Honeywell today announced several developments designed to boost the efficiency and safety of Bombardier and Gulfstream operations.
The US avionics manufacturer has been contracted to supply its new DU-875 display system for the Bombardier Global Express. Gulfstream operators will benefit from moves by the company to demonstrate advanced navigation procedures using its PlaneView displays, and to simplify the updating of terrain and obstacle databases.
Featuring liquid-crystal displays for the presentation of charts, maps and XM graphical weather, DU-875 is available only for Global Expresses equipped with the Primus 2000XP flight deck. It is designed to replace the existing CRT displays in the big Bombardier.
“DU-875 brings significant new functionality to the Global Express cockpit, offering flight data that increases situational awareness, efficiency and safety,” says Rob Wilson, president of Honeywell business and general aviation. “It will also be able to accommodate next-generation communications, navigation and air traffic management upgrades.”
Honeywell is smoothing the way towards more precise approaches and departures by Gulfstreams equipped with its Planeview screens. The company’s corporate flight department has just applied to the FAA for clearance to perform Required Navigation Performance Special Aircraft and Aircrew Authorization Required (RNP SAAAR) operations with its own Gulfstream G450 and G550.
“RNP SAAAR approach and departure procedures help to increase operational efficiency and reducing operating costs, noise and emissions,” says Wilson. “They allow improved operations in more congested airspace and among complicated terrain.”
Honeywell is an FAA-designated consultancy empowered to help business jet operators to obtain RNP SAAAR authorisation. RNP is a key component of the FAA’s next-generation performance-based navigation system, which combines GPS and inertial navigation to enable aircraft to fly predetermined routes loaded into the flight management computer. Terrain, obstructions, restricted areas and changing winds are all included in the design of RNP approaches.
Gulfstream operators opting for the airframer’s Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display (SV-PFD) and future synthetic vision applications using Honeywell’s Integrated Primary Flight Display (IPFD) technology will benefit from a new clearance that the avionics company has obtained from the FAA. The first ever DO-200A letter of acceptance (LoA) will allow Honeywell to update its proprietary terrain and obstacle database without having to recertificate its synthetic vision software each time.
“We were granted this approval because we showed that our processes met or exceeded FAA requirements for the updating of proprietary terrain and obstacle databases,” says Honeywell marketing and programme management VP T.K. Kallenbach. “For Gulfstream SV-PFD users it means that once the application software is installed, the terrain and obstacle database can be updated without significant aircraft downtimes.”
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Source: Flight Daily News
