Garmin is progressing on development and expanding its platforms for a range of its new avionics suites for business aircraft.
The Olathe, Kansas-based avionics specialist has added a second Cessna Citation to the development and flight-test program for the Excel/XLS upgrade to the G5000 avionics suite, with a view to obtain STC approval in early 2019. The company is offering another pre-STC incentive program for up to the next 15 customers to sign up for a 2019 delivery, offering five years of database coverage—a savings of nearly $25,000.
The G5000 suite for the Excel/XLS is available for about 600 airplanes, and it is expected to cost from $500,000 to $550,000 and cut empty weight by about 200 pounds. The package includes three landscape-oriented displays, two touchscreen controllers, and digital automatic flight control system with emergency descent mode. Underspeed protection is optional and enables fully coupled go-arounds. Also included is ADS-B Out and PBN/RNP 0.3 with LPV/APV approach capability.
Other options include Garmin’s synthetic vision technology; SurfaceWatch, which provides runway and taxiway safety information via visual and aural cues; Link 2000+ and controller-pilot datalink communications; datalink weather via Iridium satcom; and Garmin’s Flight Stream 510, which adds Connext wireless cockpit connectivity for flight plan transfer with the Garmin Pilot, FltPlan Go, and ForeFlight apps, as well as Garmin’s Database Concierge for updating onboard databases wirelessly via Garmin Pilot.
Meanwhile, Gulfstream has selected Garmin for an ADS-B Out solution for the Gulfstream G280. The upgrade is now available for new and in-service G280s and includes Garmin’s GDL 88 ADS-B datalink and Flight Stream 210 wireless gateway, providing both ADS-B Out and In.
With the GDL 88 and Flight Stream 210, G280 pilots can view traffic from multiple sources, including TCAS and ADS-B In TIS-B, and this can be displayed on apps such as Garmin Pilot, FltPlan Go, and ForeFlight.
In other news, Garmin's upgraded Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck is headed for more airplanes, including the Piper M500, Embraer Phenom 100 and 300, and Cessna Citation Mustang. These will join those already approved for the NXi upgrade: TBM 850 and 900, and King Air 200, 300, and 350. The NXi upgrade features displays with faster processors and improved LED backlighting.
Compared with these airplanes’ original G1000 avionics, the NXi version adds features such as SurfaceWatch runway monitoring technology, visual approaches, map overlay within the HSI, SafeTaxi airport diagrams, traffic, and terrain. Flight Stream 510 and Connext technology enables the wireless transfer of aviation databases from the Garmin Pilot app on a mobile device to the G1000 NXi.
The Mustang NXi package will be available in the fourth quarter; the Phenom 100 and 300 in mid-2019; and the M500 in the second half of 2019.
In addition, Garmin dealer Clemens Aircraft of Benton, Kansas has completed its 11th G5000 upgrade in the Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP. The Beechjet version includes three displays, ADS-B Out, and PBN/RNP 0.3, radius-to-fix legs, and LPV/APV approaches. Useful load increases by more than 300 pounds.