Radiant Technology - Angle Of Attack Sensor And Display System

Overview

For 2026, Radiant Technology has updated our angle of attack system with improved features — all while retaining the simple, direct-vane sensing principle that made the original product distinctive. It gives experimental-aircraft pilots a direct, highly visible picture of relative angle of attack. Here is what you'll find in the newest version: Much more useful information with a crisp display. A real Heads Up Display (HUD) capability. A substantially stronger warning system with an included 110dB Annunciator Alarm. Safer, ground setup with more deliberate calibration. Automatic support for either vane direction. A more complete and flexible mounting package, supporting conventional and pusher (fuselage-mount) configurations. Direct-vane system Unlike pressure-based systems that infer AOA from differential pressure, the Radiant AOA uses a balanced, ball-bearing-supported vane positioned directly in the local airflow. The vane follows the air, and its position is transmitted electrically to the full-color cockpit display. No pressure ports. No pneumatic tubing. No leak-sensitive pressure connections. No in-flight pressure-system calibration. Install the vane, establish the aircraft’s CRUISE and STALL reference positions on the ground, and then go fly. Immediate, Color-Coded Information The new operating screen gives the pilot useful information at a glance. The large AOA digits show the aircraft’s registered angle of attack relative to the cruise reference. The digits change color as the aircraft moves through the green, yellow and red operating zones, and the redesigned operating screen presents angle of attack three ways at once. A huge digital AOA value shows relative angle of attack from the calibrated CRUISE reference. The digits change from green to yellow to red as AOA increases. A 16-segment vertical bar graph fills upward toward stall. The upper bar segments become progressively wider, placing greater visual emphasis on the high-AOA region. A separate data box continuously displays the live VANE angle together with the stored CRUISE and STALL reference angles. The result is an instrument that can be understood at a glance. The pilot can see the current AOA, the trend toward stall, and the actual vane position relative to the two calibrated reference points. The Radiant AOA is more than a last-moment warning device. It lets the pilot watch what happens to the wing as pitch, power, bank and airspeed change. Heads-Up Display Select HUD mode and the complete display is mirrored for reflection from a suitable transparent HUD film installed on the inside of the aircraft windshield. This allows the pilot to monitor the color bar and numerical AOA indication while looking forward—particularly useful during slow flight, approach and STOL operations. An Alarm That Commands Attention The AOA-022 includes Radiant’s exceptionally loud 110 dB external Annunciator Alarm. When the aircraft enters the critical AOA warning range, the annunciator produces an immediate solid-tone warning. It connects to the instrument through a simple 3.5 mm jack, making behind-the-panel installation straightforward. The pilot can mute the alarm from the front panel while retaining the full visual warning. Mute is automatically cleared whenever the instrument is powered off, so a previous mute cannot silently carry into the next flight. A front-panel ON/OFF switch provides immediate and unmistakable pilot control. The Radiant AOA is especially well suited to STOL aircraft, including Zenith and other experimental aircraft frequently operated at higher angles of attack. It is also a valuable instructional tool for experimental-aircraft transition training and familiarization. Pilots can directly observe how angle of attack changes during: Slow flight Steep turns Power changes Approaches Flare Stall demonstrations It helps the pilot see the wing working—and makes learning the aircraft more informative and more enjoyable.

Features

• Brilliant 3.2-inch, 320 × 240 color display
• Standard 2¼-inch instrument-panel cutout
• Black-background and white-background display themes
• Eight levels of screen dimming
• Large color-coded relative-AOA digits
• Direct VANE angle display
• Permanent CRUISE and STALL reference display
• Mirrored HUD display mode
• Pilot-accessible alarm mute
• Front-panel ON/OFF switch
• Automatic support for either direction of vane travel
• Operates from any 9- to 16-volt DC aircraft supply
• Three-year warranty

The Complete Mounting Package

• The Radiant AOA is supplied as a complete system, not merely an instrument head and sensor.
  
• Included:
  
• Full-color cockpit instrument head
  
• Balanced, ball-bearing-supported vane and position sensor
  
• 16-inch carbon-fiber extension shaft, which may be shortened as desired
  
• Leading-edge mounting assembly for conventional tractor aircraft
  
• Fuselage side mounting adapter for pusher aircraft
  
• External 110 dB aural Annunciator Alarm
  
• 
  The lightweight carbon-fiber shaft allows the vane to be positioned in the local airflow while giving the installer flexibility in the final mounting geometry.
  
• The instrument automatically interprets either direction of vane travel, allowing normal or reversed sensor installation without a separate polarity setting.
  
• The installer supplies the required three-conductor sensor cable and any optional HUD film.
  
• The supplied mounting arrangements allow the system to work with a broad range of experimental aircraft configurations. Conventional tractor aircraft can use the leading-edge mount or fabricate their own mount, while pusher aircraft may place the vane along the side of the fuselage using the included mounting adapter. The lightweight carbon fiber shaft helps position the vane in the forward airflow while providing flexibility in the final installation geometry.

Benefits

• The 2026 Edition isolates calibration from flight operation: Setup is entered only during power-up, helping prevent accidental changes during flight. The result is a direct-reading system intended to be installed, calibrated and then left alone—without recurring pressure-system problems.
  
• The instrument captures two aircraft-specific reference points:
  
• CRUISE establishes the zero-reference position.
  
• STALL establishes the upper calibrated reference.
  
• Each reference is captured by holding either front-panel button when prompted while the instrument averages the vane reading. Once calibration is complete, the values are retained in nonvolatile memory.
  
• Calibration cannot be accidentally changed during normal operation.

Important Use Limitation

• The Radiant AOA is intended exclusively for experimental-aircraft and ultralight use ONLY. It is an advisory aid and is not offered for installation in type-certificated aircraft.
  
• It is not a primary flight instrument and does not replace airspeed discipline, stall awareness, proper training or operation within the aircraft’s established limitations.

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