Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies is developing a supplemental type certificate (STC) to replace the standby instrument system in Cessna Citation 500/501/550/S550/560/560XL series jets with a Garmin GI 275 electronic standby instrument. “The current standby instrument systems in these aircraft have become difficult and very costly to repair,” according to Blackhawk.
Once FAA approved, the STC along with the parts manufacturer approval kit will be available from Blackhawk and Garmin dealers. The STC approval program is in its final stages, the Columbia, Missouri company said.
Buyers can opt to use the GI 275’s internal lithium battery or the aircraft’s existing standby battery system as backup power for the instrument. The installation includes aircraft-specific airspeed markings for the particular model, and available options include synthetic vision, backup GPS antenna, and magnetometer for heading information.
“Our customers were looking for a turnkey solution to an age-old program for the Citation 500 series aircraft,” said Blackhawk v-p of sales and marketing Conrad Theisen. “We listened and developed an STC designed by installers for installers as a low-cost solution.”