Peter wrote:
Airbus are hardly going to be making avionics for GA, let alone the Robin fleet whose chief attribute (ask any part 21 avionics shop; some posts here) is talking about stuff and not coming up with cash when somebody does the STC.
Robin always has been a problem with this kind of stuff, primarily because of their messy model lines where even fans can not keep up with all the modifications and different models they have. If in a line of 200 airplanes there are 5 different sub-models (like in the HR-100 series) which each would need certification, it’s easy to see why not many have taken on this kind of thing.
But it’s not Airbus anyway, Airbus use Thales soft-and hardware.
Doing an AP for GA which has the capabilities of the standard A3xx AP’s is not difficult nor expensive for someone like this, actually some GA AP’s outperform the classic Airbus APs today, but it’s the numbers and certification hurdles which would be in the way. After all, nobody will buy a 100k AP because you have to offset 10 million certification cost over a few dozen units.
But are these APs 100k. If you go further into their blurb they are manufacturing a lot of systems for drones and such like.
I can’t believe the civil drone industry is paying 100k for an AP or even all the avionics on board.
They certainly have the capability to retrofit or design afresh APs for Robins and Rallyes and at a competitive price. The question is “do they have the desire?”
I think I might drop them another email.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
GA AP’s outperform the classic Airbus APs today,
I don’t know all of them, but although everybody do love the GFC500, this is a crap AP for me, wrt the VNAV e.g. Either airbus or collins AP can intercept for a 5 to 100t jet, but GFC500 cannot do it on a small PA28 if we just activate it less than a minute before starting a descent.
gallois wrote:
They certainly have the capability to retrofit or design afresh APs for Robins and Rallyes and at a competitive price. The question is “do they have the desire?”
Or is it even on their radar that they have that capability and might profit of a spin off on those drone APs.
As in this industry any form of competition is highly welcome in todays Garmin market, it would be quite desirable to have another provider.
