Products > Flight Instruments > 4030Race

The Flytec 4030Race is a substantial redesign of the 4030XL with the serious competition and XC pilot in mind. We used the feedback from many top pilots and worked very closely with the top 2 US pilots- Paris Williams and Mike Barber to design the best combined vario-final glide computer available. We drew on all of the strong points of the existing 4030XL and added the functionality need to give pilots the best competitive edge possible. The Flytec 4030Race combines the best of both worlds (light, compact, easy to use, fantastic battery life) and precise, stable, easy to read final glide computer. These enhancements are:

• Dramatically simplified & accelerated button pressing during final glide
• A totally new and redesigned approach altimeter
• Addition of a headwind/tailwind display

Simplified Button Pressing

The final glide computer on the 4030Race can be instantly activated or deactivated at any time by a quick button press. The current headwind/tailwind setting is displayed when the final glide computer is activated. Once the final glide computer is activated the anticipated headwind/tailwind component may be instantly entered and/or updated using the up and down arrow keys.

Approach Altimeter

One of the most significant enhancements in the 4030Race is the redesign of the the approach altimeter. Knowing the optimum time to go on final glide, knowing the correct speed to fly on final glide, and monitoring your progress as you approach goal is essential for top performance in race to goal flying. The new approach altimeter will display your progress with extreme accuracy as you approach goal. The approach altimeter will show your height above or below your best glide line (corrected for the head or tail wind that you have entered) into goal. This number is shown in large bold digits with no addition or subtraction required. The new 4030Race approach altimeter will prove especially useful when approaching goal in a headwind. The approach altimeter will quickly let you know if a thermal is providing sufficient climb to make upwind progress possible. For competition flying Altimeter 2 should be set to the altitude of goal so that, at a glance, the pilot will always know his height above goal as well as his height above or below the best glide line into goal.

Headwind/tailwind Display

While gliding the 4030Race will show your current headwind/tailwind component for the direction that you are currently flying. Tailwinds are shown as positive numbers and are accompanied by an arrow pointing forward (in the direction that you are going). Headwinds are shown as negative numbers and are accompanied by an arrow pointing backwards (in the opposite direction that you are going). Since this information can be seen all the time while gliding you will be able to determine the various wind components and shears at various altitudes. This display will greatly assist the pilot in determining an accurate estimation of the wind component to enter for final glide. Since this display is visible while gliding, and since the 4030Race allows for instant adjustment of the wind component, fine tuning of the expected headwind/tailwind for final glide is a breeze. The headwind/tailwind display is averaged over several seconds providing a very stable and reliable number.

Final Glide Computer

When climbing in the last thermal, the 4030Race will indicate the earliest moment as well as the optimum moment to go on final glide. The 4030Race will also graphically count down the altitude between your best glide line and your optimum glide line. Should the situation arise (cloudbase/ airspace constraints, etc.) where you must leave the last thermal prior to achieving the necessary altitude for optimal flying speed into goal the 4030Race will provide you with the new (slower) optimized glide speed (a feature not found on any other HG or PG flight computer).

While on final glide, the 4030Race will display the effect the wind is having on your progress, your altitude above goal, as well as your altitude above or below your best glide line into goal. The headwind or tailwind can be instantly updated while the final glide computer is activated. If worse than expected air is encountered on final glide and goal is no longer within reach the 4030Race will instantly and automatically switch back to the last thermal optimizer mode the moment lift is encountered.

Flychart Professional for Windows

The 4030Race comes complete with FlyChart 4.32 Professional for Windows. Using FlyChart the 4030Race flight memory including all recorded barograph traces can be downloaded to a PC and stored in the electronic logbook module of the application. Multiple pilots, gliders, launch and landing places can be stored in the database and can be added (point and click) to the downloaded flights. All standard and GPS related features, settings and option mode functions of the 4030Race can be programmed in FlyChart and then uploaded to the 4030Race (a feature not found on any other HG or PG flight computer). FlyChart Professional also allows the pilot to download data from the 4030Race to build performance polars which can then be uploaded back to the 4030Race. This way the pilot can build and utilize a very accurate polar for their exact performance configuration that will take into consideration the pilot's glider, wing loading, drag coefficient and airspeed sensor placement (this feature is very important and also not found on any other HG or PG flight computer).

Function Overview

To view the 4030Race function overview table please visit the Function Overview page. For detailed information on the 4030XL and the rest of the 4000 series see the Technical Specifications page.