Aircraft owners can remove backup indicators with the installation of an Aspen Avionics Evolution flight display system.
The Aspen Avionics Evolution MAX display installations with dual ADAHRS allow removal of the vacuum system and all backup indicators, according to company officials.
For most single Evolution Pro MAX PFD or Evolution E5 systems, FAA approvals allow aircraft owners to remove their attitude indicator, most commonly driven pneumatically by a vacuum system. Turn and bank, altimeter, and airspeed indicators must be retained as the three required backups, company officials noted.
For Aspen’s Evolution 2000 MAX or Evolution 2500 MAX systems, removal of the vacuum system and all backup indicators, including vertical speed, turn and bank, altitude, airspeed, and attitude are approved to be removed, officials said.
“This is a game-changing development for aircraft owners looking for an affordable, full-featured single or multi-display installation allowing removal of outdated mechanical attitude indicators. We are cleaning up panels while reducing our customer’s maintenance cost and giving them some extra weight savings as well,” said Scott Smith, director of sales. “For near the cost of repair or replacement of the mechanical indicators, aircraft owners can choose to replace them with a single or multi-display Aspen system and get a full two-year warranty.”
Features include:
- Consolidates traditional attitude indicator and HSI into a single larger display
- Synthetic Vision included at no cost for Pro MAX PFD, and multi-function displays (Synthetic Vision not available on E5)
- Works with existing avionics, and interfaces with most industry standard autopilots
- Form-fit design slides into existing panel cutouts
- Rechargeable extended duration backup battery
The statement that the units work with most industry standard autopilots is miss leading.
To my knowledge for certified aircraft The Aspen unit does not communicate with the Garmin GFC 500 , you have to add G5 units.
The trio autopilot has yet to be approved for many certified aircraft with an Aspen unit . According to Aspen and Trio they are waiting for approval from the FAA.
It has been over a year and not much movement .
Please prove me wrong , I have the Aspen unit and have waited to upgrade the autopilot .
You are correct about the Garmin autopilot. However, Aspen also announced they are working with Garmin to enable the Aspen units to work with the Garmin GFC 500. As I have an Aspen 1500 myself, I’m hoping they can make it work.
Not a good idea to remove all your ‘Plan B’ panel indicators. When their iThingie-based dashboard craps out, you’ll wish you had backup instruments.