This year's Sebring Sport Aviation Expo was a great chance to
recharge our sport aviation "batteries" as well as get a chance to
look over some great new planes and products. Foremost among those,
this year, was Garmin's release of the forthcoming GDU 370/375 -- a
NEW series of full function multi-function displays (MFDs)
developed for the LSA retrofit and experimental aircraft
markets.
The non-certified GDU 370 and GDU 375 are based on Garmin's
portable GPSMAP 695 and GPSMAP 696, and are designed to be
networked with other Garmin products so that in the future the GDU
370 and GDU 375 can provide complete primary flight display (PFD)
and MFD capability.
The GDU 370 and GDU 375 are large, seven inch, portrait displays
designed to be readable day or night. The soft keys at the bottom
of the display control the most commonly used features of the
current page, such as turning the weather display on/off. The
dedicated keys on the display's right side have specific functions
such as nearest, direct to, flight plan, zoom in/out and menu.
Also on the display's right side is a rotary knob/joystick,
similar to the G1000's joystick, that lets pilots enter airport
identifiers, pan the map, or scroll to page and sub-page groups.
Unlike the GPSMAP 695/696, the GDU 370 and GDU 375 are designed for
panel mounting, have redundant power inputs, and a front-mounted SD
card slot. The back of the GDU 370 and GDU 375 have connection
ports for external GPS and XM antennas, and a 50 pin connector for
power/ground and interfaces.
Both units are designed to interface with yet to be released
Garmin components that will transform the GDU 370 and GDU 375 MFD
into a full functioning PFD/MFD avionics panel with primary flight
display and engine data. When all components are purchased and
interconnected -- GDU 370 and/or GDU 375 display, ADAHRS and EIS,
magnetometer and temperature probe -- the system will be known as
the Garmin G3X.
The GDU 375 includes an XM WX Satellite Weather receiver that
provides next generation radar (NEXRAD), aviation routine weather
reports (METARs), terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAFs), temporary
flight restrictions (TFRs), lightning, winds aloft, turbulence
forecasts, PIREPs, icing forecast information and several other
important weather products. The weather data may be laid directly
over the unit's navigation and topographic map databases, similar
to the GPSMAP 696. The GDU 370 does not include XM WX Satellite
Weather.
The GDU 370 and GDU 375 are expected to be available in March
2009, for an expected street price of $3,295.00 and $3,995.00,
respectively. The complete G3X system – GDU 370/375 displays,
ADAHRS and EIS, magnetometer and temperature probe -- is expected
to be on display at the upcoming Lakeland 2009 show in late April,
with availability slated for the second half of 2009.
A full G3X kit is expected to be priced at around $10,000.
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