Barco secures avionics deal for ATR regional airliner

Avionics display provider Barco has achieved a new success with its control display unit on the civil aviation market. The company announced today that its CDMS-3000 display has been selected for the future ATR-42 and ATR-72 regional passenger aircraft. The next generation ATR cockpits will be equipped with a brand-new Thales TopDeck avionics suite, each including two Barco CDMS-3000 units.

"We are very proud to have been selected for this forward-fit cockpit project," commented Yves Vanhauwaert, General Manager of Barco's avionics business. "It is a recognition of our leading avionics display offering, as well as our unique position in the industry as an independent display provider."

"Barco CDMS-3000 control display units are valued by the industry for their flexibility and excellent performance in general and their high-grade optical performance in particular. Integrated into the flexible Thales TopDeck flight deck, our units will bring the best of today's avionics display technology to the ATR-42 and ART-72 cockpits," Vanhauwaert continued.

The CDMS-3000 is the successor of Barco's widely-used CDMS series. Featuring the latest display technology, it combines excellent sunlight-readability with compact dimensions, low weight and optimum energy efficiency. The CDMS-3000 comes as a complete, ETSO-C113 certified product line, including both civil and military-oriented versions. A variety of keyboard sizes is available to enable form-fit-function compatibility with existing units.

Barco's CDMS-3000 displays will take off aboard the recently-introduced ATR-42-600 and ATR-72-600 aircraft. This 600-series builds upon the proven advantages of the existing ATR aircraft, but includes new Pratt & Whitney engines, a new TopDeck glass cockpit, and LED lighting in the cabin. The aircraft are designed and manufactured by 'Avions de Transport Regional', which is a joint venture company between EADS and Finmeccanica / Alenia Aeronautica. At the moment, ATR airliners are in service with 140 operators in 80 countries.