Approved flap indicator models:
Visual Instruments Inc. FAA /PMA
Model Number 6000
Part Number 6000-0090
S.T.C. SA00819SE
Type certificate part is eligible for installation:
Cessna 172F, 172G, 172H, 172I, 172K, 172L, 172M
Cessna 182E, 182F, 182G, 182H, 182J, 182K
Cessna 205, 205A, 210D, 210E, 210F, T210F
Cessna 206, P206, P206A, P206B TP206A, TP206B
Cessna TU206A, TU206B, U206, U206A, U206B
The Federal Aviation Administration awarded Visual Instruments STC#SA00819SE. This approval allows owners of certain model Cessna aircraft to replace older, troublesome Flap Position Indicators with our modern-style reliable gauge.
Eligibility Tag Rev A
Spec and Installation Sheet: Here
Sender Assembly: Here
Price of Cessna Factory Replacement System as Compared to Visual Instruments Flap Position Indicator System?
Cessna's flap position indicator systems were made by AC Spark and then by Stewart-Warner until these companies went out of business several decades ago. Since then these systems have been made by Rochester Instrument Co. THE ORIGINAL GAUGES AND SENDER UNITS MADE BY AC SPARK & STEWART-WARNER ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE ROCHESTER GAUGES AND SENDER UNITS. THUS, IF YOU OWN ONE OF THESE OLDER COMPONENTS AND IT GOES OUT, YOU THEN HAVE TO PURCHASE BOTH THE FLAP INDICATOR DISPLAY GAUGE AND THE SENDING UNIT AT A SALES PRICE FROM CESSNA OF APPROXIMATELY $1,800.00, AND CURRENTLY THERE HAS BEEN A 12-WEEK TO 6- MONTHS WAIT TIME.
The good news is that you can purchase the Visual Instruments Flap Position Indicator System for less than HALF of the factory replacement system, it will have a 3-year warranty (much longer than Cessna's warranty), our system is much more modern with an LED light bar graph & self-dimming capabilities.
Sinusoidal and Low-Resolution Readings:
The Cessna gauge is not linear. (The readings at ends of the scale are bunched up.) This is because the sender is connected to the rotating flap pulley, which moves in a sinusoidal motion.
The Visual Instruments Indicator corrects for this error in its electronic circuits. Flap position is displayed on a linear bar graph. The Display has a much higher resolution (5-degrees) for each bar as opposed to 10-degree markings on the Cessna indicator. It is very similar to the way commercial jets display their flap position on their Glass Cockpit Displays.
Difficulty in Reading the Indicator, Especially at Night:
On many model Cessna's the flap indicator is located way off on the right side of the instrument panel. This creates parallax errors and difficulties reading the indicator. At night, the gauge is not internally lit, making readings even more difficult.
Because of its LED display, the Visual Instruments Indicator is not subject to parallax errors. It has an incredibly wide viewing angle so the pilot will have no trouble reading it in the daylight or at night. Its color-coded display makes it easy to identify the 10-degree position for an emergency go-around procedure. The Indicator is equipped with an internal light sensor that adjusts the display to the proper brightness automatically.
