EASA has granted certification approval for Honeywell’s Primus Epic Phase 8 software and EGPWS with offshore modes, and Leonardo will offer the new software in the AW139 intermediate twin. Phase 8 features an advanced synthetic vision system (SVS) tailored to helicopter operations and improved 2D maps and wireless data loading.
The advanced SVS assists with navigation and landing approaches to challenging terrain and oil rigs via 3D presentation of the external environment, including surrounding terrain, obstacles, runways, and helipads within the background of the primary flight display (PFD). A 2D interactive navigation (INAV) feature displays the helicopter’s position and flight plan on the multifunction display, enabling navigation system alignment with the actual flight path, adjusted for environmental factors.
The custom approach function offers the capability to design, set, and fly an automated approach to any user-defined location, including oil rig helidecks. Embedded wireless connectivity provides high-speed data access for flight plan transfer and maintenance data capture from the aircraft. The new EGPWS version -036, also available for Phase 7, is a more sophisticated helicopter TAWS optimized for use in offshore environments and designed to provide more warning lead time of potential collisions.
Honeywell Epic Phase 8 is one of more than 1,000 kits available for the AW139. Leonardo has received nearly 1,200 orders for the helicopter and more than 1,050 operate in some 70 countries.