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Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 2:26 am
by Greg Bockelman
Anybody have an electronic calculator that does performance calculations? Plug in the variables and get takeoff and landing distances, rates of climb, that sort of thing? I am not a programmer but I would think something like that wouldn't be too hard to put together.

For what its worth, I have an electronic W&B calculator that is pretty good, but the other calculations aren't so "easy" to program.

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 1:27 pm
by GAHorn
Have you tried the iTunes store? They have 172 performance for the Ipad.... probably very close to 170 perf.

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 3:40 pm
by blueldr
Are you flying a corporate jet of some knd? I can't imagine anyone needing, or wanting, an electronic performance calculator for an airplane as simple as a
C-170. I would hazard a guess that after you had been flying one for a while, you would find that the need for such a device was gone.

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 5:13 pm
by GAHorn
blueldr wrote:Are you flying a corporate jet of some knd? I can't imagine anyone needing, or wanting, an electronic performance calculator for an airplane as simple as a
C-170. I would hazard a guess that after you had been flying one for a while, you would find that the need for such a device was gone.
Agree completely! The AFM (and Owner's Manual) provide pretty accurate takeoff/field-performance/cruise data. READ THEM.

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 6:59 pm
by Greg Bockelman
gahorn wrote:
blueldr wrote:Are you flying a corporate jet of some knd? I can't imagine anyone needing, or wanting, an electronic performance calculator for an airplane as simple as a
C-170. I would hazard a guess that after you had been flying one for a while, you would find that the need for such a device was gone.
Agree completely! The AFM (and Owner's Manual) provide pretty accurate takeoff/field-performance/cruise data. READ THEM.
Geez, George. Have you actually used them? There is so much extrapolation and slop in them. An app you plug in the numbers and out spits accurate info. At least more accurate than eyeballing it. That data is not exactly user friendly.

Hence my search for something a bit more easily used.

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 7:46 pm
by juredd1
Greg Bockelman wrote:An app you plug in the numbers and out spits accurate info. At least more accurate than eyeballing it. That data is not exactly user friendly.
I agree completely. A lot easier for me to punch it in then pull out the AFM and read between the lines.

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 10:33 pm
by flyboy122
blueldr wrote:I would hazard a guess that after you had been flying one for a while, you would find that the need for such a device was gone.
And what if you haven't been flying one for a while? Remember, nobody was born with 1000 hours of 170 time.

DEM

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 4:33 am
by GAHorn
Greg Bockelman wrote:
gahorn wrote:
blueldr wrote:Are you flying a corporate jet of some knd? I can't imagine anyone needing, or wanting, an electronic performance calculator for an airplane as simple as a
C-170. I would hazard a guess that after you had been flying one for a while, you would find that the need for such a device was gone.
Agree completely! The AFM (and Owner's Manual) provide pretty accurate takeoff/field-performance/cruise data. READ THEM.
Geez, George. Have you actually used them? There is so much extrapolation and slop in them. An app you plug in the numbers and out spits accurate info. At least more accurate than eyeballing it. That data is not exactly user friendly.

Hence my search for something a bit more easily used.
The app's are like measuring with micrometers.... something that you'll mark with a grease-pencil... and cut with a hatchet!

What good is your app...when your wt/bal/CG isn't properly calculated? And where did you set that pitch-trim index..???
Don't forget to check that analog, speedo-cable-driven tachometer which has never been calibrated...
...OH! you have a digital tach? Well THAT makes all the difference, heh? :roll:

I find the tables in the OM/AFM completely adequate and as accurate as the rest of the machine. IMO

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 4:43 am
by GAHorn
That's interesting flight planning... and it's very much the same sort of stuff available free from most flight planning services like fltplan dot com, etc etc. and therefore I don't see the need for an "app" for that.

It is NOT performance data.

Re: Electronic Performance Calculator

Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 3:34 pm
by blueldr
After all, the C-170 is a pretty old airplane and I dont believe it was ever a seriously precise flying machine. I would be willing to bet that one would find significant differences in performance between individual airplanes. Five per cent fast on final is no big deal in a C-170, but it sure would be on a high performance jet.
And just how accurate is the instrumentation in your C-170?