Toronto-based Mid-Canada Mod Center (MC2) has completed the first Canadian installation of the Universal Avionics Systems (UASC) InSight Display System integrated flight deck. The modification was performed on a 1995 Canadian-registered Cessna Citation VII.
“Repair costs for legacy avionics on an aircraft of this age are typically quite high and some of the systems are no longer supported,” said MC2 president Bill Arsenault, noting the Citation VII has relatively few upgrade paths available. “The main goals here were to enhance safety through better situational awareness and extend the usable life of the aircraft with a modern cockpit.”
The project included airborne connectivity and an extensive flight deck upgrade with 10.4-inch EFI-1040 displays, touchscreen EFIS control display unit, alphanumeric keyboard and reference select panel, data concentrator unit II, engine interface unit, and class A TAWS. The system offers LPV approaches, ADS-B Out, and CPDLC/CPDLC digital clearance capabilities, as well as a growth path to enhanced flight vision system capability.
Key features include embedded 3D synthetic vision, advanced mapping, electronic charts, and the ability to customize displays for different phases of flight. The FMS installation also includes UASC's FlexPerf trip performance option, which provides advanced fuel-saving predictions for aircraft performance in all phases of flight, according to the avionics manufacturer.
Arsenault told AIN that a subsequent Transport Canada (TC) supplemental type certificate (STC), required to cover deviations from UA's original FAA STC due to “a few enhancements such as software updates and the addition of an electronic standby instrument,” was developed by MC2 sister company Avionics Design Services, a TC-authorized design approval organization.
As a result, the UASC system is now a solution for all Citation VIIs with existing Honeywell and Collins avionics. It offers the operator the ability to land at unfamiliar airports with confidence, simplified user control and input, and increased component reliability, the manufacturer stated.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with MC2 to certify our InSight Display System in the Canadian market," said UASC CEO Dror Yahav. "The excellent personal and technical relationships between our companies resulted, again, in a wonderful cockpit upgrade that brings modern capabilities to the Citation VII.”