Esterline CMC Electronics avionics selected for Avicopter's new AC312C and AC312E helicopters

Esterline CMC Electronics CMA-9000 Flight Management System (FMS) and CMA-5024 Global Positioning System (GPS) Landing System Sensor have been selected as the navigation solution for use on both the AC312C and AC312E helicopters. The AC312C/E will be the latest-generation, twin-engine helicopters from Avicopter and are well suited for a full range of missions, including law enforcement, search and rescue (SAR), emergency medical services (EMS), VIP and executive transport. The AC312E is expected to complete certification with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in 2017, with the AC312C certification planned to follow in 2018.

Greg Yeldon, president, Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC), said: “The helicopter market in China is expected to undergo tremendous growth over the next few years and Avicopter is well positioned to capture an important share of this fast growing market. Our CMA-9000 and CMA-5024 systems will bring the most advanced civil navigation capabilities to these new Chinese-designed helicopters and will also provide exceptional hover-hold performance using our innovative GPS Velocity Sensor (GVS) technology. Esterline CMC and Avicopter have been working together since 2013 on the AC352 helicopter and we are delighted to have been selected to provide the latest generation FMS/GPS equipment for the new AC312C and AC312E.”

The CMA-9000 is a field-proven, highly integrated and flexible solution that is optimized for helicopter operations. It provides flight management and multi-sensor navigation throughout all phases of flight, radio management and many specialized functions that help reduce pilot workload during mission-critical applications such as SAR and offshore operations. The CMA-9000 supports both military and civil navigation modes, with compliance to the latest standards for Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) approaches. The integrated radio management system offers savings in terms of size, weight, power and cost on the helicopter. Night Vision Goggle (NVG) capability enables night-time operations for police, SAR and EMS operators, making the CMA-9000 the FMS of choice for demanding helicopter applications.

CMC's IntegriFlight CMA-5024 GPS Landing System Sensor meets the requirements for an Instrument Flight Rules, civil certified Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The CMA-5024 provides Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) SBAS GPS capability from departure to Non Precision Approach that complies with published Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) navigational mandates. WAAS/SBAS augments GPS to provide an extremely accurate navigation solution that will support all flight operations from en route through GNSS and WAAS/SBAS Localizer Performance with a Vertical Guidance (LPV) CAT-1 equivalent approach. The CMA-5024 is provisioned for growth to GBAS with a built-in VHF Data Broadcast (VDB) receiver.