Ongoing software integration problems are forcing at least two airframe manufacturers into the unenviable position of having to stretch aircraft certification schedules to give Honeywell engineers time to troubleshoot a variety of technical issues that are manifesting themselves in the Primus Epic avionics system.
In development for the past seven years, Primus Epic is the all-glass integrated avionics platform selected by manufacturers for a number of emerging aircraft programs, including the Dassault Falcon 900EX with Primus Epic EASy avionics and the fly-by-wire Embraer 170 regional jet, both of which will be delayed by several months to accommodate needed software changes and additional flight testing, according to the manufacturers. Other in-development aircraft that fly with Primus Epic are the Gulfstream G550, Bell/Agusta AB139, Cessna Citation Sovereign and Raytheon Hawker Horizon.