SSA 2012—LX Zeus Flight Computer Demo

As always, the exhibit hall was filled with gadgets galore, but a new product from LX Navigation caught my eye, so I asked one of the developers, Andrej Vrecer, to give us a demo.

The LX Zeus has some unusual features that I haven’t seen in competing flight computers. One is a 3D display mode, which shows in elevations above the current altitude of the glider in red. A terrain elevation display in a small window displays elevation in cross section along the line of flight. This enables the pilot to anticipate ridges and valleys up ahead that may be invisible when simply looking out the canopy.

Another interesting option is an artificial horizon display. As Gordon Boettger pointed out in his presentation on long cross country flights in wave, such a display could literally be a lifesaver if a pilot gets into wave clouds or trapped above them. On the other hand, U. S. contest rules prohibit the use of such displays in sanctioned competition, so that’s an issue that the rule makers will have to address.

LX Navigation also sells a compatible vario and the Colibri II, which is a very small IGC-approved flight recorder, comparable to the LX nano in size, but with a built-in display.

 

Colibri II Flight Recorder by LX Navigation

For more information about these products, contact Craggy Aero in the U.S. or LX Navigation.