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uAvionix Buys MFD Developer AeroVonics

Purchase adds the cockpit display business to uAvionix’s portfolio.

uAvionix, already famous for its low-cost, easy-to-install ADS-B Out solutions for GA aircraft like the skyBeacon and tailBeacon said Monday they’ve acquired AeroVonics, an Albuquerque, New Mexico, startup created by Jeff Bethels, co-founder of Aspen Avionics. Bethel’s AeroVonics builds both the AV-20 multi-function display and the AV-30 multi-function attitude indicator.

The uAvionix AV-20 and AV-30 bring new meaning to the phrase multi-function. Calling them a Swiss army knife of cockpit retrofit equipment might be more appropriate. The customizable AV-20 can act as a probeless angle of attack indicator, a G-meter, an attitude indicator, a skid/slip indicator, a clock, an outside air temperature gauge, a bus voltage display, a count-up or count-down timer, an engine-run timer, a flight timer, a density altitude display, a true-airspeed display or as an audio alerter for a number of other cockpit warnings. All options are selectable in flight. The AV-20, certified under provisions of the FAA’s non-required safety-enhancing equipment (NORSEE), fits into a standard two-inch panel cutout that keeps installation time to a minimum.

The purchase of AeroVonics also brought the AV-30, a new multi-function attitude indicator. The AV-30 will function as a primary attitude indicator, a horizontal situation indicator (HSI), a slip indicator, a vertical speed indicator, a GPS navigation data overlay display, or a G-meter. The AV-30 fits into a standard three-inch panel cutout. uAvionix COO Ryan Braun told Flying, “The AV-30 is undergoing approval for a PMA STC. That approval is expected to be completed before the end of 2019, with sales beginning in the first quarter of 2020.”

Braun explained the purchase of AeroVonics adding, “We have lots of uses for AeroVonics inertial technology. Their AHRS is really best in class, so the synergy of this purchase is perfect for the products we already create.” AeroVonics builds the pilot facing technology and “uAvionix builds the sensors like ADS-B IN, GPS and transponders that will interface with their equipment. It’s a beautiful fit.” Braun spoke to what he called the incredible richness of the AeroVonics displays that can “replicate almost any vintage instrument on the panel and won’t demand huge cuts in the panel. People are also going to be pulling out old vacuum systems to replace them with electronic versions like this because of the ease of installation.” He said installing either the AV-20 or the AV-30 should require no more than two to three hours of labor. uAvionix says the AV-20 costs less than $1,000 and the AV-30 just under $2,000, not including installation.

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