Astronautics Corporation of America’s Badger Pro+ is the integrated flight display system for the Bell BasiX-Pro Glass Cockpit Retrofit Kit.
Bell’s newest upgrade solution recently received supplemental type certificate approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for Bell 412EP helicopters with PT6T-3D engine types.
The Bell BasiX-Pro Glass Cockpit Retrofit Kit with Astronautics’ Badger Pro+ display system will upgrade 412EP legacy helicopters from analog instrumentation to full-glass cockpits.
The 412EP retrofit kit is offered by Bell Aeronautical Accessories and installed by Bell’s global completion centers of excellence.
The Badger Pro+ system consists of four 6-inch x 8-inch high-resolution, smart displays providing primary flight, navigation, and engine data, along with a control panel and an engine data acquisition unit.
Astronautics’ Badger displays have proven dependability with hundreds of fielded units and over a million hours of flight time.
“Astronautics is pleased to enable Bell’s ongoing mission of improving performance, reliability, and supportability for their medium-sized helicopter customers with our Badger Pro+ system,” said Eyton Zelazo, Astronautics’ director of displays and cockpit integration.
“The Bell BasiX-Pro Glass Cockpit Retrofit Kit will provide Bell 412EP operators with modern flight-deck technology to improve situational awareness and decrease pilot workload, while also offering the same look and feel of a new production Bell 412 cockpit.”
Key highlights of the Badger Pro+ integrated flight display system, as part of the BasiX-ProGlass Cockpit Retrofit Kit for the Bell 412EP, include:
- Common display unit hardware with new production medium-sized platforms (SUBARU Bell 412EPX and Bell 429), simplifying maintenance and pilot training for mixed fleets.
- Aircraft parameter, chip, and exceedance recording for 70-plus hours of data, useful for maintenance tracking and planning.
- Full-screen presentation of external video with pan feature.
- Multiple high-definition digital video inputs (no conversion to analog).
- Weather radar / HTAWS displayed in both full and arc HSI formats.
- Route mapping with five levels of declutter.
- Two-second power-up time (not just in-flight recovery).
- Non-ITAR night vision goggle compatible.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Astronautics.
