Since Luma Technologies received approval for its Lumatech LED caution/warning panels for Beechcraft King Air 200, 300, 350 and 1900D models, the company has been receiving significant interest in the product. The panels hold supplemental type certificate/parts manufacturer approval certification.

Many King Air operators are opting for the Garmin G1000 avionics upgrade, and that company has fitted Lumatech panels in its own King Air 350 demonstrator. “[That] hasn’t hurt us a bit,” said Luma president Bruce Maxwell. “We’re very proud of their confidence in us.” Lumatech panels can also be used with other avionics types or as stand-alone installations.

Compared with traditional “press-to-lamp” incandescent warning panels, the Lumatech LED displays offer greatly increased operational life and much improved lighting. They also generate very little heat. The Lumatech family comprises six sizes of panels that can be dropped into the dashboard in place of traditional units. Installation takes around three hours and requires no flight-testing.

Lumatech panels have recently been certified on the Beechcraft Hawker 400XPR upgrade to the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 flight deck. Hawker upgrade competitor Nextant has chosen a Lumatech 15-station panel for its new 400XTi, in addition to a Lumatech 60-station panel.

In the immediate future, Luma Technologies (Booth 1949) is working on extending the Lumatech panels to the King Air C90 and then to the Cessna Caravan and Bell 206 JetRanger. Next year the company aims to launch panels for the Cessna Citation series, older Dassault Falcons, more helicopters and two regional transport types.