Technology from Albuquerque's BendixKing, a subsidiary of manufacturing giant Honeywell, will be used on a new electric aircraft that boasts a range of 440 nautical miles.
The deal represents an opportunity in electric flight operations for Honeywell and BendixKing, which provides electronics for flight display, navigation and communication solutions. As part of an agreement, BendixKing's AeroVue Touch system will be integrated into the flight deck for the Alice — an electric commuter airplane from Seattle-based electric aviation company Eviation.
The AeroVue display uses technology that can create three-dimensional renderings of upcoming terrain. It also has a "fly-by-wire" system from Honeywell, a fully electronic, automated flight control system that replaces manual controls with an electronic interface, doing away with hydraulics.
“Pilots are looking for cockpit technologies that are both sophisticated and easy to use. The addition of our AeroVue Touch flight display and fly-by-wire technologies to Alice provides just that,” Tom Neumann, president of BendixKing's customer business team, said in a statement.
The Eviation Alice aircraft is one several concepts for an electric aircraft, which are gaining momentum in aviation as different models of all-electric planes take flight.
The first test flight of the Alice is reportedly set to occur this year, according to Bloomberg. The 56-foot aircraft is designed as a commuter plane with room for nine passengers and a cruise speed of more than 250 miles per hour.
In addition to producing no carbon emissions, Eviation contends that the aircraft's electric propulsion leads to reduced noise and vibration. The Clermont Group in Singapore, which took a 70% stake in the company in 2019, is the majority owner.
As of 2019, Eviation still needed $500 million before serial production could begin, Bloomberg reported.
