Flight Instrument Parts Catalog, Aircraft Instrument Parts

Top Flight Instruments Components

There are six traditional flight instruments in most aircraft cockpits. Many of these instruments have taken on a more modern appearance over time, but even technologically advanced aircraft have traditional instruments to use as a backup in case the primary system fails. These six basic flight instruments include an airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, altimeter, vertical speed indicator, heading indicator, and turn coordinator. These instruments are the main source of cockpit flight information for pilots.

  • Airspeed Indicator

The airspeed indicator measures the speed of the aircraft through the air, but really this is the speed at which the air is flowing over the airplane. The dial is usually calibrated in nautical miles known as knots. The airspeed indicator is connected to the pitot static system. To give a reading of speed through the air, the flight instrument measures the difference between the dynamic pressure in the pitot tube and the atmospheric pressure from the static vent. When the airplane is standing still on the ground, the pressure in the two systems will be the same resulting in a reading of zero. However, when the airplane is travelling through the air, the dynamic pressure in the pitot system will increase and a reading is registered.

The attitude indicator is also called the artificial horizon, or the gyro horizon. It shows whether the wings are level and if the plane is climbing or descending. A pair of wings represents the attitude of the aircraft on the display; behind the aircraft is a ball. The top is blue, representing the sky, and the bottom half is usually brown, representing the ground. As the airplane maneuvers through the air a pair of wings on the display will show the degree of bank and pitch attitude. The Attitude Indicator is a gyroscopic Instrument as it uses a gyroscope to stabilize a horizon bar which stays parallel to the natural horizon. The miniature airplane in the center of the attitude Indicator will pitch and bank around the horizon bar to indicate the airplanes current attitude relative to the horizon.

The altimeter measures the altitude of the aircraft above sea level. Similar to a clock, an altimeter has three hands. The fastest moving hand reads in hundreds of feet; the shorter hand reads in thousands of feet; the longest hand, which moves the slowest, reads in tens of thousands of feet. The Altimeter reading is based on barometric pressure, and barometric pressure is constantly changing. This requires the altimeter to be set prior to every flight, and during flight as barometric pressure in your flying area changes.

The rate of climb and rate of descent are indicated on the vertical speed indicator (VSI). This is measured in feet per minute and displayed in hundreds of FPM on the front of the display. The VSI flight instrument measures the vertical speed that an aircraft is travelling at and is connected to the static air pressure system. There is a standard barometric pressure change with altitude changes, and this standard rate of change is calibrated to measure the aircraft’s change in altitude.

The heading indicator is the primary directional instrument used in flight. This component is gyroscopically stabilized, and is not as affected by banks, turns, and speed changes. The heading indicator must be set according to the magnetic compass indication before takeoff, and occasionally adjusted during flight.

  • Turn Coordinator

This instrument gives information about the direction and rate of a turn. It also indicates if the turn is being flown in a coordinated flight path. If the aircraft is slipping or skidding during a turn, the ball or inclinometer in the bottom portion of the turn coordinator will not be centered. If the ball is not centered, the pilot must adjust the turn by using more or less rudder to correct for adverse yaw.

Top Flight Instruments Components

There are six traditional flight instruments in most aircraft cockpits. Many of these instruments have taken on a more modern appearance over time, but even technologically advanced aircraft have traditional instruments to use as a backup in case the primary system fails. These six basic flight instruments include an airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, altimeter, vertical speed indicator, heading indicator, and turn coordinator. These instruments are the main source of cockpit flight information for pilots.

  • Airspeed Indicator

The airspeed indicator measures the speed of the aircraft through the air, but really this is the speed at which the air is flowing over the airplane. The dial is usually calibrated in nautical miles known as knots. The airspeed indicator is connected to the pitot static system. To give a reading of speed through the air, the flight instrument measures the difference between the dynamic pressure in the pitot tube and the atmospheric pressure from the static vent. When the airplane is standing still on the ground, the pressure in the two systems will be the same resulting in a reading of zero. However, when the airplane is travelling through the air, the dynamic pressure in the pitot system will increase and a reading is registered.

The attitude indicator is also called the artificial horizon, or the gyro horizon. It shows whether the wings are level and if the plane is climbing or descending. A pair of wings represents the attitude of the aircraft on the display; behind the aircraft is a ball. The top is blue, representing the sky, and the bottom half is usually brown, representing the ground. As the airplane maneuvers through the air a pair of wings on the display will show the degree of bank and pitch attitude. The Attitude Indicator is a gyroscopic Instrument as it uses a gyroscope to stabilize a horizon bar which stays parallel to the natural horizon. The miniature airplane in the center of the attitude Indicator will pitch and bank around the horizon bar to indicate the airplanes current attitude relative to the horizon.

The altimeter measures the altitude of the aircraft above sea level. Similar to a clock, an altimeter has three hands. The fastest moving hand reads in hundreds of feet; the shorter hand reads in thousands of feet; the longest hand, which moves the slowest, reads in tens of thousands of feet. The Altimeter reading is based on barometric pressure, and barometric pressure is constantly changing. This requires the altimeter to be set prior to every flight, and during flight as barometric pressure in your flying area changes.

The rate of climb and rate of descent are indicated on the vertical speed indicator (VSI). This is measured in feet per minute and displayed in hundreds of FPM on the front of the display. The VSI flight instrument measures the vertical speed that an aircraft is travelling at and is connected to the static air pressure system. There is a standard barometric pressure change with altitude changes, and this standard rate of change is calibrated to measure the aircraft’s change in altitude.

The heading indicator is the primary directional instrument used in flight. This component is gyroscopically stabilized, and is not as affected by banks, turns, and speed changes. The heading indicator must be set according to the magnetic compass indication before takeoff, and occasionally adjusted during flight.

  • Turn Coordinator

This instrument gives information about the direction and rate of a turn. It also indicates if the turn is being flown in a coordinated flight path. If the aircraft is slipping or skidding during a turn, the ball or inclinometer in the bottom portion of the turn coordinator will not be centered. If the ball is not centered, the pilot must adjust the turn by using more or less rudder to correct for adverse yaw.


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Part No Manufacturer Description QTY RFQ
MD-90 Mid-Continent Instr & Avionics md90 Avl RFQ
NSD1000 Century Flight Systems nsd-1000 Avl RFQ
010-01287-00 Garmin gi-260 Avl RFQ
9200-15000-0101 L-3 Technologies esi-500 Avl RFQ
1234T100 Mid-Continent Instr & Avionics 1234t100 Avl RFQ
877 Davtron m877 Avl RFQ
RCA26EK RC Allen rca26ek Avl RFQ
KLR0010-4X Bendix King klr10 (maule kit) Avl RFQ
NSD360A Century Flight Systems nsd-360a Avl RFQ
RCA15EK2 RC Allen rca15ek-2 Avl RFQ
RCA83A11 RC Allen rca83a-11 Avl RFQ
5-300-4x UMA Instruments 5-300/m Avl RFQ
DSTR-AOA-9075K Alpha Systems AOA valkyrie heads up display kit Avl RFQ
RCA 11A-15F RC Allen rca11a-15f Avl RFQ
1394T100-xZ Mid-Continent Instr & Avionics 1394t100 Avl RFQ
K10-00202-X0 Garmin aoa system Avl RFQ
6420215-x Mid-Continent Instr & Avionics md215 Avl RFQ
RCA26BK-X RC Allen rca26bk Avl RFQ
8-311-10 UMA Instruments 8-311 Avl RFQ
DSTR-AOA-9200 Alpha Systems AOA falcon aoa kit Avl RFQ
RCA15AK17 RC Allen rca15ak-17 Avl RFQ
RCA11D4 RC Allen rca11d-4 Avl RFQ
706171-00 Sandia Aerospace sai 340 quattro plus Avl RFQ
DSTR-AOA-9900 Alpha Systems AOA merlin aoa kit Avl RFQ
T16-211 UMA Instruments t16-211 series Avl RFQ
ASC5A Electronics International asc-5a Avl RFQ
504-0006-95XXX Castleberry Instruments 300-14el Avl RFQ
T16-310 UMA Instruments t16-310 series Avl RFQ
6420302 Mid-Continent Instr & Avionics md-302 sam Avl RFQ
8900 Shadin Avionics ams-2000 Avl RFQ
920-00010-003 Aspen Avionics evolution backup display (advanced) Avl RFQ
K10-00280-00 Garmin g5 electronic flight instrument Avl RFQ
102-0071-03 RC Allen rca22-11 Avl RFQ
5-411-x0 UMA Instruments 5-411/m Avl RFQ
T16-210 UMA Instruments t16-210 series Avl RFQ
5-300-x0 UMA Instruments 5-300 Avl RFQ
16-210 UMA Instruments 16-210 series Avl RFQ
5934PM-3A.199 United Instruments 5934pm-3 lighted Avl RFQ
913-00016-00x Aspen Avionics aoa indicator Avl RFQ
RCA15EK1 RC Allen rca15ek-1 Avl RFQ
K10-00280-x0(2) Garmin g5 stack Avl RFQ
RCA11D5 RC Allen rca11d-5 Avl RFQ
4300 Mid-Continent Instr & Avionics lifesaver gyro Avl RFQ
RCA563B RC Allen rca56-3b Avl RFQ
RCA26AK-X RC Allen rca26ak Avl RFQ
23-501-031-1 Sigmatek 5000b-38 Avl RFQ
KLR0010-2X Bendix King klr10 (cirrus g1 kit) Avl RFQ
KLR0010-3X Bendix King klr10 (cirrus g3 kit) Avl RFQ
4000HR-SERIES Sigmatek 4000hr series Avl RFQ
KI 0300 Bendix King ki 300 Avl RFQ
SC5 Electronics International sc-5 Avl RFQ
901XX-A Sandel Avionics sa4550 Avl RFQ
T16-311 UMA Instruments t16-311 series Avl RFQ
RCA15AK RC Allen rca15ak Avl RFQ
5934PM-3A.84 United Instruments 5934pm unlighted Avl RFQ
16-312 UMA Instruments 16-312 series Avl RFQ
T8-210-XXX UMA Instruments t8-210 series Avl RFQ
PAI700 Precision Aviation pai-700 (northern hemisphere) Avl RFQ
MD-25 Mid-Continent Instr & Avionics md25 Avl RFQ
RCA11A16B RC Allen rca11a-16b Avl RFQ
803 Davtron m803 Avl RFQ
920-00003-020 Aspen Avionics evolution pro plus safety package Avl RFQ
RCA11D7 RC Allen rca11d-7 Avl RFQ
RCA82A11 RC Allen rca82a-11 Avl RFQ
RCA11A15 RC Allen rca11a-15 Avl RFQ
6420093-1 Mid-Continent Instr & Avionics md93 Avl RFQ
RCA2610-P RC Allen rca2610-p Avl RFQ
RCA15BK16 RC Allen rca15bk-16 Avl RFQ
16-311 UMA Instruments 16-311 series Avl RFQ
962830-1A Shadin Avionics adc-2000 system Avl RFQ
T8-310-XXX UMA Instruments t8-310 series Avl RFQ
4000H-SERIES Sigmatek 4000h series Avl RFQ
5000E-SERIES Sigmatek 5000e series Avl RFQ
RCA15BK17 RC Allen rca15bk-17 Avl RFQ
RCA1510 RC Allen rca1510 Avl RFQ
RCA15BK RC Allen rca15bk Avl RFQ
705548-00 Sandia Aerospace sac 7-35 Avl RFQ
RCA227F RC Allen rca22-7f Avl RFQ
8-310-xx UMA Instruments 8-310 series Avl RFQ
RCA2610/RCA1510 RC Allen rca2610 & rca1510 stack Avl RFQ
RCA15AK16 RC Allen rca15ak-16 Avl RFQ
5000M-SERIES Sigmatek 5000m series Avl RFQ
16-310 UMA Instruments 16-310 series Avl RFQ
K10-00280-x0 Garmin g5 electronic flight instrument (dg/hsi) Avl RFQ
8-211-10 UMA Instruments 8-211 Avl RFQ

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