Thales has unveiled its TopDeck integrated flightdeck for business and regional aircraft, but has yet to secure a launch customer. The avionics suite is based on a modular architecture with high-speed internet bus, and four large liquid-crystal displays with trackball and keyboard interface.
Thales, trying to break into a market dominated by Honeywell and Rockwell Collins, says it is talking to several aircraft manufacturers. Targets include Bombardier's proposed CSeries airliner, it says, but sources suggest only Collins and Honeywell have made it to the joint definition phase under way.
TopDeck uses standard modules for autopilot, flight-management system, alerting system and centralised maintenance, with the ADFX databus as the backbone. Thales is also offering an LCD-based digital head-up display.
Honeywell has begun flight testing its Apex/R integrated flightdeck in a Cessna Citation II, with certification planned for 2006.
L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, meanwhile, expects certification of its SmartDeck integrated cockpit in 2005 on two aircraft under flight test by an unidentified general aviation manufacturer, says president Adrienne Stevens. L-3 has introduced a Class B terrain awareness and warning system using a GPS wide-area augmentation system sensor to simplify installation.
Source: Flight International