Wed, Jul 06, 2011
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.
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