Long Beach, CA. – November 10, 2010 -– Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated flight deck and safety systems for general aviation aircraft, announced today that they have delivered their 500th DFC-Series digital autopilot system. Avidyne’s DFC-Series includes the DFC90 autopilot which is designed to work with existing Entegra Flight Deck systems, and the DFC100 which is compatible with their new Entegra Release 9 suite. Both of these attitude-based autopilots are designed as replacements for existing rate-based STEC55X autopilots, and each provides innovative new safety features including Flight Envelope Protection and ‘Straight & Level’ button.
“It’s a remarkable achievement to have sold 500 autopilots already, especially when you consider we just received FAA certification of the DFC90 in June of this year,” said Avidyne Chief Operating Officer, Patrick Herguth. “The significant performance enhancements, safety benefits, and overall value of the DFC90 and DFC100 have made them very attractive upgrades for owners of Entegra-equipped Cirrus aircraft.”
“Avidyne is focused on developing avionics systems that provide significant safety enhancements, and our DFC-Series has really set a new standard in autopilot performance for general aviation aircraft,” said Avidyne President and CEO, Dan Schwinn. “Being first to certify Flight Envelope Protection in this market, and the fact that customer demand is so great for the DFC90 and DFC100, have affirmed our resolve and reinforced our commitment to innovation.”
About the DFC90 & DFC100
The DFC90 and DFC100 are attitude-based digital autopilot systems that are designed as a slide-in replacements for the S-TEC55X autopilot in Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft.
The DFC90 is a retrofit for existing Entegra-equipped Cirrus aircraft, and the DFC100 is a retrofit that is compatible with the Avidyne Entegra Release 9 system.
The DFC90 autopilot utilize the precise digital outputs of the Air Data and Attitude Heading Reference System (ADAHRS) inside the Entegra Primary Flight Display (PFD) to provide a much better flying autopilot with an added margin of safety.
The DFC100 utilizes the dual ADAHRS inputs from the Entegra Release 9 system for an added level of safety and redundancy.
Customers upgrading from the STEC 55X will notice several major performance and feature improvements including:
1. Superior Performance – The DFC90/100 provides attitude-based precision, especially noticeable when tracking an ILS to minimums in windy conditions, and when hand-flying the Flight Director.
2. Increased safety – The DFC90/100’s innovative Flight Envelope Protection guards against autopilot-induced stalls (underspeed) and over-speeds, and the DFC90’s “Straight & Level” button provides one-touch recovery from unusual attitudes.3. Ease of Installation – The DFC90 is a slide-in replacements for the STEC55X. It requires no additional wiring changes, which minimizes down time & dramatically reduces installation cost. The DFC100 is a replacement for the STEC55X that can be upgraded as part of the Entegra Release 9 Retrofit.
DFC90 & DFC100 Pricing & Availability
Avidyne is currently offering the DFC90 with Release 8 PFD software/hardware upgrade for $9,995 through the end of Q4, 2010.
(The retail price of the DFC90 Digital Flight Computer is $9,995. The cost of Release 8/Mod 55 is $3,895 for PFDs that are at Release 7, and $5,395 for PFDs that at are currently at Release 6 or older. STEC55X unit must be returned to Avidyne)
Avidyne also offers a full Money Back Guarantee on the DFC90. Under the terms of the guarantee, if for any reason you are not satisfied with your DFC90 within the first 30 days of installation, Avidyne will refund the entire cost of your upgrade and reinstall the S-TEC 55X.
The DFC100, which has a retail price of $14,995, is currently undergoing FAA certification and is expected to be available by the end of 2010 for Entegra Release 9 –equipped Cirrus aircraft.
About Avidyne Corporation. www.avidyne.com
Avidyne’s continuing leadership in innovation and its Flying Made Simple™ system design make flying safer, more accessible and more enjoyable for pilots and their passengers. The company’s expanding line of products include the industry-leading Entegra integrated flight deck line for new and existing aircraft, the new DFC90 digital flight control system, the datalink-capable EX600 multi-function display and the dual-antenna TAS600 series of active traffic advisory systems, the MLB700 broadcast datalink receiver, the MLX770 world-wide datalink transceiver, and the TWX670 Tactical Weather Detection system. Headquartered in Lincoln, MA., the company has facilities in Westerville, OH., Melbourne, FL., and Boulder, CO.
