Avilution Completes First Flight of New Air Data Computer on the Eclipse 500 Jet
Avilution, LLC, headquartered at the Huntsville, AL International Airport, successfully completed the first flight of a replacement Air Data Computer (ADC) for the popular Eclipse 500 personal jet. This event is especially significant as Avilution was both the software developer for integrating this new product and the first customer to fly it.
As an operator of an Eclipse, Avilution founder Mark Spencer was aware that the original standby ADC—a safety-critical component that provides accurate altitude, airspeed, rate of climb, and other parameters to the pilot—was suffering high failure rates. As the lead software architect for Avilution’s eXtensible Flight System (XFS) avionics software for civilian and military aircraft, Mark also knew he had an innovative fix. Meanwhile, Cary Winter, CEO of Resurgent Aviation Solutions of Aurora, IL, had been working on a replacement ADC, but was held back by hardware communication issues. It was fortuitous, then, when the two joined forces and tackled the problem together. As Mr. Winter explains, “The Eclipse system architecture uses unique communication protocols, which meant no commercial options were available. When Mark explained the potential of XFS, we knew we finally had the tool we needed. Using XFS, we created a software ‘middleman’ to translate the new ADC data into the format of the replaced unit, thereby eliminating the incompatibility issue while keeping the original Eclipse avionics system unchanged.” A big advantage of this outcome was that nothing changed with the pilots’ interface to the avionics. “This integration is completely invisible to the flight crew, avoiding the need for additional flight training or procedures changes,” said Spencer.
With Huntsville-based Skytron Avionics integrating the hardware components, “Developing the software and hardware with Avilution and Skytron Avionics was a great experience and a great example of teamwork. Both companies delivered exactly as promised, and together we brought this long-sought-after project to fruition,” said Resurgent’s Winter.
Winter congratulated Spencer on the successful first flight. “After all the extensive testing we conducted and working through the FAA certification process, we’re gratified to see the project complete. It was especially gratifying to see Mark be able to complete the first flight. We look forward to offering this needed capability to the Eclipse fleet.”
Although this marks Avilution’s first use of XFS software on an FAA-certificated civil jet aircraft, its use as a data emulator has been successfully employed for other Avilution customers. For example, the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Aviation, headquartered at Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal, uses XFS to efficiently update legacy avionics on Army aircraft.
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Avilution LLC is a Huntsville, AL-based developer of avionics software and integration tools. Its eXtensible Flight System is modular, configurable, and reusable software, rigorously designed and tested for safety-critical applications ranging from traditional cockpit controls to specialized aerial mission systems. It allows integrators to create entire customized flight decks or cost-effective upgrades to existing instrumentation, faster and more affordably.
Skytron Avionics specializes in electronics hardware design, creating unique solutions for the aerospace industry, and offers its expertise in experimental, certified, and military aircraft applications. The Huntsville-based company develops a range of avionics systems, including Electronic Flight Information Systems, Electronic Circuit Breakers, and innovative aviation audio systems, all adhering to rigorous aerospace standards.
Resurgent Aviation Solutions is an Aurora, IL-based engineering organization, FAA repair station with class ratings, and PMA parts manufacturer. RAS has created numerous Supplemental Type Certificates for the Eclipse Jet and is the leading support organization for the popular personal aircraft. RAS is the sole source supplier for many Eclipse parts and repair services.