Aspen upgrades glass options
New models priced below legacy units
Aspen Avionics has secured FAA approval for an upgraded line of Evolution MAX primary and multifunction displays, with new features and lower prices than legacy models.
The Albuquerque, New Mexico-based firm has been upgrading customers from steam to glass for more than a decade, and is now pitching an “unprecedented” upgrade program that allows current Aspen owners to upgrade existing Aspen Evolution installations without disrupting their current installation, since the newest generation of Evolution MAX displays retain the same form factor as their predecessors. The hardware, processors, software, and displays have all been upgraded.
“We’re not aware of any manufacturer in this industry that offers this type of upgrade program,” said Aspen President and CEO John Uczekaj, in a news release. “Our corporate philosophy from the time we introduced the Evolution 1000 PFD 12 years ago was to offer new functions and safety features our current customers could adopt affordably and, provide future owners the peace of mind that their investment is protected as technology evolves."
Aspen introduced the Evolution Pro MAX primary flight display and the Evolution MFD500 MAX primary flight display (PFD) and MFD1000 MAX multifunction displays (MFD) in 2018. The Aspen glass lineup continues to provide a flexible pathway to replace steam gauges in pairs. Evolution systems can be installed with a PFD alone; up to two additional MFDs can be added to replace the entire six-pack and add a host of new features such as synthetic vision, GPS-aided attitude heading and reference system (AHRS) functionality, and other modern amenities while maintaining interoperability with installed avionics.
Aspen’s new pricing includes options to upgrade previous Evolution models, starting at $4,995 for the Evolution1000 PFD MAX. (That same unit is listed at $9,995 for a new installation.) The upgrade units come with a fresh two-year warranty, improved processing speeds, and other enhancements including increased screen resolution and larger text.
Aspen has also created an upgrade path for EFD1000 E5 electronic flight instrument owners to a full technical standard order (TSO) MAX display starting at $4,995. (Aspen PFD and MFD units can all be upgraded to the newest model Evolution MAX displays, though legacy and new models cannot be mixed in the same installation.)
