Universal Cockpit Display vs. Honeywell EPIC

[His dudeness]

Hi @ll,
need information on either Universal Cockpit Display or the Charts displaying option for the Honeywell EPIC.

Is there anyone out there with experiences on the UCD ?
How is working with it, readabilty etc ?

We consider buying the 2 computer, 2 CD drive option with 2 additional displays...on the other hand the aircraft is Honeywell EPIC equipped and will be fittable with a new option which would give us the opportunity to see the maps on a PFD...no information on the web available AFAIK.

Does anyone know something about it ?

[Flight_Cru]

I prefer the EPIC as it is a better display....and you should have a aircraft symbol, on all scaled charts, great for taxi, and not bad for approach SA.

Cru

[His dudeness]

Flight Cru, Mike Jenvey, the aircraft concerned is a Citation Sovereign and up to this date, this EPIC installation wasn´t available with the JeppCharts. Now I was informed that we could purchase it for a new Sovereign that I was asked to equip.
I can´t find any information on what the Sovereign Map installation will contain (one drive or two etc), we would like to operate a paperless cockpit, so the dual UCD would be definetaly a way to go...
The only EPIC Jeppview thing you can see is in the honeywell brochure for the Gulfstreams - and you can´t see if the aircraft symbol will be visible on the maps...I´m kind of reluctant of spending a 100.000 USD for a system I don´t know...
Still I havent operated the UCD as well, but I have seen it for about 10 Minutes - it has all the Maps but is not connected to FMS position AFAIK.

So anybody out there in the know ?

(just for info: we asked Cessna or info but for the time no avail...)

[flown-it]

The Honeywell planeview on the G550 is fantastic. The jep 10-9 and all approach charts are geo -ref so the A/c symbol is a real time position ref. Accessing the chart is slightly cumbersome with Gulfstreams' CCD. The Falcon suit is basically the same but with more drop down menues and is thus probably more suited to other aircraft.

[Itswindyout]

-on the next software update the Jepps system will be available. Even on the new KA350, it will be possible to update.
The Plane view sstem on the 550 is very very good. I do have one problem and that is when you need 4 or 5 pages for an approach and landing, and taxi, if a G/A needed, then the system does get slightly overloaded, but basically it is 101% great.
Beats the EFB otion by 100x.

windy

[His dudeness]

itswindyout, thanks for asking Citation...still nobody can tell me WHAT exactly the sovereign installation is able to do...
KA350 is Collins Proline21, isn´t it? CJ´s can have that on the Proline, to...

[His dudeness]

Got some Info by Cessna now.
A/C Symbol will be on the maps, all JeppView mapping material.
Maps are available to.

Question for the EPIC experienced guys here:
Cessna states that there is a function called "Uplinked weather", apparently Winddata, Satellite images for cloud cover and NEXRAD Radar data can be displayed...does this work in Europe to ?

Addional Q: How is the coverage of datalink via VHF in Europe / eastern Europe?
I guess via SATCOM it gets really expensive...

[His dudeness]

thanks Mike....

[refplus20]

Think you'll find on the G550 with Cert 'C' and Cert 'C'2 the weather charts option is not greyed out and are available worldwide, but they cost to receive. AFIS coverage in Europe, Mid East etc. is good and virtually VHF everywhere.