Mon, Oct 19, 2009
Currently Flight-Testing Upgrade to Primus Epic Flight Deck
That Will Lower Landing Minima
Once again, the future of business aviation (and much of the
rest of the business) appears to be steered by truly innovative
developments in the avionics arena. Honeywell has announced that it
is flight testing an improvement to Primus Epic that merges
SmartView synthetic vision with infrared camera input for a
comprehensive head-down view of the environment outside a business
jet.
“A blended view utilizing our proven SmartView synthetic
vision and infrared technology will give flight crew the best of
both worlds – united in one cockpit flight display,”
said Chad Cundiff, Vice President of Crew Interface Products,
Honeywell Aerospace. “The systems complement each other,
providing a greater margin of safety. SmartView is backed by a
terrain and obstacle database proven with more than 600 million
flight hours, while infrared provides the picture of the actual
runway environment outside the cockpit windows.”
Merging the infrared camera image with SmartView should allow
Primus Epic operators to achieve lower minima in approaches to many
airports similar to what operators enjoy today by displaying the
infrared image on a Head-Up Display (HUD), without the need for the
installation of a HUD. This technology will dramatically increase
access to many destinations, especially in poor weather conditions,
avoiding lengthy and costly diversions.
Honeywell has flown more than 25 hours with the system and is
working with the FAA and others in the industry to determine the
path to certification of this mature technology. Many Primus Epic
aircraft currently have infrared cameras and can be equipped with
the SmartView synthetic vision capability.
“Since 2003, Primus Epic has provided a base upon which we
can add features and functionality with minimal to no changes
needed,” added Cundiff. “The system was developed to
grow with the need of its operators.”
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