Avidyne Developing New Single-Pilot IFR FMS

Avidyne Corporation is nearing the certification phase of a new WAAS (wide area augmentation system)-enabled GPS/NAV/COM (navigation/communications) FMS (flight management system), designed to reduce workload for single pilots while flying IFR (instrument flight rules).

The FMS900W is an enhancement to Avidyne's Entegra integrated flightdeck platform that takes advantage of Entegra's large-format displays and data-bus architecture to provide fully redundant VHF communications and navigation and "turbine-class" FMS capabilities.

FMS900W Control Panel

Source: Avidyne

Its system components include single or dual remote-mount LRUs (line replaceable units), each with Avidyne's GPS723 WAAS/RNP GPS sensor, designed to meet RNP-0.3 (required navigation performance level) and a DVX740 VHF NAV/COM module, which can be upgraded to support new data formats such as VDL (VHF digital link) Mode 3 (also known as NEXCOM) and optional ACD215 FDC (flight deck controller) control/display units.

The FMS900W is compatible with all domestic and international airspace requirements and features Avidyne's GeoFill, which simplifies flight plan entry by predicting and displaying the next waypoint or airport of a flight, based on the aircraft's position.

Flight plan information can be entered via the MFD (multifunction display) or the dedicated FDC.  Drop-down menus are context sensitive and choices are displayed in a prioritized order.

The FMS900W will store up to 100 user defined routes - each with up to 128 legs. It is capable of route copying, flight plan inversion and using up to 1,000 definable waypoints.

The system also has a number of special features such as its FMS Vectors where it calculates the transition from a heading vector to an ILS course, for example, and draws a curved intercept flight path on the display that even includes wind-corrected roll steering commands to the autopilot.

Display of FMS Vectors to Nav Leg

Source: Avidyne

Other FMS900W capability and functionality details are available on Avidyne's Website.

Avidyne says announcements will be forthcoming over the next several months as it moves through the certification process. Current and future Entegra owners can expect that several hardware/software upgrade paths will be offered, depending on one's current configuration.

Product updates are being provided periodically via a newsletter that can be subscriber to at on the Avidyne Website.  04-19-2008.

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