Story ID: 
Two OEMs Select Garmin Axis Avionics Suites
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Cirrus and CubCrafters are the first to announce adoption of the new products
Word Count: 322
CubCrafters and Cirrus have chosen Garmin’s new integrated Axis avionics for their aircraft and, in CubCrafters’ case, also for retrofits. The Axis avionics feature high-resolution touchscreen displays with integrated navigator, radio, and audio features.
Buyers of all new CubCrafters types will be able to choose Axis avionics in their Carbon Cubs, including the new turbine-powered ULT, and NxCubs and XCubs. Owners who have already purchased their CubCrafters airplanes will be able to upgrade to Axis products.
Simplifying the retrofit process is an Axis feature: the displays fit into the same mounting holes as Garmin G3X displays while retaining many of the existing sensors and avionics. Initially, the retrofits will be available at CubCrafters’ Yakima, Washington headquarters, then later at authorized CubCrafters service centers.
“I first flew Axis on Garmin’s engineering simulator during a visit to their headquarters over two years ago, and I was immediately impressed with both the capability of the system and the elegance of its user interface,” said CubCrafters president and CEO Patrick Horgan. “Since then, our engineering teams have been working closely with Garmin for the past year and a half to integrate Axis across our aircraft lineup.”
Cirrus selected Axis for its recently announced Trac10 training airplane. The manufacturer is branding its suite of Axis avionics as Cirrus Perspective Core.
The Trac10 Core package will include two 11.6-inch touchscreen displays along with Garmin’s 3D SafeTaxi, Runway Occupancy Awareness, Enhanced Synthetic Vision, and Engine Indication System. Buyers will have the option of installing a third display for the observer seat in the rear of the Trac10.
“We intentionally selected the Perspective Core flight deck for the Trac10 to build student pilot skills for their professional careers,” said Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen. “The new, intuitive flight deck sharpens pilot situational awareness with integrated systems that help pilots build the right skills.”