Next-Generation IFD System Ready For Prime-Time

As expected (and alluded to in previous ANN coverage), the anticipated certification of Avidyne's next-generation flight deck was not only around the corner... its right here, right now. Avidyne has confirmed to ANN that they have certified their new Entegra Release 9 Integrated Flight Deck (IFD) system. And not a moment too soon... when much of the industry is about to award first prize to industry behemoth Garmin in terms of Flight Deck preference and market share, Avidyne's massive Release 9 effort, along with their FMS and Digital Autopilot programs raises the bar enough to make the lead a real horse-race.

Avidyne has received Technical Standard Order Approval (TSO) approval for the Entegra Release 9 suite, which is being retrofitted into existing Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft. Avidyne's Entegra Release 9-equipped SR22 is currently available for demonstration flights throughout the week of the Lakeland Fly-In.

"Entegra Release 9 is the culmination of over six years of intense product development, in-depth human factors evaluations, and rigorous flight testing," said Patrick Herguth, Avidyne's Chief Operating Officer. "Entegra Release 9 sets a new standard in performance and safety by providing the highest level of integration, and the easiest-to-use pilot interface available."

"Our vision is to deliver a flight deck system to meet the demands of 21st-century flight, yet it has to be simple and intuitive to operate, and Entegra Release 9 has exceeded our expectations," said Avidyne president Dan Schwinn. "With its state-of-the-art FMS, dual-redundant Byteflight databus architecture, a workload-reducing autopilot interface, and its overall ease of use, we believe it is simply the best flight deck in all of aviation."

Utilizing a fully-modular architecture, Entegra Release 9 represents the next generation of integrated flight deck systems for light general aviation. The Entegra Release9 retrofit for Cirrus SR20 & SR22 includes dual XGA-resolution IFD5000 displays, dual-redundant FMS900w systems with a QWERTY keypad, next-generation fully-digital VHF NAV/COM radios, and dual WAAS/RNP-capable GPS receivers.

In addition, Entegra Release 9 provides a new level of communication between the FMS/NAV system and the existing STEC 55X autopilot. This added capability virtually eliminates pilot interaction with the autopilot once coupled to the Entegra system, automatically switching the autopilot modes during transitions from en route to approach phases of flight, reducing pilot workload and eliminating 'modes confusion' associated with other systems.

Page & Tab User Interface

Entegra Release 9 sets a new standard for all-glass flight decks with the easiest-to-use pilot interface in all of general aviation. Release 9's innovative Page & Tab operation makes it a breeze to quickly access all the data you need without delving into hierarchical menus, pop-up windows or hidden modes. Five dual-directional Page keys make it easy to display PFD, FMS, Map, System, and Checklists pages.

Access to any of Entegra Release 9's powerful capabilities is as simple as pressing the desired bi-directional page key for PFD, FMS, MAP, SYS or CHKL, and the various display options within each page are represented as tabs. Pressing the same key in a desired direction navigates through the clearly-labeled tabs, with no more guessing as to what a given pilot input will do. It's simply the easiest user interface available.

Fully-Redundant Architecture

Entegra Release 9 system was also designed with a fully-redundant architecture that eliminates traditional 'Reversionary Modes' and the need for a 'big red button' as seen in competing systems. A typical Entegra Release 9 installation, as retrofitted in the Cirrus SR22, features two large-format IFD5000 Integrated Flight Displays, (IFD) which are fully interchangeable for use as PFD or MFD. Since each IFD5000 is fully capable of performing the functions of the other, no unfamiliar or limited reversionary modes are required. In the unlikely event of a display failure, the remaining IFD5000 continues to operate as either display format with no loss of functionality.

Some competing glass flight deck systems have limited redundancy during failure modes, losing critical functionality such as datalink weather, traffic, or even autopilot, which force the pilot to learn new and unfamiliar "reversionary modes" during high-workload situations. Entegra Release 9 fully-redundant architecture eliminates all these limitations.

Avidyne was first to bring big glass flight decks to general aviation when Entegra was certified in 2003 on the Cirrus SR22. Avidyne has always been lauded for the ease of use of the Entegra display systems, which relied on 3rd-party navigators for position and flight planning data. In 2003, the FAA's Industry Safety Study on Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) suggested that glass flightdeck-equipped aircraft increased the "availability of safety," but said the highest level of head-down time-a safety concern when pilots are spending too much time interacting with their avionics rather than looking out the window and flying the airplane-was attributable to the complex GPS/NAV/COM systems in most first-generation TAAs.

Since that time, other flight deck systems have come into the market with a higher level of "bezel integration." These so-called 2nd-generation systems used the same communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) components as 1st-generation systems, but the CNS components were remotely mounted with all of their knob and button functions integrated onto the bezels of the displays. The result was an equally-capable system but with a much higher level of complexity for the pilot, due to higher knob and button counts, pop-up windows, and hidden and hierarchical menus, which did nothing to address the issues of the 2003 TAA report.

With Entegra Release 9, Avidyne has developed a truly integrated system that is specifically designed to eliminate complexity, reduce head-down time, provide a whole new level of redundancy, and dramatically enhance safety.

The retail price of the Entegra Release9 retrofit for Cirrus SR20 & SR22 is $72,800 which includes dual XGA displays, FMS keyboard, dual GPS/FMS receivers, dual 16-watt VHF COMM radios, and MLB700 XM/SIRIUS Broadcast datalink receiver.

Avidyne has a backlog of Entegra Release 9 customers and initial installations are beginning this month at selected Release 9-qualified Avidyne Service Centers. Avidyne is accepting orders now for installation in June 2009.

FMI: www.avidyne.com, www.release9.com