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.”

FMI: www.honeywell.com, www.honeywellnow.com