Advent Aerospace from Rye, N.H., is working on the preparation of two supplemental type certificates (STCs) that will see its patented anti-skid brake system (ABS) become available for the Pilatus PC-12 and Beechcraft King Air 200/300. The ABS is already standard on the Eclipse EA550 and available as an STC retrofit for the EA500.
Advent (Booth 1895) developed the system primarily to bring anti-skid technology to the under-20,000-pound-mtow sector, both for new projects and for existing aircraft. The system is intended for aircraft without powered brakes, although Advent is also developing a brake-by-wire system for power-braked aircraft.
In terms of enhanced safety the benefits of ABS are obvious, offering better directional control and shorter stopping distances on both clear and contaminated runways. The system can reduce operating costs through reduced tire damage, and it eliminates flat-spotting caused by aggressive braking, which can often lead to a tire change.
Advent hopes to have the King Air 200/300 STC in place before the end of the year. The system has been designed to take into account the aircraft’s twin-wheel layout, and the components and drawings are all complete. The company is currently negotiating for a test aircraft so that FAA certification can be completed. Installation of the system takes about two weeks, and would most likely be performed during routine overhauls or combined with other upgrades. Pricing has yet to be publicized, but one of the key drivers for Advent is that it is an affordable system.
Following on from the King Air, Advent hopes to get its STC for the Pilatus PC-12 some time in the first half of next year. The company is to fit the first installation in an aircraft from PC-12 specialist Finnoff Aviation. Advent is also involved in developing ABS systems for the T-6C and T-38 military trainers, and a number of other civilian types are obvious candidates, such as the King Air C90 and Cessna Conquest II. The only requirement for the ABS modification is the installation of a Waas-enabled GPS, as provided through avionics systems, such as Garmin’s G1000 and the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21.
