Guatemalan Air Force upgrades its Bell 212 cockpit
Astronautics Corporation of America, in partnership with Central American Aviation Services (CAAS), has completed the first Bell 212 glass cockpit upgrade for the Guatemalan Air Force with its Badger Pro+ Integrated Flight Display System
The Astronautics upgrade consists of four 6x8-inch high-resolution displays, a control panel, and an engine data concentrator unit. The retrofit transforms the legacy cockpit from its steam gauges to a digital, full-glass cockpit, replacing primary flight displays and engine instruments with the same Badger Pro+ Integrated Flight Display System flying on new production Bell helicopters.
“Astronautics was pleased to partner with CAAS to provide this retrofit. The collaboration of CAAS’ installation knowledge and experience and Astronautics’ innovation and flexibility paved the way for an enviable 212 cockpit. The proven ruggedness and reliability of Astronautics’ Badger Pro+ made it an obvious choice for this cost-effective upgrade,” said Astronautics President Chad Cundiff.
Demonstrating reliability over one million flight hours
Badger Pro+ is the latest generation of Astronautics’ Badger display family with demonstrated reliability over one million flight hours in the harshest environments. The displays show primary flight, navigation, and engine data. The system displays high-definition video from multiple inputs and provides night vision compatibility.
Badger Pro+ integrates information from across all systems on the aircraft, providing an operationally advanced pilot interface and a path for adding safety features, such as terrain and traffic awareness and Wide Area Augmentation System. The readability of the displays is world class with color, contrast, letter sizing, and fonts that provide exceptional viewability. Astronautics’ Badger Pro+ is the standard-fit, integrated flight display system on production Subaru Bell 412EPX and Bell 429 helicopters.
President of Central American Aviation Services Michael Tutt explained: “The selection of the Badger Pro+ for this Bell 212 modernization was an easy decision given the advanced features, reliability, options, and pedigree of the Astronautics system. Given the challenging requirements of the Guatemalan Air Force, the Badger Pro+ has far exceeded our original expectations, as well as the Guatemalan Air Force requirements.”
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