Flytec unveiled their Connect 1 smartvario at the 2015 Thermik show in Germany. It has a touch screen and a range of sensors and connectivity options.
The first 100 ‘basic’ units were sold to testers at a special price in March. The test team are feeding back their thoughts to Flytec, who will steer the instrument’s development accordingly. As more functionality is added throughout the year, the price of the instrument will rise.
Flytec’s initial development plan looked like this, although is subject to change:
| Release | Main function | For | Price (before tax)* |
| March 2015 | Vario, altitude, WiFi, automatic software updates | Test pilots | CHF 500 / EUR 463 / USD 550 |
| May 2015 | Waypoints, graphic airspace display | All | CHF 593 / EUR 549 / USD 653 |
| July 2015 | Routes for cross country flights | All | CHF 639 / EUR 592 / USD 704 |
| September 2015 | Race routes | All | CHF 685 / EUR 634 / USD 755 |
| November 2015 | Maps, graphic thermal assistant | All | CHF 732 / EUR 677 / USD 806 |
| Early 2016 | Bluetooth |
The Connect 1 replaces the mid-range 6020, and the company say they are also working on a high-end replacement for the 6030.
The Connect 1 should be connected to the internet from time to time (through WiFi for now, or Bluetooth when it is added in early 2016) and the smartvario will alert the user when software updates are ready.
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