Thales begins flight test campaign for FlytX avionics suite

Defense Aviation News September 2021 aerospace air force industry
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The latest generation FlytX avionics suite made its first test flight on board a Cabri helicopter this summer. The test campaign will continue until 2022 to test and optimise the suite's functionality.

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Thales begins flight test campaign for FlytX avionics suite 02 FlytX avionics suite for helicopters (Picture source: Thales)

Adaptable to all segments of the helicopter market for both new programs (linefit) and retrofit projects, FlytX is available in a cockpit equipped with one to four screens. The Thales avionics suite has already been selected by Airbus Helicopters and the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to equip the Guépard, the future light joint helicopter, as well as by VR-Technologies for the future single-turbine light helicopter, VRT500.

Thales begins flight test campaign for FlytX avionics suite 03 The FlytX avionics suite will equip the future H160M Guépard, the military version of the H160 from Airbus Helicopters. Here, a full-size mockup of the New Guepard AH-160M Joint Forces Light Helicopter at Paris Air Show 2019, International Aerospace and Aviation defense exhibition in France. June 18, 2019 (Picture source: Air Recognition)

Thales pilots and engineers are capitalising on the flight tests of the single-screen version of FlytX in order to make short-loop adjustments to improve the performance and maturity of the system before its integration on these first customer programmes. The VRT500 flight tests scheduled for early 2022 will benefit from the progress made following these flights on Cabri.

The result of more than ten years of research, FlytX has been designed to improve the operational efficiency of the crew by reducing their workload and facilitating their understanding of the environment and the situation. It features a crew-centric design, is natively connected and cyber-secure, and promotes cooperation with other actors in the aviation ecosystem. It is compact and offers a 40% reduction in weight, size and energy consumption compared to current avionics suites.

Thales begins flight test campaign for FlytX avionics suite 01 The latest generation FlytX avionics suite made its first test flight on board a Cabri helicopter this summer (Picture source: Thales)