CarpenterDev Announces Wireless AirData System
Seattle, Washington (PRWEB) September 24, 2013 -- CarpenterDev, LLC announced today that the FAA Seattle Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) has recently issued the company a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its Aircraft Device Cradle that is approved for all models of Cessna 172, Cessna 182, Piper PA-28 and Piper PA-32 airplanes - models which make up the bulk of the general aviation fleet. Furthermore, the FAA Seattle Manufacturing Inspection District Office (MIDO) has issued CarpenterDev Part Manufacturer Approval (PMA) to produce the cradles. The ACO has also approved an amendment to the cradle STC that provides a streamlined approval process for the electronic devices the cradle is designed to hold.
The Aircraft Device Cradle, patent pending, is a silicone rubber part that adhesively attaches to airplane wingtips for holding a variety of portable wireless electronic devices, that communicate using Bluetooth® technology with custom apps running on Apple's iPad®, Android® devices, or on portable Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS).
The cradle is the certified center-piece of the Wireless AirData System the company will begin producing in partnership with manufacturers of existing hand-held equipment and software developers.
The electronic devices the cradle holds will include true air data sensors for differential air pressure, air temperature and barometric pressure. This allows for enhanced pilot safety by providing low-cost instrumentation for airspeed, density altitude and angle-of-attack. Most general aviation airplanes only have a single airspeed indicator, and very few provide density altitude and angle-of-attack instruments. Until now, the addition of these types of safety instruments was expensive, often costing several thousand dollars. But, with the Aircraft Device Cradle and its Wireless AirData System, pilots can add backup airspeed capabilities, and the other instruments at a much lower cost. Several different product bundles will be offered.
Company President, Bob Carpenter, a pilot himself, says "By bringing the Wireless AirData System to market, pilot safety will improve by putting important instrumentation within financial reach of more owners and pilots. Plus, older airplanes, many of which do not have wingtip strobes for example, can now be fitted with them to improve day and night visual awareness". He sees the Wireless AirData System as being a standard adopted by device manufacturers that want to bring true air data sensing capabilities to the portable devices that pilots now rely on. He also envisons the cradle being adopted for devices such as video cameras, vibration sensors, and attitude sensors, among others. Since the devices that fit in the cradle are meant to be removed between flights, there's a likely market for pilots that want to purchase, or possibly rent, devices for temporary use, such as cameras that they control with iPad or Android apps. It's up to the vendors that partner with CarpenterDev to come up with innovative cradle devices - now that there's an easy way to fit certified airplanes with new technology.
The Aircraft Device Cradle, the Wireless AirData System, and supporting iPad, Android and EFIS applications are expected to start being available in Q1 of 2014.
CarpenterDev welcomes inquires regarding product purchases, co-marketing partnerships, and/or technology licensing.
For more information:
CarpenterDev, LLC
800 Fifth Avenue - #101-312
Seattle, WA 98104-3102
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Bob Carpenter, CarpenterDev, LLC, http://carpenterdev.com/cradle.html, (888) 509-4698, [email protected]
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