Meggitt Makes 'Magic'--It's the Name of EFIS Retrofit for Prop Commanders

If only Ted Smith could see his beloved old Aero Commander now--all gussied up for the 21st century with a new glass panel. But at Twin Commander Aircraft Corporation in Arlington, WA, it's all magic.

Actually, its Magic (with a capital "M"), the name of its EFIS retrofit for turboprop-powered Commander Models 690A through 695B. The display suite was engineered for Twin Commander by Meggitt Avionics, and has been installed in a remanufactured 690A Grand Renaissance Commander that began flight testing last month.

The Magic panel consists of four 7.25-inch-square liquid crystal displays that replace the Commander's analog flight, engine, and some systems instruments. The engine and systems displays, mounted in the center of the panel, depict horsepower, exhaust gas temperature, rpm, fuel flow, pressure, quantity, and amount consumed; oil temperature and pressure, hydraulic pressure, flap position indicator, and rudder and elevator trim positions. With the Commander's original electromechanical gauges removed, sufficient space is created on the center panel to accommodate two vertical avionics stacks.

According to Twin Commander's VP and general manager, Jeff Cousins, the fact that the EFIS lowers pilot workload "is important today, since most Commanders are flown as single-pilot airplanes." The installed system is priced at $160,000. Installations will be performed by eight Commander service centers: Aero Air, Hillsboro, OR; Byerly Aviation, Peoria, IL; Banyon Air Service, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Eagle Creek Aviation Service, Indianapolis, IN; Northeast Airmotive, Portland, ME; Timberline Aviation, Grand Junction, CO; and Winner Aviation, Youngstown, OH.

The Twin Commander is the second Meggitt EFIS application to receive supplemental type certification, the first having been earned for the Piper Meridian.

Meanwhile, Twin Commander continues to create Grand Renaissance "remans," having delivered 32 airplanes so far, with others in various stages of completion. In addition to the turbine-powered Commander variants, the company also remanufactures the last piston-powered derivative (of 19 certified by the original manufacturer, Aero Commander and, later, Rockwell Commander)--the Model 500S Shrike Commander.

Under the reman program, the aircraft is first stripped to its bare structure. "Everything is removed, including the control surfaces," Cousins said. In Models 690A and B, the lower wing spar (which carries most of the flight loads) is completely replaced, thus terminating an airworthiness directive that requires periodic corrosion inspections. Almost everything else is replaced with new parts. "If it moves or is non-metallic, that is, hoses, fuels cells, plastic windows, and so forth, it is replaced."