Large Panel Displays and Synthetic Vision for Citations
Universal Avionics is about to take on two giants-Honeywell and
Rockwell Collins-in the business of retrofitting Citations and
other jets with 21st century flat panel avionics.
At the core of Universal's avionics suite is its large format
8.9-inch 890R flat panel display, which is nearing certification
in the company's King Air 350, and software that includes the
TSO'd Vision 1 synthetic vision system. The 890R supports imaging
for weather radar systems, TAWS and EGPWS systems, FMS data, traffic
systems, uplinked weather graphics, lightning systems and video
cameras, in addition to Vision 1.
Don Berlin, Universal Avionics' vp and general manager of marketing,
says a retrofit with the 890R will be in the order of 30-40% lower
in cost than a similar retrofit with Pro Line and Primus Epic
packages for the Citation 550 and 560s. Along with the Citations,
Berlin says the company is targeting the retrofit market for Challengers,
Falcons and Gulfstreams.
The 890R program will commence in January when Universal plans
to begin outfitting a Challenger 601 owned by UA's president and
CEO, Hubert Naimer. The Challenger panel will feature four 890Rs,
priced at $55,000 each, and one MFD-640 interfaced to a Collins
APS 85 autopilot. For the Citations, current plans are to have
three 890R displays on the panel-a primary flight display and
a navigation display on the pilot's side and a primary flight
display on the copilot's side. Berlin says the 890R is designed
to interface with "most of what's out there" in the
way of autopilots.
Along with the 890R, Universal Avionics is marketing its TAWS
and Vision 1 synthetic vision systems at NBAA. Vision 1, certified
as a situational awareness aid, displays a 3-D view of the terrain
and FMS course from the pilot's perspective, or a view from behind
and above the aircraft. Other new offerings this year include additional
capabilities for the company's electronic flight bag (dubbed the
Universal Cockpit Display), such as electronic documentation, WSI
weather and datalink.
