great quality ahrs chip. Also has a big fan so it stays cool. I always scratch my head when I hear people buy a stratus for 1000 usd with taxes for the same quality of a stratux. You can build a PC for that price. Total rip off.

[@gxlbiscuit]

stratus has no air data.. so it is not the same...

[@joeygemini6390]

Biscuit112 DT I know Stratus doesn't have AOA indication. But neither does BOM as far as I'm concerned. If BOM had a vane type AOA indicator then I would want one over a Stratus.

[@joeygemini6390]

Inyalabudbud Punjabbidaliwad I agree. My "bicycle horn" stall warning is extremely reliable. Ingeniously simple. I'd trust it over a computer any day. However I would trust a computer based AOA indicator if it uses a physical vane. A modern AOA indicator would also be good for a pilot to learn how close he/she is getting to sounding a warning under different flight and load scenarios. I'm sure they are able to record data for later study also, like my EI CGR -30P does.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*"Y'ALL BE CAREFUL LETTER".* For the SOUTHERN REGION of the F.A.A. 😝😝😝

[@zapfanzapfan]

Ah, I thought it was for improving the ventilation in Russian tanks in Ukraine 🙂

[@flytoday]

shoulder harnesses need to be tight to work properly

[@southernpilot]

flytoday here we go......

[@ashsmitty2244]

I hope you are joking. If so, funny. If not, stfu.

[@bheagle65]

Camera Falling off just shows this guy is not worth listening to. Someone below just shit themselves because it fell 3 feet from them. A comment for you sir... even a go-pro can be safety wired separately from the purchased mount.

[@RumblestripDotNet]

You, sir, have just earned your patch to become a member of the 141st Chairborne Warrior Brigade!

[@spencergeorge4941]

he's not wrong. if you are piloting and something comes off your plane, you clearly are lacking the safety rigor that is expected of you.

[@vasicp]

@@spencergeorge4941 The camera was apparently mounted according to the instructions (using the go pro glue tape). It was mounted the way it should be mounted under wing (same way all other aviators mount their GoPro cameras underwing). It never fell off before. And it fell in water (hence the somewhat nonchalant response of the narrator).

[@BrianOgilvie79]

Rule#1 fly the damn plane.....who needs this crap...unless you're flying IMC....and in this case..its not IMC approved......this is like having an automatic fishing pole caster....what the fluck?

[@happysawfish]

Listen you idiot, you obviously ain't a flyin in Instrumentation Meteroric Conneditions much is ya?

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@Cessna Adventure >>> *_"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves?_** -- KELLY'S HEROES [1970]*

[@vasicp]

"This crap" offers a lot easier way to fly the plane than the traditional instruments. And for experimental homebuilders, this solution is ideal as the primary instrument set. It significantly reduces complexity and weight, with fewer components that can fail, and with much more flight data, presented in much more intuitive way, than any old-school instrument panel could do. Everyone would benefit from "this crap". It makes you a better pilot (by making flying easier and safer).

[@salvatoreshiggerino6810]

Is it really such a good idea to use networking without any real-time guarantees for attitude and air data?