NK ClearNav — A new generation of soaring instrumentation

Today’s cross-country soaring pilot must gather, display and assimilate a large amount of information. In most glider cockpits, this is being accomplished with a collection of equipment including a GPS receiver, flight recorder and PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

Real-world experience with this approach reveals severe limitations: PDA’s weren't designed for aircraft use and are too small and dim to effectively supply information to a busy pilot in a sunlit cockpit. Cabling and connectors tend not to be rugged, so failures are all too common. Flight recorders require tedious and slow file downloads.

It’s time for the next generation of soaring instrumentation, purpose-built for the task: an integrated instrument that overcomes the shortcomings pilots have been forced to deal with. NK is proud to announce ClearNav:

State-of-the art display

From the start, one of our core goals has been to offer a display far superior to current options available to glider pilots. The cockpit of a glider, with its limited space and extremes in lighting (ranging from dim to direct sunlight on the display or in the pilot’s eyes), is a challenging environment for a graphic display. The needs of the pilot must also be considered — a glider pilot’s most important task is to focus attention outside the cockpit, so struggling to see the small and dim screens currently available creates a dangerous distraction.

The ClearNav offers a larger and brighter display than any other cockpit instrument available today. Designed specifically for outdoor and industrial use, it performs exceptionally well in bright sunlight conditions. No PDA even comes close. (The images you see here give a good idea of the quality, but to be fully appreciated the ClearNav display must be seen outdoors, in a glider.) Every display element, from colors to fonts to icons, has been carefully selected to maximize the capabilities of this unique display and provide maximum at-a-glance visibility.

Sophisticated software functions

The NK ClearNav comes preloaded with NK ClearNavigator software, a highly evolved version of the proven Glide Navigator software. This software offers everything you would expect from advanced soaring specific software and more:

		Moving map with selectable layers Moving map shows just the right degree of contour and terrain information, together with clear display of airports and turnpoints. User settings allow you to show or suppress selected details as desired.
		Glide “amoeba” ClearNavigator’s unique visual presentation of all areas you can reach given current conditions. This instantly understandable graphical presentation of your landable footprint takes altitude, glider polar, wind and terrain into account and also depicts your reachable footprint above a user-settable arrival altitude.
		Task optimization Includes intuitive area task optimization through clearly drawn turn point arcs.
		Airspace monitor Visual display of all SUA’s, with audio proximity alarms and easily accessed details.

A full-function remote keypad

The ClearNav ships standard with a small handheld remote designed to be easily operated with the non-flying hand. At the heart of the ClearNav 9-button configuration is the standard “up-down-left-right-select” combination commonly found on AV and game remotes, phones, cameras and more. The function of these controls is familiar and instantly clear to every user. The buttons have a logical layout and excellent feedback. Pilots quickly find that they never need to look at the remote to operate the ClearNav. As an optional accessory, we offer an elegant mahogany stick handle with the remote keypad (plus PTT button) incorporated in the ergonomically designed top. The ClearNav display is not cluttered with confusing buttons or dials. There are no rows of unmarked buttons, or even worse, buttons whose functions change unpredictably on different screens, thus competing for the pilot’s attention during flight. The ClearNav also does not employ a touch screen. Current touch screens do not offer the high level of visibility required, are difficult to reach in some gliders, and are extremely challenging to operate in turbulence.

A simple user interface

		The stressful and fast-changing environment typical of a glider flight demands a simple, versatile user interface. All key performance values are displayed in compact strips that border the main screen while still preserving most of the area for the map display. This avoids the need for frequent and distracting screen switching. A single button-touch summons a simple “ribbon” menu with large clear icons that controls all frequently used functions and values. A more comprehensive text menu allows full control of less frequently used functions.
		Considerable care has been taken to ensure the user interface is simple and consistent — buttons do what a pilot expects them to do. This contributes to the goal of a straightforward instrument that serves, rather than fights, the pilot. The ClearNav is highly configurable, so it can support a wide range of pilot preferences. We believe that pilots of all types and at all levels of the sport deserve an easy-to-use instrument that concentrates on meeting their specific needs and helps ensure their safety by providing complete situational awareness.

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