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Mid-Continent Instruments Announces New Remote Gyro Companion for Sandel Avionics' Popular SN3308 EHSI

Mid-Continent and Sandel Work Together to Resolve Gyro Shortages and Deliver Complete Packaged EHSI/Gyro Solution

LONG BEACH, CA -- October 21, 2000 -- Sandel Avionics, an innovator in advanced cockpit display technologies for commercial, business and general aviation, and Mid-Continent Instruments, a leading supplier of instrumentation for general aviation, today jointly announced the new Mid-Continent 4305-100 remote directional gyro. The Mid-Continent 4305-100 together with the Sandel SN3308 electronic HSI will be offered by the two companies as a complete packaged solution for aircraft owners that do not have an existing HSI and remote gyro. Heavy demand for Sandel's popular SN3308 resulted in lead times of up to 20 weeks for remote gyros and prompted the need for an additional manufacturing source. The two companies made their announcement at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Annual Exposition in Long Beach, CA.

"We studied the current market and found that suppliers of remote DG's were quoting increasing prices and substantially longer lead times than a year ago," said Todd Winter, President of Mid-Continent Instruments. "This helped in our decision to introduce a lower cost, more readily-available solution for customers who have had difficulty in obtaining remote gyros."

The Mid-Continent 4305-100 gyro is approved under TSO-C5c and provides the basic heading stabilization for the SN3308 electronic HSI / moving map. In addition to directional output, it provides a built-in solid state 400 Hz inverter signal for flux gate excitation. A number of orders have already been booked for shipment and the company is accepting new orders for delivery in the first quarter of 2001.

"Availability of the new Mid-Continent gyro is a fabulous development since it will help resolve the shortage of new gyros caused in part by the popularity of the SN3308," said Gerry Block, president and CEO of Sandel Avionics. "We are pleased to be working closely with Mid-Continent Instruments as they are a great company, and we look forward to making this instrument combination the standard EHSI/gyro package for our customers."

The Sandel SN3308 ColorMap HSI is the only EHSI that fits in the three-inch panel cutouts found in most general aviation aircraft. It is a TSO and STC-approved full-color primary navigation display that serves as an HSI, RMI, moving map and Stormscope© display. The SN3308's patent-pending three-inch edge-to-edge display technology provides a practical screen viewing area that equals larger and more expensive four-inch multi-function and EFIS displays.

About Mid-Continent Instrument Company

Mid-Continent Instrument Company is a market-leading supplier of instrumentation to general aviation and corporate airframe manufacturers in the U.S. Products range from gyros, engine and pressure gauges, to GPS course deviation indicators and annunciator units. The company has an established international product support network and runs one of the largest overhaul instrument exchange programs for general aviation businesses. Located in Wichita, Kansas, Mid-Continent Instruments has served the aviation industry for over 33 years.

About Sandel Avionics

Sandel Avionics is an industry leader in the development and support of advanced cockpit display systems for commercial, business and general aviation. According to a recent industry AEA survey, the Sandel SN3308 enjoys a market share of approximately 50 percent in the HSI and 90 percent in the EFIS product categories, making Sandel the dominant supplier of these products. Sandel's new ST3400 Class A TAWS / RMI is less expensive, easier to use and faster to install than other Class A terrain awareness and warning systems.

Sandel's network of authorized avionics dealers provides installation and maintenance services for the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Pacific Rim and much of the developed world. Sandel Avionics is a member and supporter of the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Regional Airline Association (RAA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Founded in 1996 and privately held, the company maintains a modern engineering and manufacturing facility in Vista, Calif., near San Diego. For more information dial 1-760-727-4900 or visit www.sandel.com.

Sandel, SN3308, ColorMap and ST3400 are trademarks of Sandel Avionics. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.