Radiant Technology Introduces New Directional Instrument

Radiant Technology out of Wichita, Kansas, has developed SafeGyro, a portable solid-state directional instrument for experimental and light aircraft.

According to James Wiebe of Radiant Technology, SafeGyro combines heading indication, heading bug, turn coordination, slip/skid awareness, and a distinctive motion-history display into a format that is both highly useful and strikingly original.

SafeGyro is aimed at the experimental and light-aircraft market, where portability, clarity, and ease of installation are critical. Radiant believes the product will appeal to pilots seeking a compact directional reference, a more intuitive backup instrument, or a fresh alternative to legacy portable gyro-style solutions.

About the Device

SafeGyro is a new class of portable inertial directional instrument, optionally augmented by an external magnetometer. Radiant combines modern solid-state sensing, real-time drift management, learned bias compensation, and a purpose-built visual interface to turn raw motion data into a stable, useful, and immediately understandable display.

The unit is designed to fit into any 2 1/4-inch instrument panel and measures approximately 2.55 inches square by 0.65 inches thick weighing about 3 ounces. The SafeGyro is battery-operated and USB rechargeable, with approximately four hours of battery operation between charges.

SafeGyro is available in both inertial and magnetometer-augmented configurations. The magnetometer-equipped version is intended for customers seeking enhanced heading performance over longer periods of operation.

SafeGyro is designed to deliver:

• Large, instantly legible heading presentation.
• Heading bug with simple pilot adjustment.
• Visual-trend and motion-history mapping.
• Turn coordination and slip/skid awareness.
• Portable, battery-powered operation.
• USB recharging for convenient field use.
• A compact, modern display language that is easier to interpret than traditional mechanical metaphors alone

“This is not another copy of legacy instrumentation,” said Wiebe, an instrument-rated pilot with 2,100 hours. “We wanted something a pilot could use immediately and something that, at a glance, looks like the future rather than the past.”

SafeGyro can also be used in an automobile mode that makes directional and roll-related behavior easy to demonstrate outside the cockpit while reinforcing the clarity and originality of the interface.

The introductory pricing now through July 31 is $494.95 for the base unit and $644.95 for the magnetometer-equipped version. As of August 1,  the price increases to $594.95  and $744.95, respectively.

The units are expected to begin shipping in August.