Aspen Unveils Common PFD/MFD Platform

Aspen Avionics on Tuesday morning at EAA AirVenture introduced the Evolution Flight Display system glass cockpit system for certified general aviation aircraft. The system is not only modular, expandable and upgradable, but the company says is easy to afford, install and own. According to Aspen, the evolution line includes three primary flight display (PFD) models starting at $5,995 and twomodels of multifunction displays (MFD) starting at $4,995.The Evolution system enables aircraft owners to upgrade their primary flight instrument "six pack" to glass cockpit technology all at once, or in stages. At Aspen Avionics, we believe that installing the latest avionics technologies and safety advances in GA aircraft shouldnt have to mean emptying your bank account, said Vice President of Marketing Doug Cayne. And you shouldnt have to throw out the old every time you want to add something new. Starting with a common hardware platform containing a miniature solid-state air data, attitude and heading reference system (ADAHRS), the EFD1000 slides easily into existing three-inch instrument panel holes, requiring little to no panel modification or mounting of heavy remote boxes.

Different software loads turn each EFD1000 into one of three levels of PFD or an MFD. The first EFD1000 is typically installed as a PFD, replacing the old attitude indicator and directional gyro (or HSI. A second EFD1000 can replace the altimeter and VSI and be configured as an MFD. A third unit can offer a second MFD to gain even more capability. Since the hardware is common, an EFD100 configured could be an MFD could revert to PFD mode in case of a failure of a PFD. The three PFD versions of the device will be available in the fall, while the MFD versions will ship next spring.