Includes 3-D Terrain And Obstacles Rendering
The battle has been joined in the quest to bring synthetic
vision capabilities into the cockpits of general aviation aircraft.
L-3 Avionics Systems announced Monday at AirVenture 2008 the
addition of Synthetic Vision to its SmartDeck Integrated Flight
Controls and Display System.
Synthetic Vision will be available as an option on new SmartDeck
systems or as an add-on for existing models after certification,
which is expected later this year. SmartDeck with Synthetic Vision
is on display at Hangar C, Booth 3100.
"Synthetic Vision elevates SmartDeck's sophistication to the
next level," said Adrienne Stevens, president of L-3 Avionics
Systems. "Even with zero visibility, the pilot has sharp graphics
of the ground below right on the display. It makes the cockpit even
safer and more manageable, and it looks fantastic. We invite pilots
to fly SmartDeck and compare it to the other systems. When pilots
fly it, they love it. The graphics are unparalleled."
L-3's Synthetic Vision uses GPS location and altitude data in
conjunction with SmartDeck's terrain database to depict
realistic-looking, 3-D images of land, mountains, obstacles, water
and runways on the primary flight display (PFD). This image moves
in real time with the aircraft, and presents a clear view of the
outside environment, which is especially beneficial during limited
visibility conditions.
In addition to terrain and obstacles, SmartDeck's PFD will now
display airports and grid lines as part of the 3-D environment as
well as Class B Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) alerts.
Distant airports will be flagged with airport identifier signposts
and grid lines will assist pilots in judging distances within the
40-nautical-mile perceived sight range.
This upcoming version of SmartDeck will also include GPS
Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV). With the WAAS
capabilities of the system, pilots can easily shoot LPV vertically
guided instrument approaches to more than 600 airports that are not
equipped with instrument landing systems (ILS).
ANN flew the company's SR22 testbed equipped with the sythentic
vision system last week. While perhaps lacking a bit of the
"golly-gee!" vividness of Garmin's G1000 SVT system unveiled
earlier this year, the SmartDeck panel offers extremely crisp
graphics in its own right, and clear annunciator warnings for
terrain and other obstacles. The system is also highly responsive
to changes in pitch, roll and yaw, and the level of
information available is impressive, and easily scalable.
Perhaps L-3's biggest advantage, though, lies in the SmartDeck's
less button-intensive, "three-clicks-or-less" user interface. The
company's design philosophy makes flying easier and puts important
flight information in a readily accessible location.
L-3's Synthetic Vision integrates a number of advanced
situational awareness technologies, including L-3's SkyWatch
collision avoidance system, LandMark terrain awareness warning
system (TAWS) and Stormscope lightning detection system, as well as
communication, flight controls and engine parameters. These
resources, combined with the S-TEC IntelliFlight 1950 integrated
Digital Flight Control System (DFCS), make SmartDeck a truly
integrated flight management system.