TopDeck ready for duty aboard Sikorsky S-76D
The new TopDeck avionics suite from Thales is set to enter service in about a year on board Sikorsky’s new S-76D, which is due to complete certification in

The new TopDeck avionics suite from Thales is set to enter service in about a year on board Sikorsky’s new S-76D, which is due to complete certification in the early part of 2011. But you can see live demonstrations of the integrated system by Sikorsky pilots here at the company’s Heli-Expo exhibit (Booth No. 4536).

“We are the first European company to equip a U.S. helicopter with a glass cockpit and we are very proud of that,” said Yves Joannic, head of Thales helicopter avionics activities. The France-based group is supplying a complete cockpit suite for the S-76D, including the flight management system and the autopilot, which has already been tested as part of the flight test program that is gathering pace throughout 2010. Thales (Booth No. 4231) also is responsible for integrating the engine and vehicle management systems.