The Spartan C-27J in its new configuration - featuring totally new avionics, new control panels in the cockpit and LED lighting system - made its first flight yesterday at the Turin-Caselle plant of Leonardo's Aircraft Division.
Lucio Valerio Cioffi, Head of the Aircraft Division, said: "The new operators will benefit from modern avionics, lower operating costs and better performance, maintaining the same unit price. The main advantages of the new configuration consist in full compliance with new civil regulations and military requirements, and in mitigating the risk of obsolescence of on-board systems ".
The new avionic system of the C-27J is designed to meet the most modern navigation and civil air traffic control requirements, with a predisposition to SESAR and NextGen standards, and is equipped with a TCAS II 7.1 (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) . It also includes several modernization measures, including a new flight management system (FMS) with navigation capabilities and the RNP (Required Navigation Performances) and LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance) approach. The IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) military identification system has been updated to the latest standard. Numerous and important on-board systems have been replaced with more performing or up-to-date models: new cockpit displays, new weather radar, new radio navigation equipment, even more advanced satellite communication systems and new radio communications, new intercommunication system and new panels in the cockpit and in the cargo compartment, in addition to a modern LED lighting system. In addition, Leonardo's Avionics and Space Systems division has provided new interface systems between avionics and general systems.
The new configuration is also offered as a retrofit to existing customers who want to modernize their C-27J fleet and increase its effectiveness.
The C-27J Spartan has already been ordered by the Air Forces of Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, United States, Mexico, Australia, Peru, Kenya, Morocco, Chad and a further African country for a total of 85 planes.
