Gulfstream Aerospace's plant in Savannah, Georgia is setting itself up as a centre of excellence for development of next generation pilot vision systems.
The General Dynamics subsidiary business recently hosted two research and development teams, from NASA and Honeywell International, both of which are developing and evaluating concepts for the new generation systems.
Pres Henne, Gulfstream's senior vice-president, programmes, engineering and test, says: "It was in Savannah where we developed, flight-tested and certified the Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System, which was a huge technological leap in the field of vision-enhancing systems."
Research
Gulfstream EVS was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration on 14 September 2001, following seven and a half years of research, development and testing. The first of its type to be so certified, the Gulfstream EVS enables pilots to see terrain, runways and approaches that otherwise are undetectable by unaided sight.
Today, more than 100 EVS have been installed on six more models of Gulfstream aircraft. EVS is standard equipment on the large-cabin, ultra-long-range G550; an option on the G400, G300 and a retrofit on the GV, GIV and GIV-SP models.
When Gulfstream begins customer deliveries of its newest long-range aircraft, the large-cabin G450 in the second quarter of 2005, Gulfstream EVS will be a standard option.
"The experience we gained during the development and testing phases of the EVS programme provided us a comprehensive and systematic way in which to evaluate the effectiveness of new technological advancements in the cockpit," adds Henne. "We are pleased to partner with both NASA and Honeywell in their efforts to develop safer aircraft operations."
Source: Flight Daily News
