Contact: Michelle Stevenson
Marketing Manager
L-3 Avionics Systems
Michelle.Stevenson@L-3com.com
616-285-4239
Cirrus Vision SJ50 Flies with SmartDeck®
SmartDeck Completes Successful Flight in New Cirrus Jet
EAA, Oshkosh, Wis., July 28, 2008 – L-3 Avionics Systems’ SmartDeck Integrated Flight Controls and
Display System served as the avionics package for the first flight of the Cirrus Vision SJ50, also known as
“The-Jet,” on July 3, 2008. According to Cirrus officials, the aircraft performed flawlessly on its inaugural
flight. SmartDeck is being utilized for the development phase of the SJ50.
“A fully integrated SmartDeck system is installed on the current Vision SJ50,” said Steve Serfling, vice
president of advanced development systems for Cirrus Design. “Due to heroic effort by the Cirrus and L-3
teams, this system was fully functional on the first flight. In addition to standard aviate, navigate and
communicate functions, SmartDeck has been extremely valuable in providing our test pilots and
engineers real time information on all aircraft systems. Though no final determination has been made,
Cirrus is pleased with the initial results of the SmartDeck system, and we will continue to evaluate and
iterate system performance during the developmental flight test phase of Cirrus Vision SJ50."
“SmartDeck and the Cirrus Vision SJ50 represent an approaching change in business and private
aviation,” said Larry Riddle, vice president of business development for L-3 Avionics. “SmartDeck’s
revolutionary user interface is going to make high-speed aircraft such as the SJ50 more manageable and
easier to fly.”
SmartDeck is a scalable glass panel system capable of supporting modern piston-singles up to light jet
platforms. It integrates a number of situational awareness technologies with an intuitive user interface to
bring pilots an easy-to-use system. L-3’s cockpit suite puts traffic avoidance, enhanced vision, weather
information, system monitoring, approach plates and performance charts at the pilot’s fingertips, as well
as useful situation-monitoring tools such as vertical profile and the RPM trend indicator. These elements,
combined with the S-TEC IntelliFlight™ 1950 integrated Digital Flight Control System (DFCS), make
SmartDeck a standout system.
L-3 conducted extensive testing to create SmartDeck’s simple user interface and designed the menu
structure to support pilot functions in “three clicks or less.” The system’s intuitiveness builds pilot
confidence and drives safety. Both SmartDeck and the SJ50 are designed with the owner-pilot in mind.
SmartDeck is the only system in the light aircraft market to include a display dedicated to flight plan
management and communication information as part of its standard configuration. The Center Console
Unit (CCU) is a 4 x 5.25 inch display developed by L-3 Display Systems that frees up space on the Multi-
Function Display (MFD) and enables pilots to continue monitoring a flight while obtaining airport or flight
plan information.
L-3 Avionics Systems has been helping pilots fly for more than 45 years and provides completely
integrated cockpit solutions. The company’s SmartDeck® Integrated Flight Controls and Display System
is a glass panel suite that features a revolutionary user interface designed to make flying safer, easier
and more enjoyable. In addition to customizing SmartDeck for upcoming aircraft programs, L-3 Avionics
continues to provide a wide array of avionics safety technologies, such as the GH-3000 electronic and
J.E.T.® standby instruments, SkyWatch® collision avoidance system and Stormscope® lightning detection
system, among others.
For more information, please visit the company’s Web site at www.L-3Avionics.com.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs over 64,000 people worldwide and is a
prime contractor in aircraft modernization and maintenance, C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications,
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems and government services. L-3 is also a leading
provider of high technology products, subsystems and systems. The company reported 2007 sales of $14
billion.
To learn more about L-3, please visit the company’s Web site at www.L-3Com.com.
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