Saab Chooses Sandel avionics display for Swedish Air Force Trainer

Posted by John McHaleVISTA, Calif., 23 Feb. 2011. Sandel Avionics announced that its self-contained 3-ATI SN3500 primary navigation display has been selected by Saab AB for the Saab Model 105 trainer, designated the SK60 by the Swedish armed forces, following an order from the Swedish Defence Material Administration for an avionics upgrade of the aircraft. The new program, which runs through 2012, includes 40 shipsets for the Swedish armed forces' high-winged twinjet fleet.An upgradeable electronic HSI (EHSI) system that enhances mission readiness and pilot information, the SN3500 offers a combination of navigation and safety features, including compass heading, moving map, GPS flight plan, RMI, and traffic display. Available options include satellite weather and TACAN display, and on-demand Class B NVIS compatibility. In addition, the SN3500 was designed for compatibility with both digital and analog aircraft. Accommodating a wide variety of sensor inputs, the SN3500's long list of built-in features includes an internal Nav converter, internal autopilot switching, internal Jeppesen NavData database, and a bright, LED sunlight-readable display that provides as much usable display area as many four-inch EHSI units."One reason that Saab AB selected Sandel as the preferred supplier for the SK60 avionics upgrade was the excellent commercial off the shelf (COTS) performance of its products, which is a big challenge in the military jet trainer environment," says Jorgen Landoff, strategic purchaser within Saab's business area Support and Services. Certifiable for use as a primary flight display has a 10,000 operational-hour mean time between failure (MTBF) rate.