Jet Aviation has completed the first installation of a Max-Vis EVS-1000 enhanced vision system on a Dassault Falcon 50EX as applications and sales of the situational-awareness aid gather pace.
Portland, Oregon-based Max-Viz says three to four systems a week are being delivered. This is expected to double within two months as aircraft installations are approved.
The uncooled EVS-1000, which is optimised to image terrain and improve situational awareness, has been approved on the Bombardier Challenger 600/601/604 and Dassault Falcon 50/50EX. Supplemental type certifications (STC) are expected by year-end on the Bombardier GlobalExpress, Dassault Falcon 900 family and Gulfstream IV, as well as the Bell 212/412 and Sikorsky S-76 helicopters. Approvals are expected in the first quarter of next year on the Beechcraft King Air family, Learjet 35 and Pilatus PC-12.
Max-Viz expects delivery rates to continue increasing through 2004 and 2005 as more business aircraft operators adopt enhanced vision systems, says corporate sales director Jean Menard.
The company has funded the majority of STCs itself, and its next target is the Cessna Citation family. Jenard says Max-Viz is in discussions with Cessna, which is already certificating the Portland company's EVS-2000 in the Citation X and Sovereign.
The EVS-2000 is a cooled system that is optimised to detect runway lighting.
Source: Flight International
