Originally Posted by
AxialFlow
But are the EFIS tubes in the 1900s, King Airs, and 737s the same model number of what's in the Saab? Not sure if it adds up either...not sure why Collins wouldn't want to still support a product that could potentially make them $$$ ? But then again, maybe it doesn't make financial "cents" for them to support it? Just spit balling...
Originally Posted by
Cruz5350
King Air/1900 is EFIS 84 Saab 340 and I think the EMB 120 is the EFIS 86 I believe. Highly doubt there will be no more support for the EFIS 86. If they do decide to drop the support someone else will pick up the slack in the private market and make a profit on it. The only thing that really fails on these are the CRT tubes and the associated power supplies for them. CRT may become harder to come by but a retrofit will hardly cost 2 million an airplane. Take a look at Sandel's retrofits and you will see that it will hardly cost a quarter of that much.
IF the 340 and 120 have the same EFIS and they are the only ones, consider this...
(per Wikipedia) There are some 530 Saabs and Brasillias total. Assuming an EFIS lifespan of, say, five years, and two per plane, that means about 210 replaced each year. Is that enough to sustain support and manufacturing? Only Collins would know, but it does seem to be a pretty small number to me.
In the end, I'll believe they are gone when I get displaced.