Rockwell Collins' Pro Line Fusion® flight deck lands on new Beechcraft King Air turboprops

Monday 18th May 2015

Industry's first touchscreen primary flight displays to be certified aboard multiple King Air models, aircraft deliveries begin this summer

Industry's first touchscreen primary flight displays to be certified aboard multiple King Air models, aircraft deliveries begin this summer

Rockwell Collins today announced that pilots flying new Beechcraft King Air 350i, 250 and C90GTx turboprops from Textron Aviation Inc. will experience intuitive, eyes-forward flying with its Pro Line Fusion® flight deck. The system is expected to certify for all three new-production King Air models in the upcoming months, with aircraft deliveries to begin this summer starting with the King Air 250.

Pro Line Fusion for the King Air features commercial aviation's first touchscreen primary flight displays. The touchscreens bring pilots intuitive interactive maps, easy-to-use icons, and the ability to simply touch the items that they want to control.

"Textron Aviation is enhancing its Beechcraft King Air line with an advanced, state-of-the-art avionics system that transforms pilot operations," said Craig Olson, vice president and general manager, Business and Regional Systems for Rockwell Collins. "Now, whether flying a factory-new airplane or installing Pro Line Fusion as an upgrade in a fielded King Air, pilots will enjoy extensive situational awareness and a revolution in simplicity."

Rockwell Collins' Pro Line Fusion ushers in a new era for King Air owners with:

• Three 14-inch widescreen LCDs with advanced graphics, configurable windows, and touchscreen or point-and-click navigation

 • Synthetic vision as a standard feature, including Rockwell Collins' patented airport dome, and extended runway centerlines with mile markers to better orient the pilot from top of descent through final approach

 • Touch-interactive maps with eyes-forward flight planning, high-resolution topography, real-time onboard weather radar overlays, obstacles, and special-use airspace and search patterns for expanded situational awareness and reduced workload

 • A fully loaded package of baseline equipment for operation in modernizing global airspace: DO-260B compliant ADS-B, SBAS-capable GNSS, localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches, radius-to-fix (RF) legs and more

 • Baseline geo-referenced electronic navigation charts that display own-ship aircraft position for enhanced situational awareness during approaches 

• Easy and fast database updates using a standard USB drive port on the front of the displays, or the optional Aircraft Information Manager wireless data loading service

 • Selectable video windows on the displays for viewing inputs from Enhanced Vision System (EVS) or other external cameras.

Pro Line Fusion is software-upgradeable for easy updates and also provides the backbone for integrating future enhancements such as Rockwell Collins' HGS™-3500 Head-up Guidance System, EVS-3000 Enhanced Vision System, MultiScan™ weather radar and Airport Moving Map.

Pro Line Fusion is already certified as an upgrade for fielded King Air aircraft with Pro Line 21™. Coming soon, operators will have the opportunity to upgrade to the large Pro Line Fusion touchscreen displays being installed on new King Airs through Textron Aviation's factory-owned service centers.

Pro Line Fusion upgrades for earlier King Airs equipped with Pro Line II are also nearing certification and will be available through Rockwell Collins-authorized dealers worldwide.

Rockwell Collins' award-winning Pro Line Fusion, which is featured on a full range of business aircraft, air transport and military special missions aircraft, provides pilots with state-of-the-art technology and the tools needed to quickly and intuitively manage aircraft performance in all phases of flight--from startup to shutdown. The system has flown more than 150,000 flight hours aboard more than 275 in-service business airplanes.

About Rockwell Collins Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, simulation and training, and information management is delivered by a global workforce, and a service and support network that crosses more than 150 countries.

www.rockwellcollins.com