Commercial

EASA, FAA Certificate TAWS Mode 5 Alerting for Q400

By Staff Writer | April 11, 2017
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GE20Captial20Q40020NextGenThe Blue Avionics BA-440 Router/Filter has been certified to provide terrain awareness warning system (TAWS) Mode 5 alerting during localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approach and required navigation performance approach using the existing enhanced ground proximity warning system. Blue Avionics said that FAA and EASA initial certification is on the Bombardier Q400.

As the launch customer, airBaltic plans to install the BA-440s together with the Universal Avionics UNS-1Ew satellite-based augmentation system flight management system.

“The BA-440 has salvaged our E-GEN project we perform in cooperation with European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency,” said Aleksandrs Vorobjovs, avionics engineer for airBaltic. “The project aim is to equip our turboprop fleet with modern, LPV capable FMS, but we had come to a dead-end with the TAWS Mode 5 Alert requirement until the BA-440 Router/Filter stepped on the stage. As the flight test shows, the system works well.”

The Blue Avionics solution detects and combines the LPV data from the [satellite-based augmentation system flight management system] with the general-purpose bus to [enhanced ground proximity warning system] while in LPV mode, the company said. The combination allows operators to have TAWS Mode 5 Glideslope alerting to meet AC20-138C requirements. The router/filter is configurable and adaptable with high integrity DO-178B DAL B software. It can perform several functions, including ADS-B monitoring.

The initial certification was achieved by Canard Aerospace.

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