Air Methods Receives FAA STC Certification for Bell 407 Integrated Cockpit Display System (ICDS) and Autopilot

By Rotorhub 07/17/2006

DENVER, Colorado - July 2006 - Air Methods Products Division has announced that they have received FAA Supplemental Type Certification for their Sagem Avionics Inc. Integrated Cockpit Display System (ICDS) and AP 85 Autopilot System for the Bell 407 helicopter.

The Air Methods ICDS package replaces legacy electro-mechanical instrumentation and spinning mass gyroscopes with new Sagem Avionics liquid crystal displays and solid-state electronic attitude & heading sensors. These new avionics will enhance the situational awareness of the pilot and greatly improve the mean time between failure (MTBF). The increased MTBF will translate directly into reduced operating cost along with improved performance and dispatch rates.

The Sagem AP 85 autopilot provides long-term pitch and roll attitude hold, transparent handling and auto-trim capability. The AP 85 is a full time autopilot: the pilot turns it on before take-off and turns it off after landing. The autopilot will maintain a selected heading on the HSI. The autopilot will also track course information provided by both GPS receivers. The auto-trim computer sends signals to the artificial feel units, which are included in the basic system. Those two units become real parallel actuators, which keep the stick centered at all times, so that the autopilot always has full control authority. The autopilot will also maintain a selected altitude or airspeed.

The first aircraft equipped with this system has been delivered to the University of Utah AirMed program.

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