DFC90 for the Baron, Bonanza and Skylane

Any info on what gets removed for the Century autopilots yet?

For Century III aircraft, the following items can be removed:

Edited by AviJake - 06 Aug 2011 at 10:13am

Agreed.  Thanks for being more precise.

11 Nov 2011 Update:

We're busy plugging away working through the integration details of the DFC90 with the Aspen PFD and lab testing/characterizing the various S-Tec and King servos.  We also have Century servos in our lab for that testing.

We are flying the Aspen PFD with our DFC90 in our company aircraft and Aspen is about to start doing the same in their company aircraft.

We may be light on progress reports during the rest of the fall/winter as we work through all those integration details.

We expect to finish the C-182 STC for 28V aircraft first and have that followed shortly by 28V BE-33s and 28V BE-36s.   V-tail BE-35s and the Baron models are right after that.

Any word on when the 14V BE-36 models will be tackled?  Thanks.

Jake,

AviJake,

Will you release the product as you get these approvals, or will you wait until they are all approved? I have an Aspen 2000 and a STEC-55X autopilot.

Bonanza A36 28v. Thanks for the info!

So again,

Appreciate the candor, Jake

We'll be starting the final cert effort for the V35 (and other Bonanza models) as soon as we get the Cessna 182 cert under our belts.   This initial Bonanza cert will cover both 14V and 28V variants but will require pre-existing STec servos.

From your 2:17pm post on 9/11, it sounds like you also need the Avidyne servos.  If that is true, then you'll have about another 6 months to wait as we finish development and cert of those servos.   When those servos are done, we'll amend the existing DFC aircraft certs to add the Avidyne servos as another valid configuration.   Remember too, that we expect to integrate with existing STec and then Century servos but if you had anything else, you will need the Avidyne servos.

There are a lot of variables still at play so accurate calendar estimates are difficult.   We believe the following sequence is most likely:

STec servo and Aspen PFD equipped C-182s - September 2012 STC/TSO/Shipping
STec servo and Aspen PFD equipped Bonanzas (14 or 28V) - late fall 2012 STC/TSO/Shipping
Avidyne servo and Aspen PFD equipped Bonanzas or Barons or Skylanes (14V or 28V) - late spring 2013 STC/TSO/Shipping

Those last two dates could slide around, both earlier and later, depending on some of those variables I mention above.

AviJake,

Hi Kevin,

We love the excitement. We wish it were all done too.

For your specific question, the answer is "I'm not sure".  Now for a little color.   Our servo development is (sort of) a parallel development with our other autopilot development work.  While we're "waiting" for certain milestones to be achieved on the Avidyne servo, we are continuing along with the Bonanza and Baron certs using the STec servos.   When we're done with the STec servo certs with the DFC90 in those Bonanzas and Barons, we then look at the state of the Avidyne servo development.  If it hasn't hit those specific internal milestones, then we'll move on to the Century servo integration while we wait for the Avidyne servo to reach those milestones.   So in effect, it is a race to see which we get to attack next - Avi servo or Century integration.   All the more reason for us to get the Stec certs done on the Bonanza and Barons as soon as we can.

I know that doesn't help much with your planning - I feel your pain.

The DFC90 started with the Cirrus and all of the Cirri have the 55X. I think they were looking at the following path:

Yes that is appreciated and a big part of what makes this desirable!  We already have the Aspen. You know, a digital A/P with digital attitude source in GA aircraft is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime.  I know Garmin has done it....  But the great thing about this is that we can do it in stages which makes this something that is relatively affordable!  Plus, being able to do this while using existing A/P servos (Century in our case) makes this very compelling.  I think you have a winning approach and should do well with this!  Thanks again for your efforts! 

Thanks for the prod.   Our first cert platform is the V-tail Bonanza (14V and 28V).  We're working with the FAA now to schedule their evaluation flight for that.  It is shaping up to be the 1st or 2nd week of December based on their availability (we're ready to go but FAA availability has been a challenge).  Assuming that exercise is uneventful, we should have STC within 30 days of that milestone.

I can dig one up but at the top level, it's any servo that currently works with the STec 30, 50, 55, 55X, 60-2, 65.

So the STEC 40 and the STEC 60PSS are specifically excluded, and their servos are NOT compatible??

* Orest

28 Nov 2012 Progress Update:

As previously reported here, we have flown and created autopilot software models for the 33, 35 and 36 series of Bonanzas and the 55 and 58 series of Barons.

We are now in the certification phase for the 35 series of Bonanzas.  We have a customer aircraft at our facility in Melbourne FL undergoing modifications to remove the old autopilot gear (leaving servos intact) and replacing it with a DFC90 that will be driven by the already installed Aspen PFD.  That aircraft should be ready to perform FAA certification flight testing in mid-December using that software model we created this past summer.  At that point, we *should* be a month or less away from the first Bonanza cert.   The next Bonanza model after that is expected to be the A36.

We are still negotiating with the FAA on adding the DFC90 to Aspen-equipped Cirrus.  The principal subject of the negotiations involve whether or not the FAA needs to fly/evaluate that installation themselves or if Avidyne performed and supplied test results will be sufficient.  We hope to have resolution on that decision in the next few weeks.

As for the Avidyne servos, we have just completed a modest redesign of the servos after we found they wouldn't meet all of our design goals.  We're starting the manufacturing of the next round of prototypes that we expect to use in flight test and hardware/software/environmental qualification and certification.  That design tweak took a long time and a lot of effort but seems to be back on track now.

If those Avidyne servos are done with qual in time, then we plan to use them in the A36 cert. If they are not, we will cert a STec equipped A-36.  The Century servo equipped aircraft are still in our plan but will be sequenced behind the first A36 cert (Avi servo or STec servo).

Barons are also being worked into the sequence but precise date estimates are not available until we work off some of the above mentioned tasks.

Understand what you are saying.

However, the STEC 40 + STEC 60PSS together (as installed in my aircraft) give you the same functionality as an STEC 60 alone, with roll, pitch and pitch trim controlled. However the pitch trim control is an option.

Thanks for checking.

* Orest



Edited by oskrypuch - 30 Nov 2012 at 8:02pm

any update for the new year?

25 Jan 2013 DFC90 STC Progress Update:

Still inching toward the finish line for that first Bonanza (V35) DFC90 cert.   We seem to have gotten through a few airplane conformity/configuration issues with the customer airplane (see BeechTalk thread titled "First Pix of a DFC90 in a Beechcraft" thread if interested).

We've gotten through almost all of the formal for-credit flights and *should* be all done by next week with that.  As a side note, it's been a blessing to have been working with the specific customer who loaned us his airplane - he is exceptionally understanding on the way Integration and Test work and STC efforts that involve tons of moving parts.

As for the rest of the Bonanza and Baron configurations we've stated our gameplan to be, we're still pressing ahead with them.  The level of frustration and length of time involved for these it-shouldn't-be-so-complex-but-it-is integrations and cert is shared by all of us inside and outside the company.   It'll take a while but we'll get through it.   The nature of this stuff means we have more roadblocks ahead of us, some our doing, and a lot not our doing, and we'll likely continue to audible internal ordering and priorities to deal with them but we'll just keep plugging away.

We've got tough sledding still ahead of us but it isn't deterring us.   For those few who have graciously put some money down to secure early pricing, we thank you and want to remind anyone that while your money is safe as can be, you can get it back pronto by just asking.

I hope none of this is interpreted as defensive or in any way back sliding.  It's a heck of a ride toward enlightenment, at least on our end.....

How are the Avidyne Servos coming along? Are you planning to offer a Bonanza install kit with brackets for clean sheet installations?