PHOENIX, Ariz., - Honeywell is providing Leonardo’s helicopter division with a significant cockpit upgrade — Honeywell’s Primus Epic 2.0 — for its AW139 helicopters. Primus Epic 2.0 will deliver innovative and intuitive features that provide better maps, improved situational awareness at night and in marginal weather, and easier access through wireless connectivity, improving safety and saving time. For the first time in the industry, it is track-based, meaning navigation follows the actual path of the helicopter and accounts for wind and other environmental factors.
The SmartView synthetic vision system is usable all the way down into the hover, helping pilots navigate during low-visibility conditions and challenging missions. These missions can include steep 9 degree descents into landing areas in challenging terrain and oil rig approaches. Flight crews will also benefit from a more user-friendly, iNAV map visual interface with easy-to-use displays and an improved Cursor Control Device that makes map manipulation and menu navigation quicker and more comfortable.
The Phase 8 upgrade also increases connectivity capabilities, with Wireless Data Loading that lets pilots access data at high speeds remotely without a hardwire connection, transferring flight plans wirelessly and accelerating preflight actions.
