Avidyne Says Autopilot Enhances Safety With "Straight & Level" Button, Flight Envelope Protection

For a time the exclusive domain of Cirrus owners, Avidyne said Tuesday that they are expanding the available market for the DFC90 Digital Flight Control System to include Entegra-equipped Piper PA-46 Matrix and Mirage aircraft. The company is currently accepting deposits from owners of Entegra–equipped Matrix and Mirage aircraft who are interested in reserving an early slot for the DFC90 at significant savings.

“The attitude-based DFC90 provides considerable performance and safety benefits that make it a very attractive upgrade option for Entegra-equipped Matrix and Mirage aircraft,” said Patrick Herguth, Avidyne’s Chief Operating Officer. “In the short time it has been available, our DFC autopilots are growing beyond 25% penetration in the Cirrus market, and we fully expect the value of the DFC90 to be even more attractive to the owners of these higher-valued, higher-performing Piper aircraft.”

“The DFC90 has proven to be an incredibly successful product for Avidyne, and we are confident that Matrix and Mirage owners will be equally thrilled with the performance and safety improvements this autopilot brings to their airplane,” said Avidyne President and CEO, Dan Schwinn. “Avidyne has always been committed to continuously enhancing safety for all of our customers, and with the DFC90 upgrade, these loyal Entegra owners now have access to the next generation in autopilot technology.”

The DFC90 adds the precision and reliability of an attitude-based flight control system, along with Indicated Airspeed Hold (IAS Hold)— a preferred method for climbing and descending in these higher-performing aircraft.  In addition, the DFC90 provides the safety enhancements of the ‘Straight & Level’ mode—providing one-button unusual attitude recovery—and Flight Envelope Protection & Alerting. The DFC90 is currently certified for Cirrus SR20 and SR22, and Avidyne has previously announced plans to interface the DFC90 with the Aspen EFD1000 series integrated flight displays with initial certification expected later this year—opening up the market for DFC90s to an even larger number of aircraft.

Avidyne’s certification activity is nearing completion for both the DFC90 in Entegra-equipped aircraft, and the DFC100 for Entegra Release 9-equipped aircraft. Submittal to the FAA is expected in Q3 2011.

The retail price of the DFC90 Digital Flight Computer for the PA-46 is $14,995, which also includes the EXP5000 PFD Release 8.0.4 software upgrade. It does not include installation costs or shipping charges, and the existing STEC55X unit must be returned to Avidyne. Avidyne also offers Advanced Exchange services for PFD upgrades at a cost of $400. Avidyne's DFC90 Deposit Program is set up to offer significant savings for owners of Entegra–equipped Matrix/Mirage aircraft who want to reserve a slot for their DFC90 between now and the time FAA certification is granted.

FMI: www.avidyne.com