Cirrus Aircraft has introduced new avionics designed specifically for the new Vision SF50 Personal Jet: Cirrus Perspective Touch by Garmin.
Created in collaboration with Garmin International, this new touchscreen-based flight deck was custom built for the Vision Jet cockpit, according to company officials.
The avionics suite includes dual oversized widescreen flight displays with multi-pane capabilities and offers the following standard or optional features:
- Synthetic vision,
- Real-time weather radar,
- A digital automatic flight control system,
- Electronic stability control while hand-flying,
- Automatic pressurization scheduling,
- Automated system alerts,
- Graphical depictions of aircraft system status,
- Integrated weight and balance,
- Global datalink weather,
- Satellite phone and text messaging,
- Enhanced runway awareness, and
- Integrated backup instrument display.
The new flight deck enables pilots to personalize the layout of the Primary Flight Display (PFD), Multifunction Display (MFD) and touchscreen controllers based on their personal preferences for individual phases of flight.
The inclusion of three touchscreen controllers accessible by the pilot, as compared to one or two, increases the speed at which a wide range of aircraft systems and functions can be accessed, company officials note.
The ability to access three separate modes on each touchscreen controller simplifies the pilot’s ability to both input and retrieve flight information by reducing the need for multiple sub-menus. The icon-based user interface on the touchscreen controllers gives pilots the same familiarity they have with their smartphones and tablet devices, including the popular QWERTY keyboard layout for data entry.
The Vision SF50 Personal Jet recently achieved Type Inspection Authorization (TIA), a milestone on the path to FAA Type Certification. Three conforming test aircraft fly a wide array of flight test profiles in the skies above the Duluth, Minn.-based company on a daily basis. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), which will be standard on every Vision SF50, has successfully completed two phases of testing and enters the third and final phase in the upcoming weeks.