Since receiving FAA certification in January for its AeroVue flight deck upgrade in the King Air B200, BendixKing (Booth 2600) has signed up electric-aircraft developer Eviation for an AeroVue package. Eviation is designing a regional airliner powered by electric motor propulsion and plans call for installation of BendixKing’s AeroVue Touch displays at a later date, according to BendixKing vice president Stephane Fymat. “To put our system into a new-generation aircraft is notable,” he said, “especially with all the new activity around electric aircraft.”
BendixKing also announced that Blackhawk Modifications is installing an AeroVue flight deck in its next five Beechcraft King Air B200 mod packages. Another contract announced this year is the retrofit of French regional airline Twin Jet’s Beechcraft 1900Ds with the AeroVue suite. Twin Jet is upgrading twelve 1900Ds and has an option for an additional four.
Weight savings for the AeroVue system versus the old avionics is 125 to 150 pounds. All avionics are replaced with the AeroVue upgrade, including the autopilot, radios, engine instruments, and displays. LPV approaches and ADS-B Out are standard, and ADS-B In is an option. The King Air package includes two primary flight displays and one multifunction display as well as a cursor-control device.
BendixKing’s next flight deck upgrade is the AeroVue suite for the Citation Citation 560 (V, Ultra, and Encore), picking up the project that had been under way by the former Innova Aerospace, which closed in late 2017. The AeroVue upgrade, which is expected to be STC'd next year as the only glass cockpit solution for these Citations, will also feature three displays and a cursor-control device.
For buyers of new avionics, especially comprehensive flight deck upgrades, the initial cost of equipment can be daunting. To help customers manage these costs, BendixKing in July announced its Avionics-as-a-Service plan, which allows buyers to purchase new avionics with a monthly subscription fee.
Twin Jet is the launch customer and is using the plan to fund its AeroVue upgrades. Equipment that can be covered under Avionics-as-a-Service includes AeroVue, AeroVue Touch, xVue Touch, KSN 770 navigator, AeroWave satcom, and the MST 70B transponder with ADS-B Out.
The plan covers the equipment, installation by an authorized dealer, repairs, software updates, databases and charts, and technical support. In an example of pricing, the montly fee for equipment that sells for $20,000 would instead be about $400. Terms are five or 10 years, and the plan can be transferred to a new owner if the airplane is sold, provided the aircraft has retained its value.
“You can step into a new panel without having to put any money out, just start paying monthly,” said Fymat. “We take care of everything.”
The AeroVue Touch display is now expected to be STC’d by year-end for 353 Part 23 Class 1 and 2 aircraft types. List price is $12,495, including synthetic vision.
Meanwhile, BendixKing’s KI-300 attitude indicator replacement for the electromechanical KI-256 is now TSO approved and available for purchase. The company is developing an STC for the KA-310 autopilot adapter and is targeting first-quarter 2019 for that unit.