A lightweight Rockwell Collins head-up display and enhanced vision system will be available as a factory option on new Bombardier Challenger 350s, as well as a retrofit for in-service airplanes, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer announced today. It will be cut in on the production line next year, with retrofits available concurrently, a company spokesman told AIN.
The combined HUD/EVS will further expand the avionics functionalities of the Pro Line 21-equipped super-midsize business jet, which comes standard with a synthetic vision system. “Added to the Challenger 350 aircraft’s already well equipped flight deck, the HUD and EVS option will enhance the pilot’s situational awareness,” said Bombardier Business Aircraft president David Coleal.
With the addition of the lightweight HUD, the aircraft will allow pilots to fly eyes forward in all phases of flight, most crucially during takeoff and landing, according to Bombardier. For situational awareness in all flight conditions, the EVS camera will transmit live infrared imagery from outside the aircraft to the HUD, revealing runway lighting, surrounding terrain, and possible obstacles on the runway.
Meanwhile, the Challenger 350 is currently undertaking steep approach certification at London City Airport, with this certification expected “imminently.”