Flightdeck retrofits

A burgeoning flightdeck retrofit market is attracting new offerings, with Gulfstream sister company General Dynamics Aviation Services (GDAS) working to upgrade the GII and GIII with Sagem Avionics' flat-panel integrated cockpit display system (ICDS). GDAS will market similar retrofits for the Bombardier Challenger 600 and 6601-1A, Dassault Falcon 20 and 50 and Hawker 700 and 800.

Avidyne and S-Tec have joined forces to offer an integrated flightdeck and digital autopilot retrofit, initially for the Beechcraft King Air 200. Rival general-aviation supplier Garmin has previously announced a programme to upgrade the King Air C90 with its G1000 integrated avionics suite (Flight International, 1-7 August).

GDAS expects supplemental type certification of the GII/III cockpit upgrade, which includes five 10.4in (265mm) liquid-crystal displays, in the second quarter of next year, with the system retailing for $400,000. Sagem's ICDS has been fitted to helicopters, and competes with flat-panel upgrades using Honeywell, Rockwell Collins and Universal avionics.

The Alliant integrated cockpit for the King Air combines Avidyne's Entegra flat-panel displays with S-Tec's IntelliFlight digital autopilot, and retails for $170,000. A target market of more than 200 King Air 200s "is just the beginning", says Avidyne, which sees 12,000-15,000 turboprops, including 6,000 King Airs, as the next opportunity for its integrated avionics.

Another cockpit upgrade specialist, Integrated Systems & Solutions (IS&S), is moving into the business-aviation market beginning with the single-turboprop Pilatus PC-12. By year-end, the company's aftermarket flat-panel flightdeck will include a built-in Class 3 electronic flight bag, with the capability to display charts, checklists, weather and video, including enhanced vision system imagery.

Source: Flight International