GENEVA, Switzerland, 20 May 2009. Honeywell announced that it has completed lab, simulator, and flight testing to support the development of new cockpit displays and avionics systems for current production and legacy models of Gulfstream aircraft.
The new avionics capabilities for the Gulfstream G350, G450, G500, and G550 aircraft will include paperless terminal charts and enhanced Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display (SV-PFD) software. The enhanced SV-PFD will enable several new features, including the use of range rings, allowing the flight crew to naturally gauge the distance of terrain and obstacles from the aircraft and improving situational awareness.
The new capabilities for the Gulfstream legacy large cabin aircraft will also include the option of new avionics liquid crystal display (LCD) DU-885 displays that display XM weather and paperless charts. The new DU-885 display system incorporates a LED backlight and patented wide angle visibility technology, and will also support future growth to synthetic vision.
"By retrofitting our DU-885 displays, GIV and GV operators will be able to see a significant decrease in weight, an increase in reliability and life, and future growth to SV-PFD information that fuses terrain data and advanced head-up display symbology, giving the flight crew unprecedented situational awareness using the most tested and reliable terrain database available," says Chad Cundiff, vice president, Crew Interface Systems, Honeywell Aerospace.
Simulator and flight testing will be completed this month and the final certification process will begin. Honeywell made the announcement at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibit (EBACE) in Geneva last week.
The new capabilities will include Future Air Navigation System (FANS 1/A) Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) and Wide Area Augmentation System-Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance (WAAS-LPV) for current production Gulfstream G350, G450, G500, and G550 aircraft as well as enhancements that will allow these aircraft to operate to Required Navigation Procedures- Special Aircraft and Aircrew Authorization Required (SAAAR) values of 0.1 nm separation (RNP 0.1nm).
The addition of WAAS-LPV approach capability will give these aircraft access to more than 1,300 WAAS approaches in the U.S. The certification of the new production Gulfstream G350, G450, G500, and G550 aircraft to RNP SAAAR 0.1 NM capability will mark the first time a business aviation aircraft has achieved this standard of low RNP capability and will enable the aircraft to fly low RNP approaches worldwide, Honeywell officials say.
In concert with Gulfstream, Honeywell will also offer its new Flight Management System version 6.1 featuring FANS 1/A, RNP and WAAS-LPV capabilities for Gulfstream's legacy GIV, GIV-SP, G300, G400 and GV family of aircraft.
"These new avionics capabilities are designed to accommodate the planned features of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGEN) and Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) functionality and are easily accommodated in PlaneView cockpits based on our Primus Epic technology because of the expandability and growth we built into the system," says Rob Wilson, president, Honeywell Business Aviation. "Honeywell's flight management systems will improve operating costs and air traffic management capabilities on business aviation aircraft, saving time and reducing emissions. These updates will enable fuel savings and enhanced payload capability while reducing maintenance costs, allowing Gulfstream operators to expand their aircraft's capabilities without incurring the complexity of a full cockpit overhaul."
RNP is a key component of the FAA's next-generation performance-based navigation system. It utilizes global positioning and inertial reference system navigation, allowing aircraft to fly predetermined paths loaded in their flight management computers. Honeywell is also offering its Go Direct Service, which assists operators in attaining RNP SAAAR operational approval.
"RNP will save Gulfstream operators both time and fuel costs during airport operations and this functionality will enhance legacy systems improving aircraft capability in the evolving air space operations," Cundiff says. "Honeywell's Go Direct Services offer operators a complete suite of services to help operators gain operational approval for RNP SAAAR and perform RNP SAAAR Database Validation thereby offering operators a turn-key solution for the implementation of RNP SAAAR."
RNP SAAAR procedures help aircraft access airports at weather minima lower than many other types of approaches and fly more precise approaches and departures, increasing operational efficiency and reducing operating costs, noise, and emissions. WAAS provides vertical guidance during LPV approaches, increasing navigation accuracy and availability. FANS is designed to allow more aircraft to safely and efficiently utilize oceanic airspace using automatic dependent surveillance and data link technology.
