BendixKing, a business unit of Honeywell, has signed an agreement with Eviation to install its latest flight deck technologies on the Alice all-electric aircraft. The updated cockpit technologies, including touchscreens and Honeywell's Synthetic Vision and compact fly-by-wire systems, will help reduce pilot workload and increase passenger safety.
Within the Alice's flight deck, BendixKing's AeroVue Touch doubles as a primary flight display and multifunction display. The display features Honeywell's SmartView Synthetic Vision System, as well as a moving map, aeronautical charts, traffic and weather and a vertical situation display, all housed within a 10.1-inch touchscreen with near-4K resolution. Additionally, the Alice will utilise Honeywell's compact fly-by-wire system, which is also used with smaller autonomous cargo and urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles, and adds stability and performance by driving flight controls electrically without heavy hydraulics, control cables or push rods.
“Pilots are looking for cockpit technologies that are both sophisticated and easy to use. The addition of our AeroVue Touch flight display and fly-by-wire technologies to the Alice provides just that,” says Tom Neumann, president, customer business team, BendixKing. “All the technologies we're providing are designed to deliver innovative, cost-effective solutions and help make flying easier and more enjoyable for Eviation customers.”
Eviation's Alice is an electric, nine-passenger commuter aircraft with a range of over 400 nm. Since it is fully electric, the Alice produces zero carbon emissions and is quieter and more cost-effective to operate than more traditional platforms. The aircraft will make its first flight later this year, with entry into service planned for 2024.
Honeywell is a major player in the emerging UAM and electric flight market segments, offering a full line of avionics, flight control, navigation, radar, communications, actuation, cooling, motors and turbo-electric propulsion systems, all tailored for piloted vertical take-off and landing urban air mobility and unmanned cargo vehicles. Honeywell also offers aerospace integration and certification expertise for enabling the commercialisation of these vehicles.