Distinguished Backcountry Pilots,

I’ve never posted in this forum before, even though I like the articles and advice found here. By way of background, I am a retired USAF C-130 pilot and currently fly a Glasair Sportsman primarily in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Utah. For the last few years I’ve been working on modelling General Aviation aircraft performance, at first using a massive spreadsheet. This took a more time-consuming turn about a year ago when I decided to migrate that work into a custom iOS app for the iPhone to do real-time aircraft performance calculations. I named the app “TLAR” which stands for “That Looks About Right,” a term I’m sure many of you know.

TLAR is an iOS app that computes aircraft performance information in real time for several types of single-engine piston-powered General Aviation aircraft. TLAR computes takeoff, climb, cruise, and landing performance adjusted for weather and atmospheric conditions such as winds and density altitude and surface conditions such as runway slope and surface type and displays that information both textually and graphically. TLAR can operate with or without a network connection.

Apple Computer recently approved TLAR for public BETA release. This forum seems a good place to find aviators who care about aircraft performance and willing to be BETA-testers of TLAR. With Zzz’s permission as the site founder, I’m making TLAR BETA available to as many as 500 members of this forum (first come first served).

The app is complex, as is aerodynamics, but with certain settings TLAR requires little to no pilot interaction in flight (download the 121-page pilot guide available at http://www.tlarpilot.com.). The BETA version is free, but it is copyrighted and has applicable terms of service (the commercial version, if it gets that far, will not be free). Apple forces BETA apps to “self-destruct” after a maximum of 90 days (sometimes less).







At present, the app covers the following aircraft (in varying levels of accuracy):

• Bonanza A36
• Cessna 152
• Cessna 172M
• Cessna 172N
• Cessna 180K
• Cessna 182P
• Cirrus SR20
• Cirrus SR22
• Cirrus SR22T
• Cub Crafters FX-2
• Cub Crafters FX-3
• Glasair Sportsman
• Glastar Glastar
• Harmon Rocket II
• Kitfox 7 Series SS
• Kitfox 7 Series STI
• Mooney M20F Turbo
• Piper J3
• Piper PA18
• Piper PA28-140
• Piper PA28-181
• Vans RV-8

Sorry if your model is not yet covered. More planes will be added over time. For now, if your plane is not on the list, you can pick a similar one and adjust the horsepower to approximate your own (see pilot guide for instructions).
INSTALLATION

iOS device must be running iOS 14.3 or higher and meet the following hardware requirements:

• GPS
• Accelerometer
• Magnetometer
• Gyroscope
• Location Services
• ARM64 architecture
• Minimum performance of A12 chip

Translated to exact device models, TLAR will only install and run on the following:

• iPhone: Xs, Xs Max, Xr, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, SE (2nd gen)*, 12 Pro Max, 12 Pro, 12, 12 mini, 13 Pro Max, 13 Pro, 13, 13 mini.

*Note for iPhone SE (2nd gen) models- All of TLAR’s core functionality remains, but a few features are not available on account of the iPhone SE’s small screen.

• iPad**: Must be a built-in cellular and GPS version of one of the following models: iPad Pro 12.9” (3rd, 4th, 5th gen), iPad Pro 11” (1st, 2d, 3rd Gen), iPad Mini (5th and 6th gen), iPad Air (3rd, 4th gen), iPad (8th and 9th gen)

** TLAR is designed for iPhones and not optimized for iPad. It looks a bit awkward on (especially the larger) iPads

If your device is not listed, TLAR will not install on your device. For more on hardware requirements, see: https://developer.apple.com/support/req ... abilities/

To install TLAR BETA on any of the devices listed above, first download Apple’s “TestFlight” app from Apple’s app store (its Free). It’s the one that looks like the attached file (blue icon with 3-bladed prop).



It will ask you to agree to the terms of being a BETA tester first. Once you have “TestFlight” on your device, it will likely present you a screen asking for a redemption code (see other attached file).



Do not worry about that code, it’s used to distribute BETA versions via targeted e-mail invites, not for public links which is what is posted next. Disregard the code, and exit “TestFlight.”

Next, navigate this link and follow the directions:

https://testflight.apple.com/join/kEoRKsuK

Please send feedback on what’s good/bad/ugly about TLAR and any suggestions you have to make it better. Send an email to [email protected] or through Apple’s “TestFlight” app. If TLAR crashes and your device prompts you if you want to send crash info to Apple, please do…it will come to me with embedded information (like the line number of code that crashed) to allow me to ID/fix the problem.

Here are the primary known issues in TLAR v 1.0 (build 5):
• FAA database incomplete (not all States loaded, not all public airports available) and has errors (most common is a runway axis error)
• Display is scrambled if user has “display zoom” set to “zoomed” in their iPhone’s “Display and Brightness” settings
• Display poor on iPad

Enjoy and thanks for helping test this app, looking forward to your feedback!

Jeff
Boise, Idaho

Sounds like a great app. I'd love to giv3 it a go but I run android. Any chance it'll be available on that platform anytime?

Just download the app; it was simple enough. I see the 172N model has 160 hp under the hood ? I'll use it as a representitive model to my 0-360 powered 170B.

Regarding Android and other platforms,

If the iOS app "succeeds" in any reasonable way, then, for sure, will get some Android experts in to help convert...sry to disappoint...

Jeff

I "played" with the app a bit today and here's some early thoughts.

Pro: I like the "custom" location feature, I do a lot of float flying in the summer months to places that do not have an ICAO identifer.

Con: The aircraft empty weight seems to be "locked" at a pre-defined lower limit. Many of the airplanes flown by BCP members have "improved" empty weights. I was using a "canned" 172M @ 160 hp but it wouldn't accept the empty weight of my airframe.

More to follow, but on first pass I LIKE IT

Ask and you will receive!

Just pushed build 6 with 1000lb empty weights for C172N and C172M

Appreciate the quick feedback

Does the app "auto" update the next time I open it ?

Disregard the answer is YES

Very cool, now you need to add a Bearhawk Patrol/Companion/4 Place

I would like to be able to customize the aircraft more

Thanks!

I have a "build your own plane" screen coded that is about a 75% product at this point...the trick is balancing the complexity of such an addition with it's accuracy...I rejected the idea a month ago as I was worried about it's nuances and decided to do the "heavy lifting" myself and code specific models...but....maybe its worth a re-look

Jeff

It's going to be hard to address all the various STC's that exist for any given type, even engines alone would be challanging. I for example have a 170B but re-engined with a Lycoming that replaces the original Conti

No doubt!

Of course, some STC's do not really affect performance that much...others do. In the case of a horsepower change, the app already allows you to change the horsepower for any given model. But, there are other changes that matter too...from a coding perspective, they are usually easy to capture...just need to be aware of them (hence feedback), balanced against is this a "one off" or are there lots of planes with the modification...

Jeff

So with that in mind a Sportman/Horton or other such STOL cuff is one performance variable to give consideration too its a common STC with this crowd.

Thanks!

I'am familiar with those mods in the sense that I know they are out there, will need to do some research on their aerodynamics to properly model them...specifically by how much does the Sportsman or Horton stol mod raise the coefficient of lift, and how much more does it increase the coefficient of drag at various angles of attack? Not hard to include once these are known...

Jeff

Of the wing STOL kits available the Robertson will likely provide the best "aerodynamic" data. Most of the other option rely on "perception" with no published data.

For those smart on Robertson STOL,

Are these numbers from Skywaygroup legit?

https://skyway-mro.com/wp-content/uploa ... -web-2.pdf

Also found a thread in the Cessna forum with a member's test data on the Sportsman STOL mod. Same question for those here who are smart on Sportsman, legit?

https://forum.cessna170.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5829

I just pushed build 10 to the App Store…those of you who have already downloaded Apple’s “TestFlight” app and have previously been testing my app should get a link to install this latest version on your phone. If you have not, but want to participate, here is the link to get started:

https://testflight.apple.com/join/kEoRKsuK

It runs best on iPhones (sorry, it looks bad on an iPad still…once the design settles in, I’ll eventually go back an re-code a whole new one for iPads, but, that’s gonna take hundreds of hours).

I also have not overhauled the pilot guide yet. The good news (I think) is the interface is more intuitive than it used to be…to that here’s the quickie version:

Added 50,000 airfield database, single page interface now. Use “map” “data” and “menu” buttons to access various settings. Tap weather gauges to select between manual, internal, or internet sources. Tap the “use Lz” button (landing zone) to select whether or not to display Lz info and use Lz data in performance calculations. The fan button toggles the motor on/off. Wind button similarly. The cloud button downloads weather. The F0/1/2 buttons select flap settings. Tap the climb and cruise gauges to cycle through various climb/cruise modes. The pilot guide does not exist for this version yet. I look forward to your feedback!

Very cool

Maybe I’m not seeing it, but it would be cool if it could work for seaplane ops too.

Agreed!

You are right, there are no float plane options in TLAR at the moment. That said, I'm not float rated, but have thought about how to model the TOLD on a float plane...if for no other reason than the challenge of it all! Do you have a performance manual for float planes that you would be willing to share?

Jeff

herksrule wrote:Agreed!

You are right, there are no float plane options in TLAR at the moment. That said, I'm not float rated, but have thought about how to model the TOLD on a float plane...if for no other reason than the challenge of it all! Do you have a performance manual for float planes that you would be willing to share?

Jeff

Sure

I have a 185 PDF and a Robertson STOL one too, PM a email and I’ll email them, not sure how to attach a pdf here

Here's a screenshot of the latest version.