US maintenance repair and overhaul company Constant Aviation has now carried out more than 20 Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion flightdeck upgrades for the Bombardier Challenger 604 business jet. To mark the success of the modification programme – known as the Nextant 604XT – the Cleveland, Ohio-based company is offering the MultiScan weather radar system at no charge to the first three customers who sign up for the upgrade at the booth, subject to a qualifying inspection.
MultiScan weather radar delivers what Constant calls “the ultimate in severe weather avoidance”. The system’s predictive weather and advanced threat detection capabilities provide 604XT operators with “a complete weather picture to mitigate the risk of inadvertently penetrating thunderstorms”, says Constant.
The 604XT modification programme was launched in 2017 by sister company and aircraft remanufacturing specialist Nextant Aerospace. It replaces the original Pro Line 4 avionics suite, which is facing obsolescence. Features of the new flightdeck include three large-format displays, touch-interactive maps with eyes-forward flight planning, synthetic vision, high-resolution topography and real-time onboard weather radar overlays.
Pro Line Fusion also meets automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) out requirements, which will become compulsory in the USA from 1 January 2020 and in Europe six months later.
Max Kingsley-Jones/Flightglobal
The flightdeck upgrade is the first step in a three-phase improvement plan for the 10-seat 604XT, which also includes an interior revamp and performance enhancements. The system is being demonstrated on the Constant Aviation stand at NBAA (above).
US supplemental type certification for the modernised cockpit was secured in November 2018, and the first 604XT entered service in early December. Constant says 22 upgrades have been performed to date.
The 604XT is part of Nextant's four-strong family of remanufactured business aircraft. The line-up also includes the G90XT – an upgrade of the Beechcraft King Air C90 twin-engined turboprop – and the 400XTi and 400XTe, which are remanufactured versions of the Hawker 400A/XP light business jet.
2019NBAA
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