11/11/2007 - SAVANNAH , GA – In an aviation first, Gulfstream Aerospace flew an experimental business jet using a synthetic vision system and an enhanced vision system together. This dual navigation capability comprises the three-dimensional terrain images of Gulfstream’s Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display (SV-PFD) and the forward-looking infrared (FLIR) images of the Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System II (EVS II), which is the company’s second generation enhanced vision system.

“The combination of EVS and SV-PFD brings a whole new level of safety to the flight deck,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. “The effect of using both systems simultaneously provides an unmatched magnitude of pilot situational awareness and a flight path that is always visible regardless of the conditions outside the cockpit window.”

The two systems were thoroughly evaluated during three days of flight testing in September. Gulfstream Experimental Test Pilots Tom Horne and Rick Gowthorp, along with Honeywell Experimental Test Pilot Jary Engels, flew a G450 test aircraft a total of 18-1/2 hours during the three-day period.

Their journey began at Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah on Sept. 5. They flew west, performing approaches at airports in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and Washington and evaluating both EVS II and SV-PFD approach images in some of the most demanding airport environments. On Sept. 6, they conducted another 10 approaches at various airports in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado.
On their final day, Sept. 7, they concentrated their approaches in Colorado and New Mexico where the mountainous terrain can prove challenging. In the more than 20 approaches performed, the EVS II and SV-PFD images performed flawlessly.

According to Henne, Gulfstream EVS II confirms the validity of all of the terrain and airport images projected on the SV-PFD. While SV-PFD displays three-dimensional, color terrain images that are derived from data stored in the Honeywell Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), EVS provides actual, real-time images detected by an infrared camera mounted to the nose of the aircraft and viewed by the pilot on the Head-Up Display (HUD).

Gulfstream expects to certify its next generation EVS II later this year. The original Gulfstream EVS, which was first certified by the Federal Aviation Administration on Sept. 14, 2001, incorporates a specially designed forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera that projects an infrared real-world image on the pilot’s Honeywell Head-Up Display (HUD). On even the darkest of nights, pilots using EVS can clearly see a mountain range, a runway or any aircraft or vehicles on taxiways.

Gulfstream EVS was developed in cooperation with Kollsman, Inc., which working with Gulfstream, continues to provide maintenance and service support to operators of EVS-equipped aircraft.

In July 2006, Gulfstream announced it would be the first business-jet manufacturer to offer synthetic vision technology for new and existing aircraft. SV-PFD is a dramatic enhancement to the Gulfstream PlaneView ® flight displays. It features a three-dimensional color image of terrain overlaid with the primary flight display instrument symbology, which are arranged on the screen to create a large view area for terrain. Combining previously certified terrain data from Honeywell’s EGPWS with obstacle data, and using a new state-of-the-art graphics processor, SV-PFD accurately depicts
terrrain, obstacles, runways and approaches at locations throughout the world.

SV-PFD is on schedule for FAA certification by the end of the year and is expected to be available to customers in the second quarter of 2008.

Source: Gulfstream Press Release