Textron Aviation is now offering a portable, carry-on head-up display from a Maryland company called Epic Optix for single-engine piston Cessna and Beechcraft models. Priced at $2,000, the product is being billed as the first ever full-color HUD for light general aviation airplanes.
Textron Aviation is showcasing the Epic Eagle HUD in its Cessna 182 demonstrator at its static display during this week’s Sun ‘n Fun show in Lakeland, Florida. The manufacturer said the product is available for sale now through Textron Aviation’s parts website.
Ray Bracy, vice president of sales and marketing for Epic Optix, said Textron Aviation chose to offer the product in its piston airplane line after several months of evaluation. The Epic Eagle is a portable HUD designed for light aircraft to “minimize distractions by equipping pilots with flight and navigation information” on a full-color high-definition display. It is powered through ship power and receives data via Wi-Fi from a pilot’s iPad or mobile tablet. The Epic Eagle can work with both iOS devices and Android devices.
For the last six months, Banyan Pilot Shop has been the exclusive retail dealer of the HUD, which does not require an STC or incur any installation costs. The Epic Eagle HUD is also available for demonstrations at Banyan’s Sun ‘n Fun booth.
Eagle was designed to Airplay or Screen Mirror the data displayed from a mobile device. The Epic Optix says the HUD can work with any type of EFB software applications including Avidyne IFD100, Foreflight, WingXPro, Garmin Pilot, Appareo Horizons for Stratus and others.
“We are delighted to be a supplier to Textron and look forward to working with them to bring this product to many customers and aircraft owners,” said Ray Kwong, CEO of Epic Optix. “We are also engaged with a number of other partner companies and are excited to see the eco-system changing to accept and utilize this exciting and affordable device.”
