Honeywell will offer its IntuVue 3-D advanced weather radar as a standard feature for Gulfstream's G650 ultra-long-range business jet.
IntuVue, the rebranded name of Honeywell's existing RDR-4000 3-D weather radar, is the company's first foray into offering the scaleable technology on smaller platforms to penetrate the general aviation and business jet markets.
The IntuVue system uses 3-dimensional volumetric scanning to capture all weather data +/-90 degrees to the left and right of the aircraft, optimising scans relative to the aircraft altitude up to 590km (320nm) and 60,000ft (18.290m). The data is then fed into the 3-D buffer to create a picture of the surrounding weather on both horizontal and vertical situation displays.
The IntuVue system can complete a full sweep of the surrounding area in 30s, offering flight crews the ability to detect and avoid previously unforeseen turbulence, wind shears and storm activity.
The selectable azimuth allows for a slice of the weather environment to be examined in the vertical situation display to enable better tactical and strategic route planning.
The G650 will integrate the IntuVue 3-D weather data into the INAV display in the PlaneView II system based on the Honeywell Primus Epic avionics platform.
Honeywell foresees the IntuVue being employed on two new business-jet platforms within the next three to four years, and adds that one will be in the very light jet category.
The IntuVue weather radar, which is currently certified for the Airbus A380, Boeing 777 and 737, will be adapted to the G650 by shortening the antenna drive underneath the significantly smaller radome.
The G650 will enter service in 2012, following a flight-test campaign beginning in the second half of 2009.
Source: Flight International
