Page 10 - March 18 TNT

Rich Pickett Photo
Line up and wait: The Fusion cockpit consists of three touch-enabled displays, called AFDs (Active Flight Display), two CCPs (Cursor Control Panel) and one MKP (Multifunction Keyboard Panel).
The System
Rockwell Collins first offered the Pro Line Fusion avionics in 2012 and now has installed it in 10 additional aircraft including the Gulfstream G280 and Global 5000 and 6000, Embraer Legacy 450 and 500, C Series aircraft and others. These aircraft utilize Fusion avionics without touch capabilities, controlling the system with Cursor Control Panels (CCP) and Multifunction Keyboard Panel (MKP). With the introduction of the Pro Line Fusion in the new Beech King Air 250 in 2015, Rockwell Collins implemented touch-screen technology. With that system successfully implemented, the company looked at other aircraft for installation, which leads us to the CJ3.
With more than 400 Citation CJ3 aircraft produced since 2004, the market is a great platform for the upgrade. In addition, since other aircraft utilized the same Pro Line 21 platform, including other Citations, Bombardier Challengers among them, the potential sales numbers look even more promising.
Rockwell Collins used the King Air Fusion system as the basis for the CJ3, enabling them to complete the entire certification process in just under one year. A friend of mine loaned his CJ3 to Duncan Aviation (in Lincoln, Nebraska and Rockwell Collins, to be the test bed for the STC. Duncan Aviation, working with BHE & Associates, Rockwell Collin and Textron Aviation, had the system operational for test f lights in six months. It took a few more for test flights and certification.
The Fusion cockpit consists of three touch-enabled displays, called AFDs (Active Flight Display), two CCPs (Cursor Control Panel) and one MKP (Multifunction Keyboard Panel). In addition to these primary components, there are dedicated controls for baro- metric setting, radar operation and autopilot controls. Pro Line Fusion also uses some of the same Pro Line 21 remote mounted components located in the nose compartment. Since most CJ3s also had a Garmin GNS 500 as the second FMS, that unit is removed during the upgrade.
While the Pro Line 21 equipment was state of the art when it was developed in the early 2000s, and updated since then to WAAS, graphical XM weather and other features, it doesn’t offer some of the capabilities of contemporary systems such as the Garmin G3000/G5000 series or Honeywell APEX in the Pilatus PC-12.
The Flight Management System (FMS) f light planning capabilities in the Pro Line 21 equipment is considered to be one of the best by pilots, thanks to its advanced f light planning functionality. In addition to the power of its FMS, the Pro Line 21 also offers not only GNSS and VOR navigation functions, but also backup position information from up to three VOR/DME ground stations automatically during f light. In the scenario when you may lose GPS signal, or our military selectively degrades the signal, the pilot still has backup
navigation that will automatically attempt to provide your position. This power is also present in the Pro Line Fusion equipment.
With ADS-B requirements rapidly approaching, operators of all aircraft are evaluating their upgrade options. One of the selling points of the Pro Line Fusion upgrade program is the new system includes WAAS (not installed in all Pro Line 21 aircraft) and ADS-B Out. Owners can upgrade to the latest avionics and become ADS-B out compliant at the same time.
At one time, Cessna offered an upgrade on the CJ2+, also a Pro Line 21 platform, to the Garmin 3000. To date Cessna has only installed one system in a CJ2+ and does not have currently have upgrade path for the CJ3’s to the latest Garmin system, unless the owner purchases a new CJ3+.
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