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Miniature Aircraft Instruments

Instrumentation in the cockpit is a pilot's eyes and ears to the condition of his equipment and his surroundings. While the FAA mandates some of the instrumentation required in an small plane's cockpit, there are many other non-critical instruments that can be helpful in the cabin, as long as there's space to put them all. In a small aircraft, where panel space is extremely limited, adding any additional instrumentation can be problematic. Experienced pilots know that the more information they have at their fingertips the better equipped they are to understand and address equipment problems or conditions at an early stage.

Critical Instruments
- Condensing the gauge's size hinders the capability for the piolet to efficiently reade the gauge.
  
  An aircraft builder can save space on the display panel by using smaller 2-inch gauges for critical flight instruments instead of the standard 3-inch gauge. A gauge smaller than 2 inches will be difficult to read accurately because of the limited indicator sweep, so air speed, altitude, attitude and climb rate indication should not be installed smaller than this, even though they are available. Using 2-inch gauges will still allow for extra instrumentation to be placed on the panel
Avionics and Engine Condition
- The 1-1/4" gauge are small alternatives to less detailed gauges.
  
  For indications that don't need to be quite as accurate in their display but must be able to be easily seen, the next best option is the 1 1/4-inch gauge. Fuel level, engine temperature, ground speed and turn rate indication are perfect examples of instruments that would be useful in this size without taking up too much space on the panel. Other critical engine functions like oil pressure, inclination and manifold temperature would also be a better fit for this size instrument, but not essential.
General Indications and Conditions
- Tiny 1" gauges are only to be used for simple indicators.
  
  To maximize the amount of information presented to the pilot in the smallest possible space, 1-inch gauges are recommended. These gauges should be used for general indication and not be relied on for exacting measurements because of their size. Indications that would benefit the pilot and work well with this size instrument include battery volts and amps, carburetor temperature, oil pressure and water temperature. Some manufacturers pre-fabricate blocks of six and eight-instrument clusters into 1-inch gauge panels that simplify installation and provide a neat presentation of these indications. Again, instruments this size should only be used where a general condition indication of the equipment is expected, not precision.
Zero-Depth Mounting Instruments
- Aircraft designers can take advantage of other open spaces inside the cockpit that may not have the required mounting depth for traditional instruments by using remote-mounted gauges. These indicators are available in both digital readout and analog indications, and rely on a sensor mounted remotely in the craft to transmit the information. Many instruments and gauges are available in this configuration. The designer must be careful, however, to ensure that the required power draw does not strain the overall electrical system or put the pilot in jeopardy if instrument were to short out or fail.

Aviation