ASTRONAUTICS MFDS ONBOARD AS SPANISH NAVY’S UPGRADED AB-212 HELICOPTER MAKES FIRST FLIGHT

Astronautics’ Multifunction Display System is a Key Part of SENER-INAER’s Upgraded Avionics for the Agusta Bell 212 Helicopter

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, March 1, 2016 – Astronautics Corporation of America’s Multifunction Display System (MFDS) completed its first operational flight with the Spanish Navy on an upgraded AB-212 helicopter on December 21, 2015.

The AB-212 helicopter’s avionics have been upgraded by the consortium formed by the engineering and technology group SENER and the company INAER, as part of an AB-212 Helicopter Life Extension Program. Astronautics’ MFDS is at the center of these upgraded avionics, enabling the aircraft to communicate and display information from external systems, and enhancing the situational awareness of the flight crew through modern alerting, digital display of information, and presentation of safety sensors. The system has four video inputs that accept a wide variety of video standards.

The MFDS was developed from Astronautics Corporation of America’s AFD 6800, which has been certified on a significant number of military transports and helicopters. The AFD 6800 display has a 10,000-hour Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), which means an operator can expect to operate at least three years without a display failure. The MFDS achieved Technical Standard Order (TSO) in June of 2015.

The Astronautics MFDS includes four Electronic Flight Instruments (EFIs) and an Engine Data Concentrator Unit (EDCU). The EFIs display primary flight, navigation, and engine information, as well as being able to receive and display video using several different video inputs. The EDCU converts engine and other system information into digital format so that it can be displayed on the EFIs.

Astronautics Vice President of International Business Development Dan Wade said, “Astronautics is happy to be part of the upgraded AB-212 as it takes its first official flight with the Spanish Navy. The MFDS has more video capability than any other certified system, and its unprecedented reliability means that operators can count on it to be ready when they need to fly. We are proud to have our display system working hard in demanding situations in the field.”

###

About Astronautics Corporation of America

Astronautics Corporation of America, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a global leader in the design, development, and manufacture of avionics equipment and systems for the commercial and military aerospace industry. Key product areas include electronic primary flight displays, engine displays, mission computers, electronic flight bags, and certified servers for airborne applications. Services include system integration and custom software for critical applications. Since its founding in 1959, Astronautics has been providing tailored engineering solutions to help clients achieve mission success.