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English
Instruments
There is a highly realistic and rather complex set of instruments in
these cockpits. If you are not used to gliders you might be surprised
about the complexity of modern glider cockpits. All the instruments
are described in some details.
Variometer
Variometers or, in short, varios are vertical speed indicators (VSI) which
show change of altitude by measuring the change in air pressure
(static pressure) as altitude changes. As the aircraft climbs or descends
the pressure outside the aircraft changes. Inside the aircraft there is an
isolated, airtight container, something like a thermos. When the
aircraft climbs, outer pressure decreases, and the air in the thermos
expands to the outside. The thermos is connected to the variometer. In
the variometer there is a highly sensitive vane which is deflected by the
flow in and out of the thermos. The vane is connected to a needle
which indicates climb, when the outer pressure decreases and the air
flows out of the thermos and vice versa.
Without further means, this variometer shows any change of altitude
as climb or sink, regardless if it results from up- or downstreaming air,
or just from pulling or pushing the stick by the pilot. Of course, it is
confusing for a glider pilot, if climb indication is superimposed by
aircraft maneuvers, when he is deliberately trying to find the best part
of the thermal. Therefore modern gliders have all compensated
variometers that eliminate the variometer reaction on aircraft maneu-
vers (see next chapters).
There are three variometers in these cockpits - from top-left to bottom
right they are the „vario SC“ slave vario of the SDI C4, the digital „lcd
petal“ gauge of the main SDI C4 unit, and the „Winter“ mechanical
variometer. The modern installation of variometers in gliders is very
sophisticated, with a variety of compensations possible to make the
reading as meaningful to the pilot as possible. In reading the descrip-
tions below the simple point to remember is that each vario is trying to
give an indication of the rate of climb, and when you are thermalling