System To Be Used In Development Of "the jet" By Cirrus
L-3 Communications announced Tuesday the introduction of its
SmartDeck Integrated Flight Controls and Display System at the
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual convention in
Atlanta... and the company reports one high-flying planemaker has
already selected the system for its latest plane.
L-3 touts SmartDeck as an intuitive full avionics system that
integrates navigation, weather, traffic avoidance, terrain
avoidance, communication, flight controls, engine monitoring
functionality and enhanced vision into one easy-to-use system.
“With SmartDeck, we leveraged the technical skill of seven
L-3 divisions and multiple L-3 technologies to create the next
generation cockpit for general aviation,” said Charles J.
Schafer, Corporate Senior Vice President and President of
L-3’s Products Group.
The company also announced Cirrus Design selected SmartDeck
Flight Controls and Display System for the development phase of
“the-jet.”
“Cirrus has always maintained that easy-to-use, intuitive
avionics are key to increased air safety and necessary to grow the
market," said Cirrus co-founder and CEO Alan Klapmeier. "That is
why Cirrus led the industry in glass panel development and
continues to develop our Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI) philosophy
in partnership with avionics suppliers. L-3 has embraced this
philosophy -- that is why we chose SmartDeck for this development
phase of our personal jet. While it is technologically advanced, it
is remarkably powerful, yet easy to use.
“‘the-jet’ is designed to be owner flown and
it will be loaded with innovative features, such as SmartDeck, that
are designed to reduce pilot workload and help manage information
essential to safe, high utility travel,” Klapmeier added.
SmartDeck includes L-3's situational awareness technologies and
innovative capabilities such as the SkyWatch collision avoidance
system, LandMark terrain awareness warning system (TAWS),
Stormscope lightning detection system and IRIS Infrared Imaging
System, combined with the new S-TEC IntelliFlight 1950 integrated
Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) -- packaging all of the
avionics a pilot desires into one integrated system, which L-3 says
builds pilot confidence and drives safety.
L-3 Avionics Systems is a leading designer and manufacturer of
advanced cockpit avionics for general aviation, business jet, air
transport and military markets. The company provides a wide array
of avionics safety technologies, such as the GH-3000 electronic and
J.E.T. standby instruments, SkyWatch collision avoidance systems,
LandMark terrain awareness warning systems (TAWS) and Stormscope
weather mapping systems.