News Release
GULFSTREAM TO DEMONSTRATE ENHANCED VISION SYSTEM II ON GULFSTREAM G150 TEST AIRCRAFT
Vision-Enhancing Technology Should Be Certified For G150 Use In 2009
SAVANNAH, Ga., October 5, 2008 – Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), will demonstrate its second-generation Enhanced Vision System (EVS II) on its wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150 experimental flight-test aircraft during the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) 61st Annual Meeting and Convention
The EVS that will be on static display from Oct. 6-8 in Orlando, Fla., will be operational but not certified. Gulfstream anticipates receiving a Supplemental Type Certificate in the first quarter of 2009 to install EVS II on G150 aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified EVS II for installation on large-cabin Gulfstream aircraft in late 2007.
The Gulfstream EVS II generates actual, real-time images of the aircraft’s surroundings using an infrared camera mounted in the nose of the aircraft. The system dramatically increases situational awareness at night by allowing pilots to see terrain, runways, taxiways and approaches that are undetectable by unaided sight. Developed in cooperation with Kollsman Inc., EVS II is 22 pounds lighter, has four times the computational power and features four times the memory of the original EVS, which the FAA certified on Sept. 14, 2001.
Images from EVS II will appear on the G150’s Multi-Function Display (MFD) and will be easily selectable through the G150 Pro Line 21 menu system. The G150 EVS II has been designed from the outset to be seamlessly integrated with the future Head-Up Display (HUD) system.
HUD II is a Head-Up Guidance System (HGS) designed by Rockwell Collins that presents critical flight information in the pilot’s forward field of view. It features an all-digital Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) that allows the pilot to see flight guidance information integrated with the infrared image from EVS II, thereby improving touchdown precision.
In 2010, when the new Head-Up Display (HUD II) is approved for G150 installation, Gulfstream will integrate EVS II with HUD II and certify it for all-weather operation. This combination of EVS and HUD will allow G150 pilots to proceed from Decision Height to a 100-foot altitude when using EVS for low-visibility approaches.
Today, more than 400 Gulfstream aircraft operate with EVS.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced some 1,800 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350®; the large-cabin, long-range G450®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550® and the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range G650®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Financial Services Division and Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales®. The company employs more than 9,700 people at seven major locations. We invite you to visit our Web site for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 84,600 people worldwide and anticipates 2008 revenues of approximately $29.5 billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com