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Bombardier Announces EVS for Global Express
On Tuesday, Peter Edwards, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft,
announced that the company will offer an FLIR-based enhanced vision
system as standard equipment on its 6,450 nmi range Global Express
flagship beginning in early 2005. The EVS will be displayed on both
the Thales HUD in front of the pilot and on a head-down display
on the copilot's side. The FLIR camera, developed by CMC Electronics,
features a super-sensitive, second-generation, cryogenically cooled
InSb FLIR camera. The HUD/FLIR package is 24 pounds lighter than
competitive systems, according to data released by Thales and Gulfstream.
FLIR EVS offers greatly increased visibility during periods of
darkness and/or obscuration, thereby providing enhanced situational
awareness during approach, landing, taxi and takeoff. Bombardier
officials, though, made no mention of seeking regulatory credit
to fly landing approaches to lower-than-published ceiling and
visibility weather minimums.
The first Global Express to be fitted with EVS will fly during
first quarter 2003. Qualification testing is slated to begin second
quarter 2004. Thales is designing the system to fit into two LRUs,
thus considerably reducing maintenance burden. In addition, the
camera will be mounted in the top of the radome, closer to the
pilot's line of sight for a more conformal view. The Thales HUD
has the industry's widest field of view-40 degrees laterally and
26 degrees vertically, which is 28% larger than the viewing area
of any competitor's HUD. The EVS imagery will span 30 by 26 degrees,
a larger area than competitors' HUDs, Bombardier officials claim.
Why did Bombardier chose Thales? Jean-Pierre Mortreux, president
of Thales NA, said it boiled down to quality, on-time deliveries
and, most of all, low cost. About one-fourth of Global Express
customers have purchased the $425,000 HUD, an option on current
production aircraft. The FLIR EVS will be available for retrofit
for about $500,000, Bombardier officials estimate.
By Fred George
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