Mid-Continent Instruments Offers TAWS/EGWPS Control Unit

 in Response to  FAA Mandate 

WICHITA, Kansas USA   ¾  When the FAA’s Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS) mandate goes into effect in March 2005, Mid-Continent plans to be part of the compliance solution for Class A, B and C operators.  “This mandate affects us because it affects our customers,” said Bill Barnes, Design Engineer.  “Our customers fly aircraft from piston singles to business jets and helicopters.  Mid-Continent is able to provide annunciation products for a majority of these applications.  We want to raise awareness so they can avoid the last minute rush they had with the ELT mandate in 2003 which forced people to ground their aircraft because they missed the deadline.”

One of many versions available, the company’s MD41-1208 Terrain Awareness Control Unit (TACU) is designed to place annunciation and mode selection for the Honeywell KGP-560 GPWS Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS) within the pilot’s direct field-of-view.  “Pilots want to keep the most critical instruments right in front of them.  Our reliability is well known and we are approved by the leading names in the industry, Honeywell, Goodrich/L3 and Sandel,” said Barnes. 

The MD41 Terrain Awareness Control Units (TACU) provide more options than ever before, while fulfilling the mandate’s requirements.  The unit provides primary or secondary annunciations from TAWS or EGPWS (Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System) as well as tactile feedback to the pilot through internally-lighted push buttons. 

All annunciators are LED to provide years of service life and reliability.  Automatic photocell dimming is standard and annunciators have remote test capability. 

All units meet the RTCA/DO-160D environmental specifications (certified to 55,000 feet), and were recently upgraded from Parts Manufacturers Approved (PMA) certification to Technical Standard Order (TSO) certification.  Engineered to be easily mounted in the instrument panel, the TACU MD 41 Series is designed to work with Honeywell, Goodrich/L3 and Sandel systems and includes versions with 28, 14 and 5-volt lighting options, and vertical or horizontal mounting configurations.  A quality Mil-Spec mating connector and installation manual are included with each unit.

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.