There’s a good reason for the new-car smell of the Merlin Simulation Pro Series Sikorsky 300C (nee Schweizer 300C) advanced aviation training device (AATD) the company is demonstrating at Heli-Expo. The device received FAA approval at the beginning of this month and the one here was just built. The unit used for approval is already with flight-training school Rotors of the Rockies in Colorado. Three more are on order.

Merlin’s Pro Series AATDs are reconfigurable. The 300C, for example, can be easily converted to a Robinson R22/R44. Standard features include a 180-degree field-of-view visual system, a global visual and navigation database, simulated Garmin 530 GPS/nav/com and a user-friendly instructor station.

According to Ken Zimmerman, president of Boulder, Colo.-based Merlin Simulation, the AATD (Static Display No. 3) can easily be set up in an office or on a truck. Setup takes about four hours on-site. The show price is $130,000, which does not include shipping.