Hi Mates,

I'm in a G/A period and I'm very happy with my combo A36 Bonanza + Comanche + FS2024. Eventually I spend more time flying. Gone are the days of FSX / P3D when I spent more time tweaking this or that instead of flying!

On the A36 I'm currently learning the KNS-81 RNAV (the ancestor of the GPS!) and in page 115 of the manual, it says: 

Quote

Distance Measuring Equipment
Most notably different than this unit’s predecessor unit, the KNS-80, is the lack of integrated DME information. The KNS-81 was designed to be used as a secondary, or tertiary navigation radio with an external DME display installed elsewhere on the panel. In this case, a KDI-572R fulfills this role. The KDI-572R is a traditional Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) display, with an extra rotary selector position to display RNAV information. See this manual’s section on the KDI-572 for complete information on operation.

I made search to no avail. I could not find either find an option to display the KDI-572 in the aircraft's cockpit.

Looks like very few people fly vintage avionics 😅

It's directly below the HSI. Page 41 in the manual. "Bendix/King KDI 572R DME". Also in the contents.

Learning to fly those "vintage avionics" (less vintage than some of us) is one of my favorite parts of Black square planes. Much more rewarding than following the line.

Oh great ! Many thanks Bennet!

I searched for "KDI-572R" and the exact content was "KDI 572R".

And also I knew where the DME was but was aware it was called KDI 572R 😅

13 hours ago, Simicro said:

Looks like very few people fly vintage avionics 😅

A bit off topic, but this one made me smile.  Vintage?  When I first started flying, the KNS 80 and 81 were bleeding edge, state of the art avionics for GA.  A friend put the KNS 80 in his B55 Baron, and I remember how jealous I was.  GPS?  First Loran-C units starting showing up in GA (anybody remember/use one?), then finally GPS started making a gradual appearance.  We started with hand-held units, strictly for VFR navigational assistance.  The first IFR certified panel installations were well beyond my airplane budget at the time.

Cheez whiz I must be getting old.

 

Scott

Edited May 9May 9 by tttocs

On 5/9/2026 at 2:31 AM, Bennet Hill said:

Learning to fly those "vintage avionics" (less vintage than some of us) is one of my favorite parts of Black square planes. Much more rewarding than following the line.

 

Yep, totally agree! I completed my first RNAV yesterday with 2 waypoints programmed in the KNS-81 😃

21 hours ago, tttocs said:

When I first started flying, the KNS 80 and 81 were bleeding edge, state of the art avionics for GA. 

 

Sure Scott, every high end technology becomes one day vintage 😅

5 hours ago, Simicro said:

Sure Scott, every high end technology becomes one day vintage 😅

It certainly does.  And along the way, it reminds some of us that somehow a lot of years have "suddenly" slipped by!

 

Scott

Back in the olden days, I used to fly night freight in a Bandeirante, a small turboprop. One of our scarier runs was Basle (LFSB) to Bergamo (LIME), FL190 unpressurised, on portable oxygen over the Alps. The terrain climbed relatively gently for the 1st 3rd of the flight (about 250nm total), then steeply. Even passed the halfway mark, it could be better to turn back in the event of an engine failure, drifting down to the best single engine altitude, than carrying on over rising terrain. I made a chart with the best course of action to do at any given range from Bergamo in the event of an engine failure (still air - any wind considerations would just have to be a judgement call!). But it relied on knowing my distance from Bergamo - and the DME's at either end dropped out for stages of the flight. I bought a very early Trimble handheld GPS, just a one line display - all positions user entered, no database, but it was a great comfort knowing my range from Bergamo at any given time! The CAA eventually stopped the company from doing the flight, said it was too dangerous - I think they were right!

I also used the KNS-81 back then, actually it wasn't very good, unless the VOR's used were close to 90 degrees relative, the bearings were very wishy washy, but better than nothing.

I had the same moment with that panel. Once I realized the KDI-572R was sitting right below the HSI, the manual suddenly made a lot more sense. The Black Square Bonanza is one of the few add-ons that really got me to slow down and learn the older radios instead of just falling back to GPS every time. It makes short IFR hops a lot more interesting.

I just bought the bonanza and had a question.  Am I just blind.  Looking for a selector to transfer fuel from one tank to the other.  can't find it anywhere. 

16 minutes ago, micstatic said:

I just bought the bonanza and had a question.  Am I just blind.  Looking for a selector to transfer fuel from one tank to the other.  can't find it anywhere. 

Looks like you are in a shopping period: Parallel 42 sceneries, the Bonanza...😉

The fuel selector L/R is at your left foot. But it's not for transfering fuel from one tank to another. Not sure if it does exist on this aircraft.
 

Oh I see, you mean the tip tanks. The tip tanks are only available on the Turbo Charged Bonanza.

 

Edited May 11May 11 by Simicro

39 minutes ago, Simicro said:

Looks like you are in a shopping period: Parallel 42 sceneries, the Bonanza...😉

The fuel selector L/R is at your left foot. But it's not for transfering fuel from one tank to another. Not sure if it does exist on this aircraft.
 

yes.  I'm always shopping for this hobby!  Never stops.  But yes this is for the non tip tank version.  The turbine as well.  How do you make it pull from the other tank.  Looks like only my left tank is dropping not the right.  

11 minutes ago, micstatic said:

The turbine as well.  How do you make it pull from the other tank.  Looks like only my left tank is dropping not the right.  

You have to manually change tanks with the fuel selector near your left foot.  There is no interconnection between the two tanks.

 

Scott