Leonardo is upgrading the avionics on new AW139 medium twin helicopters to the Honeywell Primus Epic 2.0 Phase 8 that includes the SmartView synthetic vision system. SmartView is usable down to hover and can facilitate nine-degree descents to landing, including oil rig approaches.
Phase 8 also features a more user-friendly iNav map, an improved cursor control device that speeds map manipulation and menu navigation, and wireless high-speed data loading. The navigation system is track-based and follows the actual path of the helicopter while accounting for wind and other environmental factors.
"With the Epic 2.0 Phase 8 upgrade, AW139 pilots will not only reduce the time and cost of some operations, especially those in weather and around challenging terrain, but they will also experience some of the best safety features available anywhere in the helicopter market,” said Honeywell vice president of cockpit systems Mike Ingram.