Genesys Aerosystems is well into the STC process for the new S-Tec 5000 Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) autopilot, which was introduced at the EAA AirVenture show in July. The autopilot received TSO approval in July, and the next big step for Genesys is the STC for the Citation 501 and 550 models, which will be the company’s first such approval for a Part 25 jet.

Here at its NBAA 2017 booth (C13212), Genesys is highlight the new autopilot as well as its IDU-680 EFIS displays.

Genesys expects to receive the STC for the S-Tec 5000 in June 2018. “The Part 25 STC cycle is much longer than [that for] Part 23,” said Jamie Luster, Genesys Aerosystems director of sales and marketing. “This is a completely new autopilot, from the ground up, certified to DO-178B Level A software.”

The S-Tec 5000 brings to the Part 25 market features that haven’t been available as retrofits, specifically envelope protection and level recovery capabilities with a straight-and-level button. “We’ve talked to a lot of pilots,” she said, “and it’s clear that these types of features are regarded as ‘must-haves’ for this category of aircraft—especially in higher-workload, single-pilot applications.” Later, Genesys plans to add automatic descent capability for pressurization emergencies.

The three-axis S-Tec 5000 offers altitude preselect, IAS hold, compatibility with RVSM avionics, flight director, precision approach and missed approach (go-around mode), GPSS, course intercept, all-new servos and more, all for $125,000. All-axis trim is an option.

In the Citation 501 and 550 STC, the S-Tec 5000 flight control computer is panel-mounted, because some of those jets have a mixture of analog gauges, older EFIS displays and sometimes modern equipment. “We want to be able to install it in any model [of these jets],” Luster explained. Genesys is also developing remote-mount flight control computers that would interface with modern avionics displays. The company is working with some OEMs that are considering adopting the S-Tec 5000 autopilot, she added.

The S-Tec 5000 offers a retrofit autopilot option in a market where there aren’t many products that are affordable or even available, she said. For older airplanes with autopilots, those “are becoming obsolete or expensive to maintain,” Luster said. “For slightly more than the cost to repair an old autopilot, I can install a new autopilot with a new warranty.”

So far, Genesys has tested the S-Tec 5000 in its Beech Baron and in a CASA 212 and Dornier 228. “It’s gone very well,” she said. “It’s very smooth, and when you capture an altitude it doesn’t fly through and then jerk you back down, which is nice in a large aircraft. You don’t have to [manually] slow down the rate of climb.”

After the Citations are STC'd, Genesys plans to certify the S-Tec 5000 in the Beech 1900D twin turboprop, then other aircraft. “We’ll start looking for more partners to determine which ones to pursue next,” she said. “The autopilot could be fitted to any size business jet. It’s just a market we’ve seen neglected for retrofit autopilots. Since we are the autopilot people, we want to make sure we help address that. Plus it gives owners a cost-effective way to upgrade the avionics without having to append a full cockpit redesign.”

For the more than 400 Genesys dealers, the S-Tec 5000 opens up new opportunities for retrofit sales, especially in the Part 25 market, Luster said.