PHOENIX, 6 Jan. 2013.Fixed-base operator (FBO) Cutter Aviation in Phoenix has received supplemental type certificate (STC) to install a custom glass cockpit panel package powered by the Garmin G950 as a retrofit to older model Piper Meridian aircraft. The STC SA01705WI comes from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Washington.
The general aviationmaintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) certificate gives Cutter Aviation approval to install the custom glass cockpit panel based on the Garmin G950 on Piper Meridian retrofits to replace the Meggitt or Avidyne electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) avionics as originally installed. Cutter Aviation is based at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Combining and expanding on the Garmin G1000 avionics technology, the Garmin G950 retrofit enables Piper Meridian owners to upgrade their aircraft to the most modern standards to meet the newest requirements for NextGen airspace and WAAS while enhancing situational awareness and navigation flexibility, Cutter officials say.
The six-seat Piper Meridian is for business aviation and personal transportation. The aircraft, which has the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A turboprop engine, has a range of 1,000 nautical miles, cruises at 260 knots, can fly into known icing conditions.
The aircraft has a pressurized cabin and can fly at altitudes as high as 25,000 feet. It competes directly in the general aviation market with the Cessna P210, the Mooney M22, and similar aircraft.
Cutter Aviation worked in direct partnership with Garmin to engineer and develop the G950 retrofit package on the Piper Meridian single-engine turboprop aircraft.
“Piper Meridian owners have been asking for a fully integrated avionics upgrade for their aircraft, and we are pleased to now offer them such a package," says Will Cutter, president and CEO of Cutter Aviation.
Starting with a new panel and glare shield, the Garmin G950 STC package provides clean and modern panel design. The package features the large 12-inch Garmin GDU-1240A primary flight display (PFD) and multi-function display (MFD) units configured as either a two-display (single PFD / single MFD) or three display (dual PFD/single MFD) package.
The Garmin G950 installation replaces existing attitude & heading reference systems (AHRS) with dual Garmin GRS 77 AHRS units and also replaces the engine & airframe interface unit (EAU) with a new Garmin GEA 71 EAU.
The G950 system incorporates the existing S-TEC IntelliFlight and Magic 1500 autopilot into the Meridian package. Installed, the G950 modification provides a Model Year 2013 comparable instrument panel that is cleaner and more modern and provides significantly more glass surface area, safety features, and navigational tools than other pre-G1000 models in the Meridian fleet, Cutter officials say.
For more information contact Cutter Aviation online at www.cutteraviation.com, Garmin at www.garmin.com, or Piper Aircraft at www.piper.com.
