Stevens Aviation, of Greenville, S.C., has completed its
75th global air traffic management (GATM) avionics upgrade of the C-12 for the
U.S. military and its 100th C-12 teardown and reassembly.
The GATM upgrade is a major cockpit makeover involving the
installation of a five-tube electronic flight instrument system, dual flight
management system, TAWS, radar, and flight data recorder. The updates are
needed to have the aircraft meet requirements for avionics that work with the
latest ATC systems in use worldwide. To handle this contract Stevens developed
new expertise in systems installation and flight-test as well as wire bundle
looming and sheet metal fabrication. The project started in 2002 and is
averaging 20 aircraft per year.
The teardown of C-12s is an inspection for structural
integrity that requires disassembly of the aircraft down to the frames. This
includes removal of the wings. Corrosion is checked, discrepancies are noted
and repaired, and then the aircraft is reassembled and flight-tested. This
initiative started in 1997 and is averaging 12 aircraft per year.
In addition, Stevens has secured an extension of its
agreement with Piaggio America whereby green P180 Avanti IIs are flown from
Italy to Greenville for completion. And it has secured a contract with an
unspecified customer to install ProLine 21 glass cockpit avionics suites in 29
aircraft.
Finally, the company is developing a new RVSM modification
for King Air aircraft equipped with Honeywell (Bendix King) KFC-400 autopilots. This
will be certified by year-end.
