As flight testing of the new Anthem avionics suite in Honeywell’s Pilatus PC-12 continues, the turboprop single is taking a short break this week in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where EAA AirVenture attendees can check out the revamped instrument panel up close.
Honeywell test pilot Ed Manning made the first flight earlier this year of the PC-12 fully equipped with the Anthem suite. Earlier flight testing, which began in the PC-12 more than a year ago, was with a partial Anthem system mounted on one side of the instrument panel, supported by original Honeywell Primus Apex avionics on the other side.
While the Apex pilot interface is a cursor-control device and multifunction controller, Anthem’s displays are all touch display units (TDUs), or touchscreens, enabling many more ways of activating all of its features.
“It’s completely different architecture-wise,” Manning said. Areas on the TDUs—for example, the flight mode annunciators—can even replace all the functions of a typical hardware guidance panel, and aircraft manufacturers will be able to choose whether the panel is needed or if the space can be put to other uses.
The main interface for Anthem is the pilot interface display unit, which can be on its own display or can be included in a section of one or more of the TDUs.
Another key Anthem feature, which Manning and his fellow test pilots have not yet been using in the PC-12, is cloud connectivity. This feature will enable Anthem to run certain web apps directly on a TDU, with the app acting just as it does on a smart device or on a computer.
“We’re cleaning up stability issues not found in the lab,” Manning said. A new 13-inch display that will soon be added to the aircraft will enable further testing.
Also at its EAA AirVenture exhibit, Honeywell is showing off its new BendixKing KX 200 navcom radio. This is a slide-in replacement for KX 155 and 165 navcoms still in thousands of general aviation aircraft. The KX 200 is also available for remote installations and could be the radio for an Anthem installation.
With a color LCD, the KX 200 is available in 14- or 28-volt configurations and offers 25-kHz or 8.33-kHz frequency spacing. It will be available in the fourth quarter and prices start at $5,100.
“We redesigned the new KX 200 with ease of installation in mind,” said Andrew Barker, v-p, integrated avionics at Honeywell Aerospace. “The upgrade requires minimal or no aircraft downtime. Operators and owners of this new system will not have to worry about changing their navigation and communications systems if they decide to upgrade their existing cockpits.”