Elbit Systems of America’s Kollsman Commercial Aviation unit is celebrating delivery of its 1,000th infrared enhanced vision system (EVS), which went to Gulfstream Aerospace. Pres Henne, Gulfstream senior v-p for engineering and test programs, accepted a plaque commemorating the event from Roy Gentry, Kollsman Commercial Aviation vice president.

Gentry announced that flight testing of the second generation EVS II system is in progress on a Boeing 777 and that certification flight test on a new Kollsman head-up display (HUD) for the Bombardier Challenger 604 is about to commence. EVS symbology projected onto a HUD from what Kollsman calls an “enhanced flight vision system” can make it possible to achieve FAA landing credits for lowered approach minima. 

Leslie Smith, manager of the FAA flight technologies and procedures division, told a Sunday press briefing that EVS is an integral element of NextGen development, moving toward a goal of using enhanced flight vision systems beyond granting landing credits for low visibility operations to approving them all the way to landing and surface movement guidance. Commented on the latter, Smith said, “The hardest part is not the landing but getting from the runway to the gate.”

Gentry said Kollsman is working to design an EVS III, but declined to state design goals beyond saying, “We’re pushing the envelope, looking at higher resolution [imagery] for better fog penetration. Gentry added that the Merrimack, N.H.-based operation is gaining growing acceptance for its lower-cost GAViS EVS on both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. While EVS I and II for airliners and large business jets use cryogenically cooled infrared cameras, GAViS is based upon a smaller, lighter uncooled infrared sensor in a single LRU. Gentry said Kollsman engineers are looking to develop a GAViS camera that is three to four times more sensitive than that now in use.