GFC™ 600 Now Available for King Air C90 & E90

Garmin is pleased to announce that the highly-anticipated GFC 600 retrofit autopilot program for the King Air C90 and E90 has been completed. Featuring advanced servos that deliver superior self-monitoring capabilities, exceptional in-flight performance and reduced maintenance requirements when compared to older generation autopilot systems, the GFC 600 autopilot kits for the King Air C90/E90 models are now available for order.

Modern Servos, Upgraded

Utilized in many aircraft with the GFC 700 autopilot, the C90/E90 kits incorporate the higher-powered, more robust GSA 80 and 81 autopilot servos. These servos were designed to handle the increased torque and performance requirements vital for these larger, faster, and more powerful types of aircraft. The GSA 80/81 servos utilize similar technology to the GSA 87, and are hardened to operate in harsh high-altitude environments. All C90 and E90 installations include four servos, providing pitch, roll, yaw, and pitch-trim control.

More Capabilities, Additional Potential

In addition to traditional autopilot capabilities such as altitude hold, vertical speed and heading modes, the GFC 600 also includes the following:

• Built-in GPS roll steering capability which eliminates the need for external roll steering converters and allows for smoother navigation tracking when installed with a compatible navigator.
• Level Mode button which automatically engages the autopilot to restore the aircraft to straight and level flight.
• An intuitive built-in control wheel in the mode controller, which provides convenient adjustment of aircraft pitch, airspeed and vertical speed modes.
• Underspeed protection, which provides a low speed buffer to help prevent the pilot from stalling the aircraft.
• Overspeed protection, which helps prevent the pilot from exceeding aircraft maximum speed (VNE).
• Flight Director command bars that can be displayed on a variety of flight displays, such as the G600 TXi and select third-party flight displays.
• Pilots can fly coupled go-arounds during missed approach sequencing. A remotely-installed go-around button commands the Flight Director to display the appropriate pitch attitude required for the missed approach procedure and activates a loaded missed approach when paired with the GTN™ 750Xi/650Xi or GTN 750/650 navigators.
• Control wheel steering is available, which allows the pilot to adjust pitch, roll, altitude hold, vertical speed or airspeed references by using the control yoke while the autopilot is engaged.

Safety-Enhancing Features, Standard

Garmin Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP™) is a standard feature with the GFC 600 and works to assist the pilot in maintaining the aircraft in a stable flight condition. ESP functions independently of the autopilot and works in the background to help pilots avoid inadvertent flight attitudes or bank angles and provide airspeed protection while the pilot is hand-flying the aircraft.

Intended for high-performance aircraft that have a wide range of aircraft speed and performance characteristics, GFC 600 incorporates solid-state attitude and robust self-monitoring capabilities to provide superior autopilot performance, greater reliability and potential safety benefits.

Take a Virtual Tour

Watch this video for a better look at the Garmin-equipped King Air C90 with TXi Flight Displays, GTN Xi Navigator, and GFC 600 autopilot.