In December last year NAC Avionics successfully installed a Garmin G500 system into a Piper Arrow. The system fits neatly into the panel space vacated by the standard six-pack flight instruments.The original Altitude, altimeter and airspeed indicators were retained as stand-by instruments. The G500 talks to the Garmin GNS530W, GNS430W, ADF and Autopilot.
A new instrument panel was manufactured, painted and laser engraved to complement a full makeover that included refurbishment of all radios, instruments and sub-panels, giving a brand-new feel to the cockpit.
The G500 consolidates all primary flight, navigation and sensor data in a ‘big picture’ suite of multi-tasking, colour LCDs.
Dual 10” LCD screens, mounted side-by-side in a single bezel, put Primary Flight Display (PFD) and Multifunction Flight Display (MFD) capabilities right in front of the pilot – bringing a whole new level of capability and situational awareness. SVT (Synthetic Vision Technology) was installed as an option to create a 3-D ‘virtual reality’ perspective of flight and en route terrain features.
The G500 is a low-cost alternative derived from Garmin’s highly successful G1000 integrated avionics system, designed specifically for most Class 1/Class 2 aircraft (singles or twins under 6 000lb) packaged as an FAA approved STC.
