Story ID: 111613mxreports
Falcon 900B Retrofitted with Universal Avionics
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: 
Word Count: 185
The latest upgrade in Duncan Aviation’s “Glass Box” project is a Falcon 900B retrofitted with a full Universal Avionics LCD glass cockpit, replacing the original Honeywell SPZ-8000 cathode-ray-tube displays.

The upgrade includes five Universal EFI-890R LED-backlit LCDs, engine indicating system replacing the original engine instruments, dual Universal UNS-1Fw flight management systems with Waas/LPV/satellite-based augmentation system capability and dual Vision 1 computers delivering synthetic vision on the primary displays.

The Universal avionics are capable of incorporating ADS-B features and datalink for Future Air Navigation System (Fans-1A) and Link 2000+ functions. (Fans/Link 2000+ capability will require installation of Universal’s UniLink UL-800/801 communications management unit.) The upgrade also includes dual Universal application server units that facilitate display of graphical weather and charts, solid-state data transfer unit and dual radio control units.

Total cost of the upgrade (not including Fans equipment) is approximately $1.2 million, according to Duncan.

The company launched the Glass Box Project in 2004 and offers glass-cockpit retrofits for Astras, Challenger 600/601-1As, Falcons, Gulfstreams, the Hawker 800/1000 series and King Air 200 through 350 turboprops.