Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON
An electronic retrofit developed by Airbus Industrie for the A300B2/B4 twinjet, which provides increased efficiency and meets new navigation requirements, has been certificated.
The B2/B4 variants - the first examples of the A300 to be produced - are equipped with analogue, electromechanical-instrument cockpits and, with a few exceptions, three-crew flightdecks. Some 250 aircraft were delivered between 1974 and 1984, and around 214 remain in service. With a significant number of the older A300s being converted to freighters, the models are likely to remain operational for at least another 20 years.
The retrofit, which takes the form of an Airbus service bulletin, involves the installation of two global navigation and landing units (GNLU) and two liquid crystal navigation displays (LCD ND) manufactured by Rockwell Collins. The GNLU provides flight management system (FMS) and global positioning system (GPS) capabilities, which are accessed through a multi-purpose control and display unit (MCDU) installed on the centre pedestal.
Airbus says that the retrofit will ensure that older A300 models can continue to operate in the modern air traffic environment, with its increasing importance and reliance on global navigation satellite systems. It was developed in response to new navigation requirements in Europe, with basic area navigation (B-RNAV) becoming mandatory in Europe in April 1998, while precision area navigation will be enforced from 2005.
The system retrofit will provide the navigation accuracy required by aircraft using communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management routes, and for them to perform non-precision approaches. It complies with the immediate basic area navigation requirement, but can also be upgraded in the future.
The LCD NDs are installed on the main instrument panels, replacing the electromechanical attitude and direction indicator (ADI). Four ND display modes are available, Compass Rose, Plan, ARC and MAP. Airbus says that crew workload is reduced by use of the FMS, while the NDs provide better situational awareness.
Airbus declines to reveal the cost of the upgrade, but it is understood to be less than $500,000.
At least 10 units have been sold, to three operators.
Source: Flight International
