Engine Monitor Development - Historical Notes
Update 10/5/03: The EM2 flew for the 1st time on
10/4/03. After four test flights and some minor changes, we flew the
RVOtter and EM2 (affectionately named the EMU - NOT to be confused with the
flightless bird of the same name) to Evergreen, AL for a fly in. Tracy
says it worked great - actually, better than expected considering the rather
amazing number of things that it does. The panel overlay has been changed
since the prototype pictured above. A number of additional features have been
added (including a calibration capability that allows the pilot to use whatever
sensors are already in the plane, instead of replacing them). The only major
area that needs tweaking is the optical filtering of the display.
Tracy ended up developing two sizes of the unit - the EM2 and EM2-S. We are
flying the "S" version as it is significantly smaller than the EM2 and fit
exactly into the hole left by the old EIS. Even the small version was
clearly visible to me in the back seat. It was a treat to actually see and
understand the engine monitor, unlike the old EIS system. Stayed
tuned for further news!
Update 10/25/04: The new single part version of the EM2 was
introduced. This version integrates the Data acquisition module and the
display into a single lightweight unit. Weight was reduced by about 2
pounds and wiring was simplified since a separate cable was needed for the
display.
2/20/05: The Auto Program mode was added to the EM2. This
allows the EM2 to fine tune the EC2 engine controller MAP table, an often
requested feature. This also requires a software update to the EC2 if it
was built before this feature was available.
Real World Solutions, Inc
