Avidyne Corp. has received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the FAA for the installation of its DFC90 Digital Autopilot in Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft when interfaced with the Evolution Pro Primary Flight Display (EFD1000 Pro PFD) from Aspen Avionics.
Avidyne initially certified the DFC90 with its Entegra PFD in the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, and have now certified it with the Aspen EFD1000 Pro for installation in early-model aircraft that were originally delivered from 1999 through early 2003.
This STC adds the Aspen EFD1000 Pro as an approved attitude source and mode display for the DFC90 in Cirrus aircraft. The DFC90 is a plug-and-play retrofit of existing STEC55X systems in the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, and also covers the upgrades from STEC System 20 and System 30 autopilots found in some earlier aircraft. Aspen holds an Approved Model List Supplemental Type Certificate (AML-STC) for its Evolution Pro PFD on a wide range of aircraft including these Cirrus models.
“Expanding the Aspen EFD/DFC90 combination into early-model Cirrus aircraft is a natural progression in our autopilot certification roadmap,” said Patrick Herguth, Avidyne’s Chief Operating Officer. “This certification means we can now offer the performance and safety benefits of our DFC90 to the fleet of more than 340 Cirrus aircraft that were built prior to the change-over to Entegra in early 2003. With this STC, Envelope Protection, full-time Envelope Alerting, the Straight and Level button are now available to them with the DFC90, as well as the option for Synthetic Vision with the Aspen Pro PFD.”
The DFC90 was previously certified with the Aspen PFD in the Cessna 182 Skylane series of aircraft (pictured above), and most recently in the Beech Bonanza series. The DFC90 is also certified in the Entegra-equipped Piper PA-46 Matrix and Mirage. Avidyne also has plans to certify the DFC90 in the Beechcraft Baron series, among others.
Pricing for the DFC90 autopilot starts at $9,995 plus installation for single-engine piston aircraft. Pricing assumes the aircraft currently has compatible STEC autopilot servos installed.
Aspen Evolution Pro PFDs are priced starting at $10,180 plus installation. The software unlock for integrating the DFC90 is priced at $1,995, labor not included, and requires v2.6 software or later.