The Flipper

Flight Display Systems today introduced the most innovative solution for adding cockpit panel space where none exists. Called "The Flipper", the thin, small 5-inch LCD display installs easily on most existing glareshields and flips into position when needed. "Now you see it, now you don™t," said David Gray, founder of Flight Display Systems. "When The Flipper is stowed, it becomes virtually indiscernible and does not disrupt the flow and panel scan of aircraft crew." "The Flipper from Flight Display Systems is an ingenious retrofit product," said Mark Huffstutler, President of Sierra Industries. "It solves the panel display space problems that we face with the Citation and provides a low cost yet effective solution for the customer." With the advent of new sources of streaming data flowing into the cockpit, aircraft owners and operators are challenged to find efficient ways to display this information. Completion and refurbishment companies are often hard pressed to find panel room for data like Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS), satellite weather information, flight cameras, and Moving Maps. With The Flipper, they now have a low cost, easy to install solution that does not require additional space or a rework of the entire instrument panel. The Flipper is a lightweight unit that mounts easily on existing instrument panels with a unique low-profile attachment bracket. When not in use, the display flips to a horizontal stowed position using only a half-inch of visual panel space. The flight crew has access to a relatively large 5-inch display once The Flipper is deployed. Sierra Industries has started a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for The Flipper installation and a Flight Display Systems patent is pending. For certification purposes, The Flipper is considered an Advisory Information Display.