Story ID: 
Sandel Drops Price of Class-B TAWS
By: Stephen Pope
Caption: As the market for terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS) heats up, manufacturers are adjusting prices downward to compete against one another.
Word Count: 168
As the market for terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS) heats up, manufacturers are adjusting prices downward to compete against one another. The latest to announce a price drop was Sandel Avionics of Vista, Calif., which is now selling its class-B ST3400 TAWS/RMI for less than $20,000. The 3-ATI unit is a self-contained TAWS with an integrated RMI. A major benefit of the product is that it slides into the spot in the instrument panel occupied by a standalone RMI, thereby saving panel space. The FAA is mandating TAWS in most turbine-powered aircraft with six or more seats by March 2005. Honeywell, maker of the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), has the most complete line of TAWS equipment, covering business jets, airliners, helicopters and light general aviation airplanes. Universal Avionics also produces a TAWS, and two other players, Goodrich and Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems (ACSS), plan to enter the market with products soon. Honeywell is suing Goodrich, Universal and Sandel for patent infringement related to its EGPWS.