L-3 Avionics Systems SmartDeck integrated flight controls and display system received FAA certification aboard a Cirrus SR22 demonstrator in May.
The system is on display at the L-3 stand (Booth 4200), and also on the SR22 demonstrator on static display at Orlando business airport.
Larry Riddle, L-3 Avionics Systems business development VP, says: “SmartDeck has extremely high quality graphics, is incredibly intuitive and very clean aesthetically. We’ve made it so that every function you need is less than three clicks away from the main menu and the feedback from pilots who have flown with it has been very positive.”
L-3 conducted extensive testing to create SmartDeck’s simple user interface and the result is a departure from most other glass cockpit models, with pertinent flight information being more rapidly accessible and less confusing.
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L-3 says it is the only system on the light aircraft market to include a display dedicated to flight plan management and communication information as standard. The 4in x 5.2in center console unit (CCU) frees up space on the multi-function display (MFD) and enables pilots to continue monitoring a flight while obtaining airport or flight plan information.
It also integrates a number of advanced situational awareness technologies that provide detailed data on navigation, traffic avoidance, terrain avoidance, communication, flight controls, engine parameters and enhanced vision.
The latest addition to the SmartDeck family is synthetic vision, which should be certified this quarter and will be available as an option on new systems or as an add-on for existing models.
L-3’s synthetic vision system uses GPS location and altitude data in conjunction with a terrain database to depict realistic-looking, 3-D images of land, mountains, obstacles, water and runways on the Primary Flight Display (PFD). This image moves in real time with the aircraft, and presents a clear view of the outside environment, which is especially useful in low visibility.
In addition to terrain and obstacles, SmartDeck’s PFD will also display airports and grid lines as part of the 3-D environment. It will also show Class B Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) alerts. Riddle says the launch customer is an un-named major OEM, and will be revealed in early 2009.
Source: Flight Daily News
