Story ID: 517_ProdigyTouch.doc
Prodigy Touch Upgrades Embraer Phenom 300 Cockpits
By: Chad Trautvetter
Caption: The new avionics “revolutionize” the man-machine interface and give pilots the first touchscreen-controlled glass flight deck for light jets.
Word Count: 326
The Prodigy Touch avionics suite for the Embraer Phenom 300 is more than just an optional upgrade that brings a touchscreen flight management system to the light jet’s cockpit. Based on the Garmin G3000 system, Prodigy Touch also brings larger displays and more functionality over the Phenom 300’s standard G1000-based Prodigy flight deck.

Prodigy Touch was certified last year by the U.S. FAA and Brazil’s ANAC and has been available as an available option since the fourth quarter of last year. However, NetJets’ “Signature Series” Phenom 300s–the 25th of which was delivered on July 25–have been outfitted with Prodigy Touch since the fractional aircraft ownership firm took its first one in May 2013.

According to Embraer Executive Jets, the new avionics “revolutionize” the man-machine interface and give pilots the first touchscreen-controlled glass flight deck designed for light turbine aircraft. Prodigy Touch incorporates the latest technologies in a highly integrated and automated architecture.

The system has three 14.1-inch displays–two primary flight displays (PFDs) and a multifunction display (MFD)–that are nearly two inches larger than those on the standard Prodigy suite. In addition, they are capable of split-screen functionality to show additional information, such as displaying maps, charts, electronic documents, system synoptics and flight plan information, alongside the core information of each display. The standard G1000-based Prodigy system lacks the processor power to display electronic charts, as well as the screen size to show this information in a split-screen format.

Prodigy Touch features two 5.7-inch touchscreen controllers at the top of the pedestal that consolidate several interfaces. These controllers, which serve as primary data-entry points, have an icon-driven interface built on an easy-to-navigate menu structure, enabling access to systems and sensors with fewer keystrokes or page sequences. In a demonstration last month, AIN found the Prodigy Touch controllers icon menu easy to use and navigate, and the touchscreen inputs were very accurate.