Test Flights Show Promise for 6th Gen Honeywell Avionics Suite

Honeywell completed the first test flight using its upcoming Anthem integrated flight deck using a Pilatus PC-12 test bed.

The futuristic, nearly all-glass flight deck will be the 6th generation of avionics produced by Honeywell, aimed squarely at being as interconnected and information-dense as any operator could ever need. With the ever-present cloud offering improved fleet management and flight planning, Honeywell expects the Anthem suite to be installed on everything from light GA aircraft to defense and electric eVTOL whirlybirds. The PC-12 used in the test was taken over Phoenix, Arizona, manned by Honeywell test staff and engineers for its inaugural flight. The Core Anthem system offers a 50% reduction in size, weight, and power demands over the last-gen Primus Epic integrated avionics system, teeing up Honeywell for some solid successes if the final product hits all the right notes.

"This is a historic milestone as Honeywell Anthem is poised to change the way aircraft are piloted," said Jim Currier, president of Electronic Solutions for Honeywell Aerospace. "Throughout the flight, the pilot and crew tested various aspects of the modular and customizable system, and it performed exactly as designed. Honeywell Anthem is simple, smart and intuitive, and it takes little to no time to feel comfortable with it. Moving forward, flight tests on the PC-12 aircraft and will focus on exercising the system in real-life operational scenarios that will provide critical feedback for robust final red-label designs."

"Honeywell Anthem is breaking new ground in avionics design and the pilot-machine interface, with the goal of making pilots' jobs easier and safer and essentially allowing pilots to configure their own cockpit based on mission and phase of flight," said Ken Hurt, vice president of Engineering. "This flight is a clear demonstration of the maturity of the Honeywell Anthem system and positions us strongly on a path toward achieving Federal Aviation Administration certification."

FMI: www.aerospace.honeywell.com