WITH AN AGGRESSIVE NEW LEADERSHIP GROUP AND A MORE “RETAIL-LIKE” APPROACH TO THE EXPANSION OF ITS AVIONICS PRODUCT LINE, BENDIXKING HAS TAKEN THOSE FIRST IMPORTANT STEPS TO REESTABLISHING ITSELF AT THE TOP OF THE AVIONICS INDUSTRY HIERARCHY.
BENDIXKING
Taking aim at General Aviation avionics market STORY BY – Dale Smith Source: AVIONICS NEWS October 2019
When Bendix Avionics acquired King Radio back in the mid-1980s, the new company, BendixKing, was proclaimed as the next ruler of the vast general aviation avionics realm. During its reign, hardly a piston, turboprop or light jet was built in Wichita, Independence, Kerrville or Ve-ro Beach without a Bendix radar or piece of Silver or Gold Crown avionics in its panel. And the villagers throughout Olathe, Kansas, rejoiced. Then, on a spring day in 2004, it all changed. Diamond Aircraft introduced the Garmin G1000 glass panel in its DA40. Seemingly just that fast, six-
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packs and center stacks were out, and alldigital, integrated panels were in. Before BendixKing or any other avionics OEM could respond, Garmin swept in and captured the vast majority of new aircraft avionics production.
BendixKing is partnering with Avidyne to rebrand its popular IFD touchscreen navigators as the BendixKing AeroNav series.
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For the past several years, BendixKing, now as part of Honeywell, has made its way as a niche avionics manufacturer concentrating on its unparalleled expertise with airborne weather radar and supplying repairs and replacements for the thousands of King radios flying around the world.