Garmin's G3X Touch avionics have been approved for installation in legacy certified aircraft after the Federal Aviation Administration this week granted a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for nearly 500 single-engined piston aircraft.
The G3X Touch has been available for fitting to experimental aircraft since July 2014.
“Garmin remains committed to offering value-minded solutions that seek to enhance safety in the single-engine piston aircraft market and the introduction of the G3X Touch flight display for certificated aircraft is yet another example of that commitment,” said Carl Wolf, Vice President of Aviation Sales and Marketing.
“As the trusted leader in avionics, we’re excited to bring this game-changing offering to certified piston aircraft owners with ambitions for flight display upgrades that fits their panel – and budget.”
The G3X Touch display features a high-resolution, infrared touch-screen display. Pilots who also want multiple displays now have the option of installing up to three displays, using any combination of 10.6-inch or 7-inch G3X Touch screens.
When paired with the 10.6-inch display, the 7-inch G3X Touch system can serve as a dedicated display for a variety of features including traffic, full-screen moving map, geo-referenced charts, engine information and even serve as a back-up primary flight display (PFD).
G3X Touch can be coupled with multiple Garmin products, such as the new GPS 175/GNX 375 and GTN 650/750 navigators, and the GFC 500 autopilot.
Synthetic vision comes standard on all G3X Touch displays and provides a three-dimensional depiction of terrain, obstacles, water features runways and more. Capable of serving as a stand-alone VFR navigator, the G3X Touch provides further situational awareness in visual conditions with features like vertical navigation (VNAV), which allows pilots to generate a vertical descent profile by setting an altitude constraint in the flight plan.
A 7-inch display will cost around $US7995 with a 10.6-inch screen coming in at $US9995.
More information on the G3X touch is on the Garmin website.