Gulfstream Aerospace Enhanced Vision System II certified for G150 use

Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), recently received certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use the second-generation Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS II) on the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150. The system is available for both new and in-service G150 aircraft.

The Gulfstream EVS II generates actual, real-time images of the aircraft's surroundings using an infrared camera mounted in the nose of the aircraft. The system dramatically increases situational awareness at night and during low-visibility daylight conditions by allowing pilots to see terrain, runways, taxiways and approaches that are undetectable by unaided sight.

Images from EVS II appear on the G150's 12-by-10-inch LCD Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) and are easily selectable through the G150 Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 menu system. Using the signature Gulfstream Cursor Control Devices (CCDs), both the pilot and co-pilot can turn EVS II on or off, adjust the display brightness and contrast, and enable EVS window heat to prevent ice formation on the exterior window.

Developed in cooperation with Kollsman Inc., EVS II is 22 pounds lighter, has four times the computational power and features four times the memory of the original EVS, which the FAA certified on the Gulfstream GV aircraft on Sept. 14, 2001. The FAA certified EVS II for installation on large-cabin Gulfstream aircraft in late 2007.

Today, more than 450 Gulfstream aircraft operate with EVS.

"The addition of the optional EVS II to the G150 enhances what is already the most technologically advanced cockpit in the mid-sized aircraft market," said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream Aerospace.