G1000 slide-in replacement?

[arksat]

As a G1000 DA40 owner, there's no realistic way to upgrade legacy G1000 to NXi. Even if it existed, the cost would be no way.
All I need is GDU-equivalent display unit that has faster processor, high-res screen and BT/WiFi connectivity with iPad while keeping all existing LRUs.

I wonder any other vendors like Avdyne would make a slide-in replacement unit for GDU104x, like they did for GNS430/530.

[chili4way]

What would you play for this solution before it got to "no way"?

[Rich]

GNS 530 - self-contained box that is completely removed in like 30 seconds. In any plane they're installed in. If it's not WAAS (W) then a minor amount of additional wiring required to install an IFD540.

G1000 - a system of display(s), plus various (and varied, depending on what else is interfaced to it) remote LRUs tucked away here in there in nooks and crannies selected by the airframe manufacturer. If not WAAS, presumably various other things required.

[arksat]

Paul - I'd pay 15K for two displays and 5K for installation and configs. So total 20K w/installed.

Per Diamond, upgrading to NXi phase 2 in DA62 costs ~60K and involves replacement of bunch of LRUs. This is 'no way' to me...

[Boatguy]

The problem is that your plane is certified with the G1000 and none of the other avionics are STCd for your plane. It's not a technology or product problem, it's entirely a regulatory problem.

Diamond (and Cirrus) with Garmin as their accomplice, created this box and have no incentive to help owners get out of it Their only interest is in selling new planes and they consider the box you are in as an incentive to buy a new plane. It will take owners like you to rise up and demand a solution from the FAA. This issue has been presented to AOPA and they have thus far chosen to ignore it. However, AOPA is the best lobbying group for GA owners with regard to this issue. I encourage you to contact Mark Baker and explain the situation. They're busy lobbying for 40yr old GA aircraft and need to be dragged into the 21st century issues.

[Aggiepack]

With all due respect - 20k for an upgrade to a highly sophisticated state of the art avionic package is not a realistic figure in the certified world. Just for the sake of argument: a single Avidyne IFD 550 is north of this figure.

Even so the Dynon HDX AML does not include any Diamond airframe (nor does it include Cirrus airframes - but it does include the Discovery XL2 for whatever reason), you are looking at 24k+ just in parts for a dual screen installation with one radio and transponder plus the costs of whatever Avidyne or Garmin FMS / GPS / Nav / Com you pick.

The Garmin G3X touch AML includes some DA40 airframes, but only if not G1000 equipped. Two 10" displays will come with a sticker price of roughly 20k plus radio, plus transponder plus FMS/GPS/Nav/Com, plus engine sensors.

So even if an upgrade by Garmin / Diamond would be available, 60 k would be kind of a bargain

[chili4way]

Tosh - Assuming your DA40 already has WAAS and a GFC700, the cost would still be at the "no way" level of $34K ($30K for the boxes plus $4K for the STC) -- before installation and any supplemental HW/wiring parts costs.

These figures come from the Cessna G1000-NXI "panel only" upgrade announcement made during "Virtual Oshkosh" last July. See: Retrofit G1000 NXi Availability Expanded

Fielding such a solution would require some modest airframe-specific development & configuration work by Garmin & Diamond, followed by flight tests and certification by Transport Canada, FAA, and EASA.

Estimating that these costs are about the same for a Cessna 172 and a DA40-180, there are about 2X more qualified (G1000+WAAS+GFC700) Cessnas than Diamonds. That suggests the STC cost would be 2X for Diamonds, so the parts+STC costs (before labor & supplemental parts) of such an upgrade would likely be close to $40K. A problem with this solution is that it represents a unique, non-production avionics platform that would unlikely receive future updates. Diamond says that the NXI Phase II platform is the basis for future periodic SW updates, beginning in 2021.

It's a lot of money, but less than a complete G1000 to G1000 NXI Phase II "overhaul". That would likely cost you about $75K in boxes alone and a whole lot more labor + supplemental parts. That said, if your airframe and engine are in good shape, that would make the capabilities of your plane approach that of a new DA40-180 that cost at least $470K (in 2019).

[arksat]

Russ - I agree they need to move on to 21st century. Probably I'll write to AOPA sometime in the future for a very little hope

Ralph - Yeah I recognize 20K is relatively 'cheap' in the certified world, but unlike IFD/GNS/GTN navigators, GDU is basically a control unit only (with some intelligence) so I wondered the cost structure should be different. I wish something like G3X + existing LRUs would work, but obviously G1000 was not designed as such.

Paul - This makes me think again of complete removal of G1000 from airframe, but I know it'll be another "no way" after all...

Hope I can still keep the level flight!

[chili4way]

This is why iPads (e.g., ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, FlyQ EFB, Stratus Insight, WingX, Jeppesen Aviator, Air Navigation Pro, FlyGo, and others), combined with a GPS/AHRS/FIS-B box ( e.g., Stratus, Stratux, Garmin GDL 50, and others) are so popular. They don't have to jump through the certification hoops. They can easily move to faster hardware and quickly implement new features and user interface improvements.

You can add a whole lot of 21st-century informational capability and access for a price well below the "no way" level.

The integrated nature of the G1000 means that there are no modular upgrade solutions like there are for a steam-gauge planes.

I'm not sure what AOPA (or EAA, which is probably the better organization for this topic) can do to improve our options, other than perhaps lobby for different HW & SW certification standards. This might reduce the cost of the boxes (i.e. components and testing requirements) and associated STCs. That might change the business case for the involved manufacturers (or an enterprising STC developer) as well as owner economics.