Avidyne launches release 10.2 and IFD550

This certification also includes FAA approval for release 10.2 of the Avidyne equipments’ operating system software, which provides a number of new features—including synthetic vision and two-way wireless connectivity with Avidyne’s new IFD100 iPad app.The company also said it has received approval for its new IFD545, IFD510, and IFD410 FMS/GPS systems.

“Release 10.2 was a significant undertaking that adds synthetic vision and expands our line of IFD-series FMS/GPS products, bringing them to a whole new level of capability, and setting them far apart from anything else available in the market,” said Avidyne President Dan Schwinn. “Our new flagship IFD550 includes an integrated ARS which delivers unique synthetic vision and WAAS approach capabilities to a large number of aircraft that simply would have had no other options before now. It’s really terrific, and there’s simply nothing else like it.”

“With integrated synthetic vision and built-in wireless connectivity capabilities, no other navigators offer so much functionality, situational awareness, and ease of use,” said Mitch Biggs, Avidyne's vice president of sales and marketing. “Any aircraft owner upgrading their old panel-mounted navigator to an Avidyne IFD can get a modern hybrid touch-screen WAAS GPS, a place to view ADS-B traffic and weather, and a gorgeous synthetic vision display—all in the same panel space.”

The company’s new IFD550 is a full-featured FMS/GPS/NAV/COM with the same functionality of Avidyne’s current IFD540, but with the addition of an integrated attitude reference sensor. The ARS detects pitch and roll motion and enables the display of dynamic synthetic vision with full-motion, 3-D “out the window” views—as well as “in trail” views of the aircraft and nearby terrain, obstacles, and traffic. Pilots can toggle SVS off and view a traditional blue-over-brown attitude display on the IFD550, as well as an overlay with horizontal and vertical deviation indicators and a total velocity vector/flight path marker. List price for the IFD550 begins at $21,999.

Avidyne's new release 10.2 software is available for field-loadable upgrade of existing IFD540 and IFD440 systems, giving these systems the ability to display synthetic vision views, along with flightplan overlays, color-contoured terrain, obstacles, and full-color 3-D traffic and terrain warnings.

The software offers a full two-way wireless connection to Avidyne’s IFD100 iPad app, supporting wireless flight plan transfer into the IFD. Avidyne had used Bluetooth for tablet connectivity; this is its first use of Wi-Fi. “It was always built into the box,” explained Tom Harper, director of marketing.

Release 10.2 also provides the ability to orbit around a point, as a circular hold option; non-TSOed TAWS functionality; support for TIS/GTX330ES/GTX335/GTX345 data protocols; and wireless connectivity with growing list of third-party apps including ForeFlight Mobile, Seattle Avionics FlyQ, FlightPlanGO, and Cloud Ahoy. “We publish a software development kit so any developer can ‘listen’ to our data,” Harper explained, adding that the ability to send data into the Avidyne hardware requires a partnership.

Avidyne’s IFD100 iPad app offers pilots a fully redundant, large-format map that wirelessly connects to IFD 4-series or 5-series GPS FMS systems. “It’s another instance of the IFD,” Harper explained. “It’s not competing with ForeFlight.” The IFD100 app is not a flight planning tool, although a pilot could enter a flight plan into the app; when the tablet connects with the panel-mounted avionics, the flight plan will automatically upload. The app is offered as a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Finally, Avidyne announced three new FMS/GPS-only navigators, without VHF NAV/COM radios; all offer synthetic vision, hybrid touch-screen capability, and integrated wireless capability. The IFD545 and IFD510 are designed as slide-in replacements for legacy GPS500 Series navigators, while the IFD410 can replace the GPS400.

The release 10.2 software upgrade for existing IFD540 and IFD440 units can be downloaded from the Avidyne website at no charge; aircraft owners will need to pay any dealer labor charges for its installation. The company said that all new-production IFD 5-series and 4-series models are available now and will ship with the new release 10.2 software. Pricing for IFD models with synthetic vision start at $9,499. A full retail price list is available online.