5 August 2007Mid-Continent Instruments 4300 Lifesaver® Gyro selected by Piper AircraftWICHITA, Kan. — Mid-Continent Instruments 4300 Lifesaver® Electric Attitude Gyro was selected as the standby gyro indicator on the newly announced Piper Malibu Matrix Aircraft. The 4300 Gyro with battery backup and several other Mid-Continent products have been used on all recent Piper models. “We are extremely happy that the Lifesaver Gyro was selected for the new Malibu Matrix,” said Tom Genovese, sales manager for Mid-Continent Instruments. “The 4300 is a very reliable gyro that is perfect for a mission critical aircraft like the Matrix.” The 4300 Lifesaver Gyro is unique in that it has a self-contained battery that provides approximately one hour of emergency power to the attitude indicator if the aircraft experiences a electrical interruption. “This is a great safety enhancement that allows the pilot to focus on other critical flight decisions,” stated Genovese. If aircraft power is restored, the 4300 battery will recharge during flight. The popularity of this indicator is definitely growing with more than ten aircraft manufacturers using it as standard equipment and an increase in aftermarket usage in panel retrofits. The mean time between failures (MTBF) is estimated to be 7,500 hours. The lifespan of this instrument is two to three times greater than that of other available electric attitude indicators. “With the high MTBF, the cost of ownership is about half of what other attitude indicators cost,” explained Genovese. Mid-Continent Instruments manufactures aircraft instruments for the general aviation industry. Services at the Wichita, Kansas facility also include developing and manufacturing new avionics products. Mid-Continent Instruments West in Van Nuys, California provides new instrument sales and is the top-rated instrument overhaul shop on the west coast. Together the locations employ more than 150 people and offer the largest general aviation instrument overhaul/exchange program in the world. Specialties include gyro, altimeter, HSI and autopilot system overhauls. Mid-Continent instruments are found in all new Cessna airplanes and in Raytheon’s Beech line of Bonanzas, Barons, King Airs and 1900 Airliners. Instruments are sold to other manufacturers such as GARMIN International, Honeywell, Cirrus, Lancair, Piper Aircraft Inc., Diamond and Robinson Helicopter Co.
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