Genesys Aerosystems said that it has received supplemental type certification for its IDU-680 Electronic Flight Instrument System displays to modernize avionics in Bell 412EP and 412 helicopters. Photo: Genesys Aerosystems
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier this month type certified Genesys Aerosystems’ IDU-680 Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) displays for the Bell 412EP and Bell 412 helicopters, the company said.
The Texas-based Genesys Aerosystems supplies integrated avionics systems for military and civil customers.
The FAA approved architecture for the Bell 412EP and 412 “includes four IDU-680s with full avionics integration, and EICAS [engine-indicating and crew-alerting system] engine and warning displays,” Genesys Aerosystems said.
Militaries across the world carry troops in the 412, which is also used for police/fire duties, emergency medical service transport and in the oil and gas industry in which Bell promotes the 412’s weather radar, wire strike technology, and searchlight capabilities.
“The Level A certified IDU-680 EFIS utilizes ADAHRS [air data, attitude and heading reference system] and GPS SBAS [Satellite-based Augmentation System] data for precision aircraft operation including RNP [required navigation performance] and LPV [localizer performance with vertical guidance], and Genesys’ patented OASIS (Open Architecture System Integration Symbology) to display engine information and CAS [crew-alerting system] messages,” according to Genesys Aerosystems. “The system also integrates with select radios and weather radar and offers expansion ports supporting a path for future growth.”
The standard IDU-680 has 3D synthetic vision, Highway-In-The-Sky (HITS) navigation, a graphical flight management system, and a Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS), among other features, the company said.
Nick Bogner, Genesys Aerosystems’ director of business development, said that the IDU-680 “is a great solution for our special mission customers who are looking to extend their fleet capabilities by modernizing their avionics.”
“Our OASIS technology allows us to tailor the IDU-680 to the aircraft systems seamlessly,” he said.
Customization of the IDU-680 for Bell and other airframes can come through the use of OASIS, which permits low-cost aircraft systems integration and centralized EICAS messages to simplify crews’ instrument scanning and reduce crew workload during critical flight phases, according to Genesys Aerosystems.