System Being Designed For Citation 501 Aircraft

A program unveiled Thursday by Citation engine retrofit company Sierra Industries is expected to produce in an integrated digital 'glass cockpit' upgrade for legacy Cessna Citation 501 aircraft. Developed in cooperation with Garmin International Inc. and featuring the primary flight and multifunction displays from the G1000, Sierra's G501SP upgrade is well underway toward FAA certification in early 2011.

The G501SP flight deck will include individual Garmin GDU 1040 10.4" LCD Primary Flight Displays for pilot and copilot and a centrally-mounted 10.4" LCD Multifunction Display. Upgrade options will include twin Meggitt LCD engine instrument displays, SVT Synthetic Vision, Jeppesen Charts, XM Radio, TAWS-A or -B and a pedestal-mounted alphanumeric keypad.

This sophisticated digital avionics package integrates the latest in GPS, terrain, weather and aircraft traffic technologies, significantly enhancing situational awareness and streamlining the pilot's workload, according to Sierra Industries. Combined with Sierra's Meggitt EIDS digital engine instrumentation and optional upgrades such as SVT synthetic vision and TAWS, the G501SP upgrade gives the classic Citation capabilities that compare very favorably to the newest light jets on the market.

The G501SP package and options will be available for installation at Sierra’s Uvalde, Texas facility and in a kit form for dealer installation at other locations. The system will be applicable to all Cessna Citation 501 aircraft with either Pratt & Whitney or Williams FJ-44 engines.

FMI: www.sijet.com