Transport Canada and EASA have granted certification to Innovative Solutions & Support for its ThrustSense Full Regime Autothrottle system for the King Air 200 and 300 series.
With these approvals, more than 40 countries outside the U.S. have now certified the IS&S autothrottle system, which also now can be installed in King Airs configured for special missions, extended range, and heavy weight operations as well as those modified by Blackhawk Aerospace. The IS&S autothrottle is also standard equipment on new-production Beechcraft King Air 260s and 360s. IS&S has delivered more than 70 shipsets of the ThrustSense autothrottle to date.
In addition to the normal benefits of autothrottles, which make flying and changing altitudes in busy airspace easier, the King Air ThrustSense application can help prevent loss of control in Vmca situations. The IS&S LifeGuard Vmca mitigation feature automatically detects a failed engine in any phase of flight and manages the power on the good engine to prevent loss of directional control if the airplane gets too slow. IS&S has demonstrated this capability right down to stall warning in the King Air, with no tendency to roll, thanks to the autothrottle’s management of power output on the operating engine.
“We’re feeling a wave of greater acceptance in ThrustSense safety and performance by business aviation owners and operators on all seven continents,” the company said.
Transport Canada and EASA have granted certification to Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S, Booth 3853) for its ThrustSense Full Regime Autothrottle system for the King Air 200 and 300 series.
More than 40 countries outside the U.S. have now certified the IS&S autothrottle system, which also now can be installed in King Airs configured for special missions, extended range, and heavy weight operations as well as those modified by Blackhawk Aerospace. The IS&S autothrottle is also standard equipment on new Beechcraft King Air 260 and 360 models. IS&S has delivered more than 70 shipsets of the ThrustSense autothrottle to date.
In addition to the normal benefits of autothrottles, which make flying and changing altitudes in busy airspace easier, the King Air ThrustSense application can help prevent loss of control in Vmca situations. The IS&S LifeGuard Vmca mitigation feature automatically detects a failed engine in any phase of flight and manages the power on the good engine to prevent loss of directional control if the airplane gets too slow. IS&S has demonstrated this capability right down to stall warning in the King Air, with no tendency to roll, thanks to the autothrottle’s management of power output on the operating engine.
Other ThrustSense features include VNAV mode with waypoint speed constraints now available for aircraft equipped with Collins avionics; guard mode to protect the engines from exceeding limits even when the autothrottle is switched off; asymmetrical beta mode protection, which eliminates problems where in some situations a beta valve hangs up when both engines are at idle, causing high drag on the affected engine and a subsequent yaw at a critical time; torque matching, where ThrustSense matches engine torque to eliminate asymmetrical thrust when the pilot sets power; electronic detents, which can be preset into the autothrottle and can vary depending on engine and outside conditions; an “electronic brake” that acts like a friction lock and prevents an uncommanded change in power setting; and, for special mission aircraft, an optional loiter and endurance mode where the autothrottle optimizes airspeed for minimum fuel flow to maximize endurance.
“We’re feeling a wave of greater acceptance in ThrustSense safety and performance by business aviation owners and operators on all seven continents,” the company said. “With the prospect of general aviation movements increasing significantly with pandemic recovery, we’re seeing there’s a greater focused attention by aircraft operators on further enhancing the King Air’s utility and value by reducing workload in their flight operations. ThrustSense is a great example of IS&S’s capabilities as a key player in providing needed technology to deliver cockpit automation to this next level.”