News
Sandel sets flight testing schedule for new TAWS
August 31, 2009 By Corrie
Aug. 31, 2009, Vista, CA - Sandel Avionics today announced it will begin flight testing as scheduled for its revolutionary helicopter terrain awareness and warning system.
Aug. 31, 2009, Vista, CA – Sandel Avionics today announced it will begin flight testing as scheduled on Oct. 20, 2009, at Corporate Helicopters of San Diego, CA, for its revolutionary HTAWS (helicopter terrain awareness and warning system), the industry’s first compact, easy-to-install panel-mount unit for helicopters. Designed to enhance rotorcraft safety by complying with the recently issued FAA Technical Standard Order (TSO) C194 governing HTAWS, the 3-ATI Sandel HTAWS is a ruggedized, self-contained system developed specifically for helicopter use. Derived from Sandel’s best-selling ST3400 TAWS for fixed-wing aircraft, the new system incorporates an HTAWS computer, terrain and obstacle databases, nuisance-alert suppression and a high-resolution display in a single compact unit. With panel space at a premium, the Sandel HTAWS also provides radar altimeter data, allowing installers to replace a dedicated radar altimeter indicator in both retrofit and forward-fit applications.
Drawing from Sandel’s impressive TAWS legacy — the company is the industry’s second-largest supplier of retrofit Class A TAWS for fixed-wing aircraft, with thousands of systems installed on aircraft types ranging from King Airs to Boeing 747s — the new HTAWS incorporates such helicopter-specific features as:
• Ultra-high, 3 arc-second (300’ grid) terrain resolution
• One-foot vertical resolution
• Comprehensive obstacle database
• On-screen obstacle depiction
• Sandel’s proven nuisance alert reduction, modified for rotorcraft
The ruggedized HTAWS also meets DO-160F helicopter vibration standards and has an MTBF of more than 10,000 hours. A proprietary on-demand Class-B NVIS mode is also available. Production and shipping dates will be announced shortly.
Sandel Avionics, located in Vista, California, is a privately held company that provides compact integrated display systems for business aviation, air transport and regional, and rotary-wing aircraft. Recent successes include the company’s best-selling, turbine-class ST3400 TAWS, and its 4-ATI retrofit primary flight displays. Additional information can be found at www.sandel.com.
