LegacyDriver
Moving Target
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2004
- Posts
- 1,691
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LegacyDriver said:Background...
Started on the FMZ in the 145 and did that for about 13 mos. Went to the 140 and the UNS. Hated it. Got used to it. Went back to FMZ and realized how nice UNS was. Went back to UNS. Was so happy... Now back to FMZ.
Off the top of my head, a few things on the UNS that I prefer are:
1) FLPLAN Info - The FLPLAN page shows more waypoints (five or seven) than the FMZ (three). Better situational awareness for my money.
OK. That's more of a user preference than performance, but to each his own. I liked the 3 waypoint because the writing was much larger and not cluttered, so you could just glance down and know what was going on.
2) Performance Page - Gives the winds, fuel flow, etc. etc. On a single page with updates every second. The honeywell shows this info spread across five pages and many button presses.
Can't argue with you there.
3) VNAV - VNAV on UNS gives an exact readout on crossings including: exact descent rate, descent angle, deviation in feet above/below slope, and all targeted info. You can program the UNS to give you a slope or a rate after querying it... So, if I want to know what a 1500 fpm rate is it will give me the slope and vice versa...etc. etc... It gives you a constant target rate, updated every second, to meet your crossing. (I do all of this in my head any way but it is a nice backup.). The FMZ only gives you a pink VNAV arrow on the P1000 and you have to guess what it takes to bring you back to the slope (or calculate mentally with no backup--the difference between a sword and a scalpel).
Press 'Direct To' then line select the RH side of the way point and watch the magic begin! It'll put the put you right back on. the NZs give you constant rate as well, but pilots forget and get tripped up when their speed changes. If you are not going through 10K, you really have to pay attention to the speed. Multiply your GS by 5 or divide it by 2 and add a 0 and you'll hit it every time. With the UNS, you had to leave the box on the VNAV page in order to see it. Has that changed? Does the UNS put someone on your ADI so you can see what you have to do or do you have to keep looking at the box? I liked the pink/magenta dot on the NZs that told you where you needed to be. It was no different than flying a Glide Slope on an ILS.
4) WX - The ACARS on the UNS is much easier than the FMZ system. Way fewer buttons to press and easier to read IMHO.
Not famaliar at all with ACARS on the WX side of either box.
I have minor quibbles with the UNS and would love to combine it with the FMZ to come up with the ultimate fms but prefer the UNS over the FMZ.
The VNAV alone is light years ahead of the FMZ's for my aircraft.
Can you couple the VNAV to the A/P with the UNS? Can you set up a ILS to any runway in the database on the UNSs like you can on the NZs?