Eclipse Aviation has completed US Federal Aviation Administration certification of the Eclipse 500's new Avio NG integrated avionics suite, 10 months after parting ways with former systems provider Avidyne.
The first production Avio NG was installed in aircraft number 105, which will be delivered in the coming weeks. Avio NG will be retrofitted into the delivered fleet by the end of 2008 at no cost to owners, says Eclipse.
Avio NG gives the aircraft a “significantly improved” electronic flight information system and communications, navigation and surveillance functionality, says Eclipse, with options that now include a third attitude heading reference system, collision avoidance and a terrain awareness and warning system.
© Eclipse Aviation
The system features higher-resolution, longer-lasting primary flight and multi-function displays built by IS&S, a flight management system built by Chelton, Garmin GTX 33 and GTX 33D transponders, Honeywell Primus Apex KTR 2280 digital radios with 8.33/25 kHz channel spacing and a PS Engineering PMA500 audio control panel.
The company also announced that its plea for short-term financing from customers -- a special offer to lock in an aircraft price of $1.25 million in exchange for depositing $625,000 in an escrow account – had been successful in raising more than the $30 million threshold beyond which Eclipse could use the money to keep the business operating.
Sources say Eclipse is also on the verge of announcing a longer-term financing arrangement.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
