Falken Avionics Expands iPad-Based EFIS Lineup

Steve Sokol walks us through upgrades to the Falken Avionics suite that employs the Apple iPad as an Experimental-class EFIS. The company now has a new cooling system as well as an entirely new hardware base that provides position information, attitude solutions, pitot-static information and plenty of other inputs. The system also includes a control bar that's part of the iPad mount. Coming soon is an ARINC 429 interface for use with panel-mounted navigators, and a new engine monitor box is available too.

[@wareairaviationservicesllc4933]

SO excited to see this update and upgrade! I really want to learn more and install in my stinson 108 (NORSEE)!

[@falkenavionics5392]

We have an updated version of the FlightBox Pro - also "v3" - which you can install in the Stinson. Because it's a re-design we're having to re-do the NORSEE approval, so it will be several months before it's available. An experimental version will be available in August.

[@JMAv8Tor]

Finally cheaper BETTER options

[@snotnosewilly99]

At 8:16...does it come with a mirror and comb...like the guy in the background is using???

[@foesfly3047]

This is very very interesting, especially if you want 2 or 3 screens. You didn’t mention FAA Aeronautical Maps and Obstacles databases. Are you leaving them to the pilot’s EFB ?

[@falkenavionics5392]

Our map database - updated monthly and free for US users - includes airports, runways, frequencies, navigation aids, obstacles, special use airspace, and controlled (B, C, D) airspace. Our base maps include water (lakes, rivers, etc.), geographic boundaries, terrain hill-shading (at high zoom levels), and a full street map (hidden by default). Together the base maps and the database are used to populate a complete aeronautical vector map. Sectionals, IFR low and high raster charts, and other tile-based chart elements will be available from a third party partner in the near future.

[@foesfly3047]

@@falkenavionics5392 Thank you. I’ll be watching you for a future project then.

[@squeakersc063]

Are there prebuilt harnesses between the pieces or is it boxes only and we would have to make everything else?

[@falkenavionics5392]

We are planning on selling both a connector kit and pre-made harnesses. The connector kit will include two DB9s (one for the power / CAN connector and one for the EMS) and a DB37 connector, mil-spec pins, and back-shells as well as three PEX quick connects for the Pitot, static, and AoA inputs. I'm estimating $55 for the kit, but that could change. The pre-built harnesses will be available in "stock" configuration and also custom. We're still working on the pricing for those.

[@cmtetaboaco]

Really nice and interested, went to the website and did not find any contact info, only a phone number but no one answered, anyone have any email? I want to know what radios I can use, what PAs are compatible, I fly Rotax, if I just get a bleed from existing sensors,… Thanks

[@KitplanesMagazine]

There is a contact form on the "Contact Us" page: www.falkenavionics.com/contact/ as well as an email address.

[@PghGameFix]

I understand that it's easy to a developer to use an ipad as the screen... but I personally think it's a dumb idea. I personally seen too many other products fail because apple forces an update, and then the product or software no longer works. I like to see innovation, but get it away from someone else's hardware that you have no control over.

[@KitplanesMagazine]

Serious aviation app developers do invest in compatibility assurance. Besides Falken, ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, major airline EFBs run on iPads.

[@wareairaviationservicesllc4933]

@@KitplanesMagazine I manage 12,000 iPads at Southwest Airlines for Pilot EFBs and have done so since 2012. They have worked perfectly and Apple is VERY involved in EFB work to ensure the product works well.

[@falkenavionics5392]

We opted to use the iPad as the display platform for several reasons. EFB applications have made iPads almost a standard in the aviation space, so there's less of a learning curve. There are only three major form factors (mini, 10", and 12.9") to support. They are extremely well field-tested, with over 600,000,000 having been sold over the last 13 years. Yes, Apple can and does change the underlying platform, but we test each new iOS release and thus far (since 2019) we've only run into one breaking change, which was easily addressed. Compare that to our other option: source our own LCD panel, capacitive touch layer, drivers, and other low-level components to build a bespoke display in at what is low volume for the electronics industry. Pair that with a custom computer running Linux or perhaps the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Layer on some kind of graphical "widget" layer (Qt or GTK). This kind of project is a major undertaking for a large company. It's well beyond what we could fund, and the resulting product would have been far less appealing that what we get by building on a well-established platform. If, at some point in the future, Apple decides to make changes that break our app or our business model we could and probably would pivot to another platform. For now, iOS is the best option for FlightView.

[@foesfly3047]

@@falkenavionics5392maybe I’m missing some relevant consideration but I think if I were using this as my avionics, I would not perform mainstream iPad firmware updates. Would only update if Falken recommended. Of course I’d keep these iPads off the internet.

[@PghGameFix]

@@KitplanesMagazine OK... how? Apple simple doesn't care sometimes. One example that comes to mind is DOD. Apple literally locked them out after an update, and there was thousands of dead pieces of hardware. I don't have a problem of software, as the developer... as long as they are supporting the hardware... they can continue to update the software.