President and CEO of Apha Systems AOA Alpha Systems has been around since the early nineties so almost 30 years of product development, different versions, and they settled on a HUD version. Other companies make parts of AOA, and Mark’s background began as a medical device engineer. When designing medical devices, they are intended to save lives. Alpha Systems designs products that pilots will use to help them become better pilots.
The highest number of fatalities are on base-to-final turns and accelerated stalls on takeoff, and AOA is a device that displays absolutely how much lift margin a pilot has away from stall.
The lowest angle of attack on the wing is during cruise flight. As the airplane slows down, it increases the AOA, and the device shows the trend of AOA, which as the aircraft gets slower, it is trending toward a stall. Mark noted that the AOA device is a gauge that shows the trending information about how much lift the pilot has left before pulling the wing into a critical alpha position.
Installing the Alpha Systems AOA is straightforward. An A&P will replace an inspection cover with Alpha’s mounting plate, feed the hoses and wires up through the wing. The hoses and connectors plug into a compact computing unit that is wired to the display units. There are three popular displays: top-mounted and flush-mounted units that are mounted on the glare shield as well as a swivel-style display.
After installation, a ground calibration is done to set the zero point followed by two flight calibrations, one at 1.3 Vs and one at cruise which is done at maneuvering speed Va.
Several versions of the kits are available starting at $2,550 without the HUD, and up to$4,899 for kits to be installed in pressurized aircraft.
Mark said they’ve been told installation is between 10-14 hours for high-wing aircraft and as much as 40-45 hours for pressurized airplanes.
For pilots, Alpha Systems has a pilot operating handbook that takes pilots through angle of attack, how it’s used in flight, and one can call the company for any additional information or questions.
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