S-TEC 3100 autopilot gains new approvals

The additional supplemental type certificate (STC) approvals add Cessna 310, 320, 335, 340, 340A, 414, 421, 425 twins and Piper PA–46 singles to a list of approved aircraft models that now exceeds 100, the company said in a news release. Shipping was scheduled to begin in November.

The S-TEC 3100, a two-axis, attitude-based digital autopilot (available as a three-axis autopilot for some models), brings enhanced features including automatic trim; envelope protection and alerting; one-button straight-and-level recovery; indicated airspeed hold; and altitude preselect. A built-in attitude, heading, and reference system supports a variety of glass and analog panel configurations, the announcement said.

“This major milestone is a tribute to our 40 years of expertise with autopilots. In less than 10 months, we were able to certify the 3100 in more than 100 airframes and we aren’t stopping there.” said Jamie Luster, director of sales and marketing. “We are excited for the next 6 months and beyond as we will be adding more and larger aircraft to our STC.”

The company said pricing for upgrades from previous S-TEC autopilots starts at $9,995. Pricing for new installations of the two-axis autopilot was set at $19,995.

Genesys Aerosystems, based in Mineral Wells, Texas, also announced plans to acquire approval for installation of the S-TEC 3100 in a wide variety of additional piston-engine and turboprop aircraft in the coming months.