Seneca V Deployment Makes Piper the Only GA Company Offering Advanced Glass Avionics in Every Segment

The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. tells ANN that that it will offer Avidyne's FlightMax Entegra Integrated Flight Deck on the Seneca V, one of the world's top-selling twin-engine piston aircraft. The debut of the Entegra system in the Seneca V makes Piper the only general aviation company to extend advanced glass avionics from piston-engine singles to single-engine turboprops, to twin-engine pistons.

"With the introduction of the Entegra system, the Seneca V sets a new standard by providing an integrated flight deck as standard equipment and the first multi-engine version of Avidyne's EMax™ electronic Engine Instrumentation," said Piper President and CEO James K. Bass. "This major product innovation in the Seneca V marks Piper's commitment to bringing the latest and best technology to our customers as soon as it is available."

The FlightMax Entegra system, designed and manufactured by the Avidyne Corporation of Lincoln, MA, consists of systems more commonly found on corporate jet aircraft. The Entegra system centers on two 10.4-inch diagonal, high-resolution, sunlight-readable displays, including an EXP5000 primary flight display (PFD) with integrated solid-state air data and attitude/heading reference system (ADAHRS) and primary engine instruments.

The EX5000 multi-function display (MFD) in the Seneca V provides a full-feature moving map and comes standard with the first multi-engine implementation of EMax. The EX5000, also implemented in the Piper Mirage and Piper Meridian, is the first large-format MFD for general aviation that can display data from the RDR 2000 digital airborne weather radar system and from optional XM WX satellite weather and Avidyne's MultiLink™ datalink services. Additional options include Avidyne's FlightCenter™ services for flight tracking and two-way text messaging capabilities, an autopilot with integrated Flight Director, autopilot mode annunciations and integrated altitude pre-selector on the EXP5000, and CMax™ Jeppesen JeppView® electronic chart display.

"Piper remains at the forefront of bringing new technology to our customers," said Piper Vice Chairman Chuck Suma, who announced the debut of the Entegra system in the Seneca V during a news conference held here today. "By extending this advanced technology to our premier twin-engine aircraft, we simplify our customer's workload and provide them with the tools that allow for more extensive missions and flight profiles. Pilots of these high-performance aircraft expect a lot, and these integrated glass systems deliver."

Avidyne President Dan Schwinn called the introduction "another important industry first" and cited it as another milestone in the partnership between Piper and Avidyne in bringing the best to their customers. "It is," he said, " another building block in the continuous innovation process that our companies are pledged to maintain."

EMax displays manifold pressure, RPM, fuel flow, and oil pressure on the PFD for each of the Seneca's 220 horsepower turbocharged engines. On the MFD, the system also shows all six cylinder head temperatures (CHT), turbine inlet temperatures (TIT), oil pressure, outside air temperature (OAT), and electrical bus voltages. EMax fuel management functions include fuel remaining, nautical miles per gallon, fuel-to-waypoint and fuel-to-destination. Power management tools include a lean assist function and a percent horsepower display for accurate power settings. EMax also provides data logging capability of critical engine performance parameters, which are downloadable via the MFD data port in a standard spreadsheet format for easy analysis.

CMax provides instant display of Jeppesen JeppView electronic charts on the EX5000. On the ground, the aircraft position is automatically shown on the airport diagram for positional awareness while taxiing. In flight, the CMax system shows the aircraft position and flight plan on the selected approach plate to give the pilot excellent situational awareness. CMax simplifies and speeds access to needed charts, including instrument departure and terminal arrival procedures, while maintaining an organized cockpit environment during high workload phases of flight.

Avidyne's exclusive MultiLink technology integrates Avidyne's two-way, route-specific Narrowcast Datalink weather system with XM WX broadband satellite download of weather conditions from across the continental United States. XM WX satellite weather includes full-color NEXRAD, graphical and textual METARs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, TFRs, winds aloft, and lightning strike data displayed on the EX5000 multi-function display (MFD). MultiLink also provides access to Avidyne's FlightCenter suite of datalink services including flight tracking and two-way air-to-ground messaging.

The Seneca V has long enjoyed a reputation of being one of the most sophisticated and luxurious aircraft in general aviation. With its twin, turbocharged 220 hp engines, it is known for its reliability and high performance. The Seneca V boasts cabin-class luxury and power that delivers more than 200 knots cruise at 21,000 feet and a maximum operating altitude of 25,000 feet.

"The introduction of the Entegra system in the Seneca V shows Piper's dedication to remaining one of general aviation's major proponents of safety and value," said Molly Martin Pearce, New Piper's Director of Dealer Relations & Sales. "This clearly takes the Seneca V - an aircraft that has always been an acknowledged leader in general aviation - to a new and unprecedented level of sophistication and value."

FMI: www.newpiper.com, www.avidyne.com