Garmin announced new products for the general aviation market at EAA AirVenture yesterday, including the GNC 355 GPS/comm.

Designed for Class I and Class II aircraft (6,000 pounds mtow or less) and the experimental category, the GNC 355 fits between the new GPS 175 and the GNX 375 units in the product line-up. It adds the communications radio to the navigator found in the GPS 175, offering localizer performance with vertical (LPV) approach capability. Garmin expects the GNC to earn its supplemental type certificate next month and become available for shipping and installation.

It has the standard 6.25-inch by 2-inch size so it will fit easily into most panels. The user interface has been optimized for the GNC 355 screen size, and it retains Garmin’s menu structure from similar navigators and comm radios, including one-touch access on the touch screen, so the transition should be easy for pilots.

According to Garmin Carl Wolf v-p of aviation sales and marketing, “The GNC 355 gives value-minded customers a simple upgrade path to a GPS navigator with a number of capabilities including WAAS/LPV approach guidance, wireless connectivity, a modern comm radio, and, with its standard mark-width form factor, pilots can easily add the GNC 355 without overhauling the panel of their aircraft.”

The GNC 355 is priced at $6,995; the European version with additional frequency spacing capability costs $7,695.