The King Air is no stranger to innovative technology, and Rockwell Collins is making sure that remains true by introducing King Air to the touchscreen world.Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion Touch is an upgrade that technology savvy pilots will be excited about. Here’s the latest details on the upcoming King Air touchscreen panels.
Pro Line Fusion Touch Simplifies Cockpit
The touchscreen panels are being praised for organizing the cockpit while giving the instrument panel a sleek appearance. The Pro Line Fusion Touch will display the following:
- color graphs
- weather overlays
- high resolution terrain
- obstacles
- geo-political boundaries
- dome on airport synthetic vision system
- target runway highlighting
- final approach path outline
The Pro Line Fusion Touch upgrade also comes with a center-pedestal keyboard for those who enjoy the feel of buttons. It can be used for turbulent flying conditions, but also for quickly switching between screen options.
Training
Although touchscreen phones and tablets have been around for awhile, not everyone has experience using them. To compensate for the varying technology skills, Rockwell Collins is creating a computer-based training (CBT) program to help pilots based on their knowledge and experience. Pilots that have already tested the touch-screens have noted the importance of a training program. They also gave the new upgrade high praise.
Expected roll-out
The Pro Line Fusion Touch is still waiting for the Supplemental Type Certificates (STC). There are two waiting for approval. The first one is expected by the end of the year. It will upgrade the Pro Line 21 King Air panel. The second should be approved by summer of 2015, and it will upgrade the Pro Line II systems.