Hawker Beechcraft and Rockwell Collins have started flight testing of the first touch-screen primary flight displays (PFDs) for business aviation.
A Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion, with touch-screen and cursor-controlled flight displays, has been fitted to a King Air B200GT. If testing is successful, the Fusion system will be offered as an aftermarket option to all in-service Beechcraft King Air Pro Line 21-equipped aircraft.
Hawker Beechcraft senior vice president, Global Customer Support, Christi Tannahill, said: “We’re thrilled to bring this technology to our existing fleet of aircraft by collaborating with Rockwell Collins. Our King Air owners are eager to upgrade to easy-to-manage flight deck displays that take situational awareness to another level and allow for future technology and requirements.”
The Fusion upgrade features large format, touch-control displays that come standard with synthetic vision and a graphical flight management system that enables pilots to fly with their eyes forward. In addition, the Fusion displays are networked with Rockwell Collins’ Ascend Flight Information Solutions for updates of all flight-related databases.
Certification for the initial King Air application is expected by the end of next year with deliveries in early 2014.