Barco mission displays selected for 'Panther' helicopter upgrade

Avionics specialist Barco has won an important contract from helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter to deliver high-performance mission displays for use aboard the AS 565 ‘Panther' helicopter. The contract is part of an upgrade program that will gear up the AS 565 fleet of the French Navy with an advanced mission display solution, presenting a new level of situational awareness in the cockpit.

After a thorough analysis, Barco's MDU-268 Mission Displays Unit proved to be the best choice for this project because of its excellent optical performance under all conditions along with its flexibility towards FLIR cameras, daylight video cameras, moving maps, computer information and radar data. Another important plus was the easy customizability of the display to fit perfectly into the AS 565 flight deck. Furthermore, Eurocopter's choice was prompted by their positive experience with Barco's avionics displays under earlier projects, including the ‘Tiger' and the ‘Super Puma' platforms.

The MDU-268s that will be installed in the Panther are 6x8 inch avionics-grade displays derived from Barco's field-proven CHDD family. The displays feature both a digital video input and various analog video inputs. Equipped with the latest, sunlight-readable AMLCD technology, they deliver excellent brightness and contrast values, as well as a wide viewing angle of 80° in all directions, allowing the units to be used in portrait as well as landscape mode. The use of advanced electronics has resulted in a very compact footprint and low power consumption, which ensures easy integration into most cockpit or cabin environments. The units are qualified per DO-160E for the harshest environment as such that can be found on helicopters.

Aboard the multi-role AS 565 Panther helicopters of the French Naval Forces, the MDU-268 displays will serve as state-of-the-art cockpit display for a multitude of mission applications. Compatible with daylight video cameras as well as the latest NVIS technology, they will improve situational awareness for pilots and crew both at night and during the day.

Deliveries of the MDU-268 displays are ongoing.

About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Barco (Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with about 3600 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of euro 747 million in 2007.