Operators looking to upgrade the avionics in Cessna Citation Excel/XLSs equipped with Honeywell Primus 1000 flight decks can now add Avidyne’s IFD540 Multifunction FMS under a new STC approved by the FAA. The STC enables replacement of one of the DU-870 CRT-type multifunction displays with dual IFD540s, and this is Avidyne’s first STC for installation of the IFD540 in a Part 25 jet.
The addition of the IFD540 adds modern capabilities to the Excel/XLS, including autopilot-coupled LPV approaches, synthetic vision, traffic display, and provision of GPS position information for ADS-B Out. The STC also paves the way for further Part 25 approvals for the IFD units, as well as Avidyne’s new Atlas console-mount FMS. The IFD/Atlas can interface with Primus 1000 or Collins Pro Line 21 avionics “without the exorbitant costs of external adapter boxes or EFIS factory upgrades,” according to Avidyne.
“This Part 25 STC moves Avidyne another leap forward as we expand into this market of otherwise highly-capable legacy turbine aircraft that are in dire need of affordable avionics modernization solutions,” said Avidyne CEO Dan Schwinn.
Avidyne has previously obtained STCs for dual IFD FMS installations in Part 23 jets such as the Citation 525 with a Pro Line 21 flight deck and FGC-3000 digital flight control system and a single IFD on the CJ1+, CJ2+, and CJ3.