The European Aviation Safety Agency recently issued a technical standard order covering C4c, C5e, C6e, C88a and C106-A1 approvals for the AHR150A and AHR300A air data attitude heading reference systems (ADAHRS) developed by Archangel Systems. This means the equipment is now cleared for installation on aircraft operating under Part 23, 25, 27 and 29 rules, and it is already approved in the U.S. by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Scandinavian Avionics recently secured the first supplemental type certificate for the systems. This covers installation on Textron’s Beechcraft King Air family of twin turboprops.
According to Bill Dillard, Archangel’s director of emerging technology, the two systems are suitable for retrofit on a wide variety of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters that do not yet have ADAHRS. “The price point is moving down for this equipment,” he told AIN, adding that both ADAHRS units can be exported worldwide without any restrictions under U.S. ITARS rules.
The AHR150A and AHR300A units use micro-electromechanical sensors and sophisticated blending algorithms to give performance normally associated with fiberoptic gyro systems, but with less costly equipment that is significantly smaller and lighter, as well as requiring less power. The software for both ADAHRS systems is qualified to DO-178A mission-critical standards. The AHR150A unit is already in use on both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters operated by the UK military’s special forces and by Airbus Military.
U.S.-based Archangel Systems is exhibiting at the Paris Air Show as part of the state of Alabama delegation (Hall 3 Stand E128).