BCA Marketplace — Avionics/Instruments

Utilizing Aviation Week’s Marketplace, the BCA Staff collated four companies producing new avionics. Take a look and learn more.

1. GTN Xi Series Navigators

Garmin International announced new features for its GTN Xi Series navigators, including a Glide Range Ring, Best Glide Airport Indicator and remote radio control and tuning.

The Glide Range Ring helps pilots visualize the estimated area that the aircraft can reach when it is configured for best glide range in the case of an engine failure. It considers terrain data as well as wind data when provided by a Garmin GDL 69 satellite data link receiver or Flight Information Service-Broadcast (FIS-B) source; or calculated winds from a compatible Garmin fight display. G500 TXi or G600 TXi displays when paired with the GTN Xi can show the Glide Range Ring while using the GTN Xi GPS guidance as the horizontal situational indicator source.

The Best Glide Airport Indicator, which requires additional configuration steps during the software upgrade, is selected based on distance from present location, runway length at the airport, wind data and airport weather through FIS-B or Sirius XM satellite radio. The indicator is depicted as cyan chevrons pointing to the recommended airport for the aircraft to glide to from its current position.

When dual GTN Xi navigators are installed, pilots can now remotely control and tune Comm and Nav radio frequencies on both units from a single navigator. A new radios page displays all Comm and Nav frequencies (active and standby) of both units, as well as volume levels. The radios page can be quickly accessed from the frequency keypad page or as a preset user field button. Also new, pilots can load a frequency to the active or standby position of either GTN Xi from applicable airport or waypoint information pages.

marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/garmin-international-inc

2. Max-Viz Enhanced Vision System

Astronics Corp. announced FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval of its Max-Viz 1400 enhanced vision system installation on the McDonnell Douglas DC 10-30 aerial firefighting tanker. Astronics developed the STC modification—announced on Sept. 29, 2020—in cooperation with avionics design group AVIO dg and firefighting fleet operator 10 Tanker Air Carrier of Albuquerque. The STC approval required flight-testing and evaluation of the system during water drops.

The Max-Viz 1400 enables pilots to see through smoke and adverse weather conditions to readily identify drop targets and terrain. The system uses an uncooled, 640 x 480 pixel resolution, long-wave infrared thermal imaging sensor with electronic zoom, contained in a metal fairing. Imagery can be presented on a cockpit display that accepts NTSC or PAL analog RS-170 signals.

marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/astronics-advanced-electronics-systems

3. InSight Flightdeck

Universal Avionics has added a platform for its InSight integrated flightdeck with installation by authorized dealer Redimec SRL on the Hawker 800XP mid-size business jet. The retrofit upgrade includes three EFI-1040 displays, a Data Concentrator Unit II, dual Touch EFIS Control Display Units and alphanumeric keyboards, a single Reference Select Panel and dual UNS-1Fw flight management systems. The flight deck package comes with embedded synthetic vision system, electronic charts, advanced mapping, ownship position on runway and the ability to autotune onboard digital radios.

marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/universal-avionics-systems-corporation

4. Imaging Flight Recorder

Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions in December 2020 received EASA technical standard order certification for the imaging multi-purpose flight recorder (iMPFR) and cockpit area camera, microphone and imaging cockpit control unit elements of the ISSKOR flight recorder system on the Irkut Corporation MC-21 single-aisle airliner. The iMPFR supplied for the MC-21 exceeds 25 hr. recording capacity for parametric flight data and data link information, and is capable of recording two hours of four channels of digital voice and cockpit image data. The EASA certification is recognized by the FAA and other regulatory bodies.

marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/curtiss-wright-corp-defense-solutions-division