The "un panel"

The trend in avionics has been consolidation a minimizing foot print.  The ultimate expression of that idea is the "unpanel".  This was first done on a Zenith 750 Superduty unpanel, but the idea applies to a glider just as much if not more.

Remove the panel, remove the pod, it's just a tablet on a flexible boom.  This is already how I fly now, using XCSoar and my phone... Here's a video of a setup similar to what I'm using now on my Silent and the club's Libelle.

It's not pretty, but it works, a good flexible mount and a larger format tablet, would really make a huge difference.  But you ask.. Hey you don't have airspeed or barometric pressure altitude or a real vario!  Ooo - contraire mon'amie...  I have setup a BlueFly vario with airspeed.  XCSoar can read the airspeed, barometric pressure and displays it as altitude just as any Primary Flight Display (PFD) would... all out of the box, no coding required.

And finally... what about traffic?  I'm talking with OGN Cube which is a bluetooth enabled OGN/FLARM-In/ADS-B-In traffic alert module.  This can also talk to XCSoar and give it traffic adviser.

So all this "unpanel" stuff is great, but sometimes I really just want a needle to follow!  For that, going to build an OpenVario and mount it to the side of the cockpit.  

I'm going to build mine with a 1.3" round 'smart watch' display.  The display will also show units.  When XC Soar is in "climb" mode, it will show instantaneous climb rate, 10 second average and MacCreedy info.  When XCSoar switches to cruise for 500' AGL it will show "dolphin" speed-to-fly, actual airspeed (centered on 270 degrees) MacCreedy info and cruise L/D.  Below 500' AGL for tow/landing, it transitions speed to fly to a fixed airspeed probably 60mph.