Stand-By In Style

For more than fifty-years, Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics has been competently and competitively overhauling, exchanging, repairing, designing, and manufacturing aircraft instruments, avionics, aviation batteries, and cockpit and cabin electric power solutions.

Via its operations in Wichita, Kansas and Van Nuys, California, Mid-Continent operates one of the largest instrument overhaul and exchange programs in the world, supporting a customer base that includes Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Fixed Base Operators (FBOs), instrument and avionics shops, flight schools, and government agencies.

Since 2012, Mid-Continent has steadily increased its capacity for repairing and overhauling avionics products the likes of weather radars, Mode S transponders, Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs), and navigational and communications systems. The company’s agency and expertise are underscored by its having been designated an Authorized Repair Center for Axnes, BendixKing, Trig Avionics, Kannad, and United Instruments.

Mid-Continent’s aircraft instrument and avionics enterprises are complemented by its True Blue Power division and the True Blue Power product line—which includes USB and wireless chargers, power conversion products, emergency power supplies, and lithium-ion batteries. Select True Blue offerings feature proprietary NanoPhosphate cell chemistry, including the newly-released FAA TSO-certified TB14 and TB28-12V advanced lithium-ion batteries.

On 24 April 2023, Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics announced the imminent release of new, digital, standby, primary aircraft instrument packs featuring the company’s Flex attitude indicator, Flex counter drum encoding altimeter, and Flex airspeed indicator. All three instruments are supported by an Approved Model List (AML) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) covering more than 180 aircraft models. The newly-offered instrument clusters are all-digital iterations of Mid-Continent’s popular two-inch standby package.

Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics director of aftermarket sales and support Van Winter stated: “Our original mechanical three-pack was the most trusted, Type Certified and STC’d standby of its day. There are thousands of these instruments still flying on aircraft and they’re ready for an upgrade.

Mr. Winter added: The new Flex digital standbys can be easily installed in one day. There’s no need to cut the panel and you can utilize the existing secondary or emergency bus. Less down time means more flying time.”

The Flex digital Attitude Indicator (AI) features a solid-state display and functions independently of GPS, magnetometer, or airspeed feeds. The instrument displays attitude, slip, turn rate, and heading during normal or standby operation, and heading with primary avionics via external ARINC input. Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) compatible versions of the Flex digital AI are available.

The Flex digital counter drum encoding altimeter features user-selectable altitude target, approach minimums alert, vertical-speed indication, six-second vertical-speed trend data, and ambient barometric settings in millibars, hectopascals, or inches of mercury. The unit is certified to 55,000-feet AGL. Static Source Error Correction (SSEC) customization and Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) compatible versions of the Flex digital altimeter are available.

Finally, the Flex digital airspeed indicator offers users configurable range markings and a user selectable Mach number display. In addition to a configurable dynamic VMO/MMO barber pole indicator, the unit’s ground-speed and true-air-speed values can be displayed with external ARINC input. The Flex digital airspeed indicator eliminates the time and cost of mechanical range markings. Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) compatible versions of the instrument are available as well.

The Flex digital attitude indicator, counter drum encoding altimeter, and airspeed indicator feature smooth, daylight-readable Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) graphics and a simple user interface. All three devices are FAA TSO certified, RTCA DO-160G qualified, and RTCA DO-178C qualified to Design Assurance Level A. 

The Flex two-inch digital instruments can be sold as a set with special three-pack pricing or sold individually.

Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics and True Blue Power products are found in the cockpits and innards of storied aircraft marques the likes of Beechcraft, Cessna, Cirrus, Daher, Diamond, Piper, Vulcanair, Airbus Helicopter, Bell, Enstrom Helicopter, MD Helicopters, and Robinson Helicopter.

FMI: www.mcico.com