Eclipse Aviation this week began formal validation tests of a new update for the Eclipse 500’s Avio NG software with the US Federal Aviation Administration. Version 1.5 of the integrated avionics system has been designed to fix two operational problems reported by owners with Version 1.0 – intermittent and un-commanded changing of transponder codes and pre-selected autopilot airspeed and altitude.
Certification of Avio NG Version 1.5 (which includes dual Garmin 400W moving map display units) is the one remaining item that European authorities are waiting on to complete European Aviation Safety Agency certification for the very light jet. John Hickey, FAA’s director of certification, last week confirmed to Flight International that a single issue stood in the way of EASA certification, though he did not provide details. Eclipse senior management shared updates on the program with owners at a meeting last weekend in Oregon.
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Eclipse engineers traced the transponder and autopilot problems to interference on data buses caused when the aircraft is exposed to multiple transponder interrogations in high-density traffic areas, a problem sorted out in Avio NG Version 1.5.
The company expects final FAA certification for package to take place by mid-October, with EASA certification of the aircraft following several weeks later. Contingent on the EASA approval, says Eclipse, are deposits from “large fleet sales” poised to take place.
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