3 October 2012
Avidyne has received FAA STC approval for installation of the Avidyne DFC90 Digital Autopilot into Cessna 182-series aircraft when interfaced with Aspen’s Evolution 1000 Pro Primary Flight Display (PFD). The approval includes 16 models of the Cessna 182 Skylane series, all of which are included on Aspen’s Approved Model List.
“The single-pilot IFR mission profile of the typical Cessna 182 makes it a great platform to launch the DFC90-plus-Aspen Pro offering,” said Patrick Herguth, Avidyne’s Chief Operating Officer.
Garmin states that the DFC90 adds Airspeed Hold (IAS), Envelope Protection, and full-time Envelope Alerting, as well as one-button Straight & Level capability.
According to Aspen, the Evolution Integration Kit for the DFC90 enables the PFD to provide precision attitude inputs to the autopilot from its reliable, solid state Air Data and Attitude Heading Reference Sensor (ADAHRS) as well as display mode annunciations and alerts right on the PFD. Additional capabilities include allowing pilots to perform Heading Select, Altitude Preselect, and Vertical Speed Select inputs to the DFC90 directly from the Evolution Pro PFD.
As for cost, the DFC90 autopilot starts at $9,995 plus installation for single-engine piston aircraft, while Aspen Evolution Pro PFDs are priced starting at $10,180 plus installation.
Dan Schwinn, Avidyne’s President, said, “There are significant improvements to be gained by updating older aircraft with modern instrumentation and flight control systems. Cessna 182s have continued to hold their value, and we believe that aircraft owners investing in the DFC90 and Aspen Pro PFD will be able to extend the useful life of their aircraft.”
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