Press Release

Issued by Honeywell Aerospace.

April 28, 2016

Honeywell Aerospace has been awarded the Most Innovative Helicopter Avionics Award by China Aviation News for its Primus Epic integrated avionics suite for the Finmeccanica AW139 helicopter. Primus Epic was recognized for its cutting-edge technology, scalability, ease of use and ability to increase safety and efficiency for helicopter manufacturers and operators. Honeywell received the award at the 3rd China Civil Helicopter Operation & Development Forum, held April 27‒28 in Beijing.

Primus Epic's intuitive pilot interface provides navigation, weather, terrain, air space, flight routes, airports and air traffic, key engine, and system parameter information to pilots. The modular system design means that new technology can be easily inserted as it becomes available, to ensure the system stays at the leading edge of integrated avionics system capability. With a wide range of innovative technologies in the current configuration, the avionics suite helps improve situational awareness, ensure mission completion and reduce maintenance downtime, allowing pilots, flight departments and maintenance personnel to make faster decisions for safer and more efficient flights. With China's growing need for helicopters that provide an unprecedented level of capability, owners and operators can benefit significantly from the unmatched technology, reliability and added efficiency that Primus Epic offers.

Primus Epic's large LCD displays show key information in an intuitive manner that pilots can use to fly more safely. Its Flight Management System is integrated with interactive navigation, making it the first navigation system that allows pilots to use patented flight-plan icons to revise flight plans and flight routes. The system also is designed to allow for the integration of aircraft utility functions and fly-by-wire technologies, while also offering reductions in weight, wire count and power consumption.

Honeywell is a pioneer in the helicopter industry and is well positioned to support China's growing helicopter needs. Supporting fixed-wing development in China and based on the same core technology, Honeywell's Primus Epic-based Apex integrated avionics system recently received a type certificate qualification from both the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration onboard China's Y12F turboprop utility aircraft. In addition, Primus Epic has been successfully installed in many of the world's most advanced aircraft, including the Finmeccanica AW139, the complete business aviation range of aircraft from Dassault (Falcon 2000DX, 2000LX, 900DX and 900LX), Gulfstream's highly successful long-range aircraft (G450, G500, G550 and G650), and successful aircraft from Embraer and Textron Aviation. In addition to the Y12F, other aircraft featuring Honeywell's Primus Epic-based Apex include the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-21, Viking Twin Otter Series 400 and SyberJet SJ30.