Lincoln, Mass. June 18, 2015 – Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated avionics and safety systems for general aviation aircraft, today announced that they have received Technical Standard Order (TSO) approval and an Approved Model List Supplemental Type Certificate (AML-STC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for their new IFD440 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM. The IFD440 is the smaller-screen version of Avidyne's previously-certified IFD540, and is designed as an easy plug-and-play, direct replacement for old GNS430 series navigators. The AML-STC provides basis for installation approval of the IFD440 in more than 1,000 aircraft makes and models
“The IFD440 gives aircraft owners a truly exceptional choice over anything else available in this form factor for GPS and NAV/COM capabilities,” said Tom Harper, Director of Marketing for Avidyne. “The IFD440 delivers the perfect combination of touch screen and dedicated-button user interface, plus integrated Bluetooth and WiFi, making it much easier and more enjoyable for pilots transitioning from previous-generation systems.”
“As with our IFD540, the new IFD440 adds significant improvements in functionality and ease of use, while providing huge cost and time savings for a large number of aircraft owners looking to upgrade their obsolete GPS systems,” said Dan Schwinn, Avidyne’s President and CEO. “A platform for the future, the IFD440 provides the easiest way to upgrade to WAAS, add touch screen and wireless capability, display ADS-B weather, and also comply with the ADS-B out mandate.”
“Especially where panel space is tight, the IFD440 simply provides the best and most affordable upgrade option,” Schwinn added.
The IFD440 rounds out Avidyne’s full stack of direct-replacement, panel-mounted avionics, including the AMX240 Audio Panel and the AXP340 Mode S ADS-B Transponder, and the large-screen IFD540 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM which were all certified last year. Avidyne’s full line of ADS-B capable avionics also includes the AXP322 remote-mounted Mode S transponder with 1090MHz ADS-B OUT, the MLB100 978MHz ADS-B IN Receiver, and the MLX200/210 978MHz transceivers for ADS-B IN and OUT. Avidyne also offers the attitude-based DFC90 digital Autopilot with Envelope Protection (EP®) and Envelope Alerting (EA®), which has already been certified on a number of aircraft including Cirrus SR20/22, Piper PA-46, Beech Bonanza series, and Cessna 182 series.
About the IFD440
The IFD440 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM includes a highly-capable Flight Management System (FMS) and VHF navigation and communication capability. The IFD440 meets TSO-C146c for full SBAS/LPV approach guidance, including easy-to-use flight planning, ‘one-touch’ victor airway and jet-route navigation, and Avidyne’s innovative GeoFill™ waypoint nomination.
The plug-and-play IFD440 is a direct replacement for obsolete GNS430-series navigators, providing a 4.8-inch diagonal high-definition color display with 33% more screen area, nearly five times the number of pixels (150,400 vs 30,720), and 65,536 colors versus 8 colors on the 430/430W. The versatile IFD440 has a much easier to use, button and touch-screen ‘hybrid touch’ user interface that provides easy map panning and rubber-band flight plan editing. And because it’s the same physical size as the old 430/W, it fits into the same tray, uses the same antennas and can be installed with no wiring changes, it makes an incredibly easy and affordable retrofit for any general aviation aircraft.
Featuring a 10-watt, 8.33 kHz, two-channel VHF communication radio, the IFD440 also includes a two-channel VHF NAV/VLOC with automatic frequency nomination and one-touch Frequency List tuning. Active and standby COM frequencies are automatically decoded and the names of the stations are displayed in plain English, for easy station recognition and as a handy reminder of the agency to which you will be transmitting when pressing the push-to-talk button.
All IFD440s include an integrated Terrain Awareness and Alerting feature with Forward-Looking Terrain Alerting (FLTA) capability. Navigation and Obstacle databases are updated via the IFD440’s bezel-mounted USB port using a standard jump drive. The high-powered (2.1 amp) USB port on the IFD440 is also approved for charging handheld devices such as iPads and smartphones for added convenience.
The IFD440 also meets the navigation accuracy and integrity requirements to be the position source for ‘ADS-B Out’ installations. Coupled with the AXP340 panel-mount, or AXP322 remote-mount Mode S Transponder, Avidyne provides rule-compliant solutions to meet the ADS-B mandates in the U.S. and internationally.
The IFD440 also features integrated WiFi and Bluetooth® capability, providing wireless connectivity without the installation complexity or the costs of adding of extra boxes. Avidyne’s MK10 Bluetooth Keyboard allows IFD440 owners to enter waypoints and flightplans, change pages and tabs, and zoom the map in and out, wirelessly, without reaching across the panel.
Pricing and Availability
The IFD440 has a direct replacement price of $14,995, and the IFD540 has a direct replacement price of $16,995. Both are shipping now. Installation Kits & Trays are available for an additional $650.
Antennas are sold separately.
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 offers a full line of panel-mounted avionics including their new IFD540 and IFD440 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM, AMX240 audio panel, AXP340 and AXP322 Mode S Transponders, and DFC90 digital flight control systems. Avidyne’s product line also includes the industry-leading Entegra 2/ Release 9 integrated flight deck with DFC100 digital flight control system, datalink-capable EX600 multi-function displays, the dual-antenna TAS-A series of active traffic advisory systems with ADS-B,, the MLX770 world-wide datalink transceiver, and the TWX670 Tactical Weather Detection system. Headquartered in Lincoln, MA, the company also has facilities in Westerville, OH, and Melbourne, FL.
