Solid state hard drives for electronic flight bags
Conventional hard drives in personal computers rely upon some form of spinning magnetic disc. Although there are limits in storage for such drives (around 750 GB maximum), the more important limitation for pilots of unpressurized aircraft has been the dependence on a certain level of atmospheric pressure for a disc-based hard drive's proper functioning. The thin air found above 10,000 feet can cause traditional hard drives to crash. In the past year, several companies have introduced a solution to the challenges of spinning-disc drives in the form of a solid-state hard drive. The first efforts relied upon variations on random access memory (RAM) that essentially required continuous power in order to maintain information. The latest solid-state drives (SSDs), such as that used by the Samsung Q1, Motion Computing LS800, and other proprietary hard drives, use flash memory, which has no power requirement.
Control Vision now offers an "altitude-tolerant" tablet, the proprietary Anywhere SST (solid state tablet), which has an 8-GB solid-state hard disk, on which it delivers its AnywhereMap and Anywhere WX flight planning and navigation systems.
Price: $4,745 for the complete system.
For more information: www.anywheremap.com
FlightPrep's Chart Case flight planning suite is now available on a Samsung Q1 tablet PC, which features a solid-state hard drive, allowing its safe use into the mid-levels in unpressurized aircraft.
Price: from $1,294.95 for basic system; $3,353.69 with XM weather.
For more information: www.flightprep.com
Navaero offers its tBag C22 with several solid-state drive options, with 12 or 16 GB drives. These EFBs utilize Navaero's tPad 800 highly sunlight readable remote display.
For more information: 866/628-2376; www.navaero.com
Seattle Avionics recently debuted its 8 GB solid-state hard drive option for the Motion Computing LS800 tablet PC, on which it offers its Voyager flight planning suite. Seattle Avionics also carries the Samsung Q1 with a 32 GB SSD.
Price: $3,399 for package with Samsung PC; $3,999 for package with Motion Computing PC.
For more information: 425/806-0249; www.seattleavionics.com
AvMap EKP-IV
C-Map Aviation has made some significant improvements since it debuted the AvMap EKP-IV portable GPS navigator a few years ago. The updated EKP-IV offers a large, bright display, even on sunny days. A new feature allows you to modify the display to show the moving map with navigation data, the horizontal situation indicator (HSI), or both.
One of the best new features of the EKP-IV is its terrain avoidance and warning system (TAWS), with worldwide terrain data. Once the TAWS has been enabled, the unit displays the surrounding terrain in different colors, based on the elevation. There are two variations for the TAWS display: The lowland setting warns of dangerous terrain if you are between zero and 500 feet agl, and the highland setting increases the range to between zero and 1,000 feet agl. Although this unit is only certified for primary navigation under VFR, the TAWS feature is a great back up, especially for pilots flying in high terrain areas or at night. The unit does offer an audible TAWS warning.
The database has been enhanced to include private-use airports within the United States as well as low-altitude airways.
The EKP-IV is still powered by either a DC adapter connected to the aircraft's electrical system, six AA batteries (NiMh suggested), or an external battery pack. Numerous mounting fixtures also are available. --Kristen M. Hummel
Price: about $1,499.
For more information: 800/363-2627; www.avmapnavigation.com
Garmin GNS 530W and 430W
Garmin International has completed the process by which it will add WAAS capability to its popular 400- and 500-series GPS/nav/coms, including the GNS 430 and 530 and the new 430W and 530W (the "W" stands for WAAS, or Wide Area Augmentation System, the means by which the standard GPS signal is boosted, corrected, and monitored for greater performance and reliability).
The certification and approved model list supplemental type certificate (AML STC) allows most aircraft owners to upgrade their units without a field approval (a sometimes-extensive paperwork process involving a regional FAA facility). New units began shipping in December 2006, according to the company. Aircraft owners with existing 400- and 500-series installations could obtain an upgrade to existing units beginning in January 2007.
The new units have the same hardware interface as legacy units, but feature faster map redraws, fully coupled and guided procedure turns, and increased XM Satellite weather content, which includes radar and pilot advisory graphics-in addition to the ability to fly the ever-increasing number of precision LPV instrument approaches. Early adopters will want to keep in mind that the first units will not be certified for use as sole means of GPS navigation until after a new software version has been released in the first quarter of 2007. This limitation will also apply to upgrades to existing units revamped before the new software version has been released.
Price: $1,500 for upgrade; $10,750 for 430W; $16,495 for 530W.
For more information: www.garmin.com
L-3 Communications IRIS EVS
Enhanced vision systems (EVS), which use infrared cameras to "see" in low light conditions, can do a lot of valuable things for pilots, such as spotting deer on a runway at night, showing clouds, revealing other aircraft, or just finding the airport from the air. In fact, a few car manufacturers, including Cadillac, Honda, and Hummer, already use infrared cameras. L-3 Communications (which also produces the Stormscope lightning detection system) has taken those same cameras and adapted them for aircraft, providing a $15,000 infrared display. It would cost much more if it required the cooled-sensor technology of high-end infrared systems. But instead it uses barium-strontium-titanate (BST) technology, much less expensive and, L-3 officials promise, only slightly less capable.
The first system will receive a supplemental type certificate for King displays, but Garmin and others are expected to show interest as well for their displays. It can see through light fog; almost any kind of smoke, L-3 officials say; and can even look into the sun. The display shows a white disk for the sun, but also shows any traffic hiding in the glare-great for westbound late afternoon flights.
The supplemental type certificate (STC) mount is nearing completion for the Beechcraft King Air C90. --Alton K. Marsh
Price: $14,995 plus installation.
For more information: www.l-3com.com
