For anyone dealing with shrinking space on an instrument panel, Mid-Continent Instruments (Booth No. 2655) offers a small suggestion: a new two-inch course deviation indicator (CDI), which the company is unveiling here at the 2006 NBAA Convention.

“Every general aviation pilot needs a CDI of some sort,” said Todd Winter, president of Wichita-based Mid-Continent. “The MD200 series’ size allows you to fulfill that need without taking up valuable panel real estate. This indicator will fit the need of aircraft owners of LSAs [light sport aircraft] all the way up to business aircraft.”

The CDI’s petite size provides more placement options for those trying to squeeze more avionics and digital displays into their panels, and complements the company’s recently introduced two-inch attitude gyro.

In addition to its space-saving benefits, the needle of the CDI moves out of view if the instrument detects an invalid signal, eliminating the possibility of being taken off course by a problem with signal reception. According to Mid-Continent, the CDI’s rectilinear meter movements enable precise and accurate display, augmented by the LED backlighting for enhanced readability in both bright daylight and at night.