Designed For Experimental And LSA
Garmin International Inc. Monday
announced the features of the G3X, a non-TSO'd glass cockpit for
retrofit installation in experimental/kitbuilt and light sport
aircraft (LSA). The G3X is a customizable PFD/MFD combination that
features one, two or three all-glass displays; magnetometer; ADAHRS
(combined air data and AHRS unit); engine monitoring; and
temperature probe. Thanks to its building block design, customers
can create a high performance panel that is tailored to their
aircraft. The G3X features were announced at EAA AirVenture in
Oshkosh, and the system is expected to be available by the end of
the year.
"Customers in this market segment are unique because their
aircraft are often custom-made," said Gary Kelley, Garmin's vice
president of marketing. "Customers can adapt the G3X system so it
suits whatever is needed for their plane, and since it's a Garmin,
it has the ease-of-use, quality and reliability pilots know and
expect. The G3X brings tried, tested and proven G1000-like features
to the LSA and experimental aircraft markets for a fraction of the
cost."
The heart of the G3X is what's behind
the scenes: GSU 73 ADAHRS and engine interface, GMU 44 magnetometer
and GTP 59 air temperature probe. These components are based on
Garmin's industry leading G1000, so G3X customers will have the
advantage of flying a robust system that is unlike any other on the
market. As the GSU 73, GMU 44, and GTP 59 work together, they
provide the data that will drive the primary flight display (PFD)
and multi-function display (MFD). The GSU 73 ADAHRS design,
sophisticated algorithms, and robust integrity monitoring are
derived from the G1000 AHRS, which includes the ability to align
itself in flight.
The face of the G3X is the GDU
370/375 a large, seven-inch portrait screen display that resembles
Garmin's GPSMAP 695/696 portable. Since the G3X is customizable,
customers can choose to install one, two or three GDU 370/375
displays. In a single-display G3X system, the GDU 370/375 offers a
split-screen mode with PFD information on the display's top half
and MFD information on the display's bottom half. Pilots who choose
to install more than one GDU 370/375 display will have full
reversionary capability, similar to the G1000, allowing all
flight-critical data to transfer seamlessly to a single display for
added safety during flight.
Garmin 375
The GDU 370/375 has a high-resolution, sunlight readable screen
that uses Garmin's latest technology to ensure that pilots will be
able to read the vibrant display day or night. The bezel that
frames the bright screen has multiple keys on the bottom and right
sides. The soft keys at the bottom of the display control the most
commonly used features of the current page, such as turning the
weather products on/off. The dedicated keys on the display's right
side have specific functions such as nearest, direct to, flight
plan, zoom in/out and menu. Also on the display's right side is a
rotary knob/joystick that looks similar to the G1000's joystick,
and it lets pilots enter airport identifiers, pan the map, or
scroll to page and sub-page groups.
The back of the GDU 370/375 has connection ports for external
GPS and XM antennas (GDU 375 only), and a 50 pin connector for
power/ground and interfaces. These rear connectors make it possible
for customers to install the display easily and elegantly, without
unsightly wires protruding from the panel. Customers may
choose between interior and exterior antenna options. The GDU
370/375 also has a built-in VFR GPS receiver.
The GDU 370/375 has many of the same capabilities found on
Garmin's other high-end aviation products such as obstacles and
terrain data, IFR map mode, FliteCharts, SafeTaxi, and AOPA Airport
Directory data. The GDU 375 includes XM WX Satellite Weather
that gives NEXRAD, METARs, TAFs, TFRs, winds aloft, echo tops,
precipitation type at the surface, lightning strikes, storm-cell
data, AIRMETs, and SIGMETs, PIREPs, icing forecast information and
several other important weather products. The weather data may be
laid directly over the unit's moving map. XM WX subscription data
is available from XM WX Satellite Weather. The GDU 375 also
provides a user interface for the more than 170 channels of XM
audio. Weather and music requires an XM subscription. The GDU 370
does not include XM WX Satellite Weather and is not upgradeable to
include weather support.