01 Avionics January 2012.pdf

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January 2012

ROTOR BROWNOUT Technologies, Systems for DVEs

SLOW ASCENT Retrofi ts to Buoy BizAv in 2012

January 2012January 2012

Product FocusCOCKPIT SWITCHES

DIG_2ND_AVS_0112_Cover_p01.indd 1 1/5/12 3:16:49 PM

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magazine

www.avionicstoday.com January 2012 Avionics Magazine 3

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E-Letters Review of top developments

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A New Vision: Next Generation Synthetic Vision

Systems

Internet at 30,000 Feet: In-Flight Connectivity Trends

and Technologies

Global Partnerships in Avionics Development

Engineering

UAS Civil Airspace Integration: Progress and

Challenges

Slow Ascent .................................... 18

Business aviation market hopes the new year will mark

the beginning of its slow trek back to the pre-recession

boom times. by James W. Ramsey

Through Sand and Fog ....................26

U.S. military looks for specific systems to improve

situational awareness for landing in degraded visual

environments (DVE). by Robert W. Moorman

business/ga

military

26

Pro Line Fusion features an intuitive touch-screen interface and a compact head-up display that lets pilots of light to midsize aircraft y head-up and eyes-forward while simplifying their ight experience. And because its Ascend-enabled, pilots have access to a global information network that helps them get to their destinations more efciently. Only from one company. Learn more at rockwellcollins.com/prolinefusion.

2012 Rockwell Collins, Inc. All rights reserved.

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4 Avionics Magazine January 2012 www.avionicstoday.com

also in this issue

Editors Note

NextGen Troubled? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Safety: Fran Fiorino

FAA Safety Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Perspectives: Stphane Demers

Regulating NVIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Departments

Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

New Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Cockpit Switches ............................ 34

The proliferation of touchscreen display technologies

is changing the role of traditional push-button and

rotary switches in the cockpit. by Ed McKenna

product focus

Cover: Cessna added to its Citation family, introducing the

Citation M2 light business jet in September.

Photo courtesy Cessna

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editors noteb y E m i l y F e l i z

NextGen Troubled?

FAAs multibillion-dollar Next Generation Air Trans-

portation System (NextGen) has had its share of set-

backs in the last few months. From the departure of

the FAAs top official to numerous government reports

questioning the status of implementation, the news hasnt

been good.

Last month, Administrator Randy Babbitt resigned follow-

ing an arrest for drunk driving, replaced by Deputy Adminis-

trator Michael Huerta. Babbitt had worked to convince the

aviation community that the NextGen investment was worth

it. Huerta, who was confirmed as deputy administrator in

2010, was tapped by Babbitt to be the head of the newly

created NextGen office with FAA.

Together, we are setting the strategic direction for Next-

Gen and continuing to raise NextGens profile within the FAA

and within the aviation community. While much of NextGen

involves the air traffic control function, it also involves much

more than that and needs the involvement and focus of every

FAA office going forward, Huerta told a House subcommit-

tee in October.

But Babbitts departure was just the latest in a series of

setbacks for NextGen. (Some mainstream media outlets have

gone so far as to call the program troubled and stalled.)

In November, the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-

Broadcast (ADS-B) Aviation Rulemaking Committee, formed

in 2010 at the request of FAA to provide a user forum to

define ADS-B implementation strategy, issued a set of rec-

ommendations. The report, in part, said, there is no busi-

ness case for operators to equip for ADS-B In. The business

case, of course, is a big sticking point for the industry, as

it waits to see the tangible benefits of the system to justify

the millions of dollars needed to equip their aircraft. While

many ADS-B In applications show significant promise, addi-

tional development and analysis is required before opera-

tors can justify investment or implementation decisions,

according to the report.

Stakeholders

Ive come in

contact with say

it is essential that

NextGen is

implemented;

its not hyperbolic

to say the future

of our nation

depends on it.


Another government report hit on another of the NextGen implemen-

tation hurdles global harmonization, particularly with our neighbors

across the Atlantic. In a report issued in November, the Government

Accountability Office (GAO) said FAA is not doing a sufficient job to articu-

late the work it is doing with Europe and its Single European Sky (SESAR)

in terms of integrating the two airspace modernization projects. FAAs

efforts toward interoperability generally mirror effective collaborative prac-

tices, but mitigating stakeholder skepticism about NextGen/SESAR ben-

efits will nevertheless be a challenge, according to the GAO.

All of this bad ink is on top of concern about the operation and viability

of one of the foundational programs of NextGen En Route Moderniza-

tion (ERAM), which will replace existing flight-data system hardware and

software at 20 Air Route Traffic Control Centers. ERAM system has been

troubled by software problems at its initial operating site, Salt Lake City.

The projected $2.1 billion program now faces a schedule slip of three

to six years. GAO said delays in implementing ERAM are projected to

increase costs by $330 million, as well as an estimated $7 million to $10

million per month in additional costs to continue maintaining the system

that ERAM was meant to replace. Delays in ERAM cannot be understat-

ed, in my opinion, because so many other NextGen programs, including

ADS-B, rely on ERAM to be up and running. ERAM is also pivotal to the

on-time implementation of two other key NextGen programs Data Com-

munications and System Wide Information Management (SWIM). In part

due to ERAMs delay, FAA pushed the Data Communications programs

start date to February 2012; will revise the original SWIM-segment 1 cost

and schedule plan; and delayed the SWIM-segment 2 start date from 2010

to December 2012.

These technological and program snafus do not even address the bud-

getary concerns rolling around on Capital Hill.

So is NextGen troubled? Perhaps. But that may be just semantics.

Stakeholders Ive come in contact with say it is essential that NextGen is

implemented; its not hyperbolic to say the future of our nation depends

on it. So as we turn the page on another calendar year, I would propose

taking the NextGen lessons learned from 2011, roll up our sleeves, dig in

and make NextGen a reality.

industry scan


AIA: Sluggish Economy, Defense Cuts to Hit Aerospace Industry

Despite a

sluggish

overall

economy

and major

cuts loom-

ing in the

defense

sector, the U.S. aerospace

industry saw its eighth

straight year of growth in

2011, with annual sales of

$218 billion, according to

the Aerospace Industries

Associations (AIA) year-

end forecast and review.

However, 2012 is expected

to bring changes.

The forecast, issued on

Dec. 14, projected civil

aircraft sales of $49.7 bil-

lion in 2011, an increase

of 3.2 percent. For 2012

and beyond, AIA sees

sales growing 3.4 per-

cent a year during the

2011-2012. However,

cuts to the U.S. defense

budget, economic uncer-

tainity and the budgetary

questions in Washington

will stymie growth in the

coming years, according

to the report. Rising com-

mercial aircraft sales (up

7.5 percent year-over-year

through September 2011)

could offset the downward

pressure from cuts in U.S

defense spending and

may spur the commercial

aviation sector to increase

capital spending on new

equipment, according to

the report.

Annual sales are going

to be up across the board

in 2011, AIA President

and CEO Marion Blakey

told a Washington, D.C.,

audience. But in 2012 we

expect things to begin to

change.

The forecast for mili-

tary spending looks less

rosy, according to the

report. U.S. military sales

increased 6.7 percent in

2011, with sales estimated

at $66.51 billion. While

2011 was a strong year for

military aircraft, domestic

purchases are expected to

decline in the coming years

due to federal deficit reduc-

tion measures, AIA said.

The sluggish global

economy and the uncer-

tainty created by the cur-

rent budget process in

Washington are hitting the

aerospace industry, the

association said. We need

a resolution, Blakey said.

Our only option for 2012

is to keep fighting. That

means new rallies, more

outreach and ongoing

efforts to educate policy-

makers and stakeholders

across the country about

the disastrous conse-

quences of gutting the U.S.

defense and aerospace

industry.

Orders for civil aircraft

are seen jumping 23

percent to $107 billion

in 2011, boosted by the

aging U.S. regional fleet,

growing demand for fuel

efficient aircraft and the

introduction of new air-

craft. The order book hit

a recent high of $224 bil-

lion in 2007. (The low was

just $23 billion in 2009.) In

2011, the U.S. aerospace

industry contributed $87

billion in export sales to

the U.S. economy, up 12

percent, after falling dur-

ing the two previous years.

The industrys positive

trade balance of $57.4 bil-

lion is the largest trade sur-

plus of any manufacturing

industry, according to AIA.

Additionally, growing

demand for air travel in the

coming years will boost

interest in new aircraft. By

2029, the worlds airlines

will take delivery of 29,000

commercial aircraft with a

total value of $3.2 trillion,


Marion Blakey


COMMERCIAL

Babbitt Resigns

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt resigned

on Dec. 6, following an arrest in Fairfax,

Va., for drunk driving.

FAA Deputy Administra-

tion Michael Huerta will

serve as interim adminis-

trator. According to some

reports, Huerta will likely

remain in the post until next

year, with President Obama

seeking to avoid a possible

nomination fight before the

Nov. 6 presidential election.

In his role as deputy admin-

istrator, Huerta was oversee-

ing FAAs multi-billion dollar

NextGen air traffic control

modernization program.

Serving as FAA Admin-

istrator has been an abso-

lute honor and the highlight

of my professional career.

But I am unwilling to let

anything cast a shadow on

the outstanding work done

24 hours a day, 7 days a

week by my colleagues at

the FAA, Babbitt said in a

statement on Dec. 6.

Huerta, who was con-

firmed as deputy admin-

istrator in 2010, in recent

months was tapped by

Babbitt to be the head of the newly cre-

ated NextGen office with FAA.

Previously, he served as managing

director of the 2002 Olympic Winter

Games in Salt Lake City and president

of the Transportation Solutions Group at

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industry scan


Astronics Buys Ballard

Astronics Corp., based in East Aurora, N.Y., paid $24 million to acquire privately held Ballard Technol-ogy, an Everett, Wash.-based manufacturer of avionics interface systems for defense and commer-cial aerospace applications, the company announced late November.

An additional purchase consideration of up to $5.5 million may be paid by Astronics if Ballard achieves certain revenue growth targets during each of the next five years, according to Astronics.

Founded in 1986, Ballard is projecting 2011 annual revenue of about $11 million, achieving a compound annual growth rate during the previous three years of more than 20 percent. The companys product line includes commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) avionics databus interfaces and embedded computers. Its products cover all industry-standard protocols including Mil-Std-1553, ARINC 429/708/717/664, AFDX, Ethernet, CSDB, serial, discrete and others.

Astronics manufactures lighting, electrical power and automated test systems for the global aerospace and defense industries. In October, the company was selected to supply illuminated instrument panels for the Cessnas Citation M2, Citation TEN and Corvalis TTX aircraft as well as exterior lighting for the Citation M2 and Citation TEN. Other recent contract announcements include providing equipment for the Nextant 400, HondaJet, Piper Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft, the U.S. Air Force and Iberia Airlines.

The acquisition of Ballard advances our strategy to develop and maintain positions of techni-cal leadership while diversifying the products and technologies we currently offer to our targeted aerospace and defense customers. Like us, Ballard provides highly engineered products and has built a brand based on quality, service and innovative designs. We believe that the business has solid growth potential and our capabilities will complement their efforts. In addition, Ballard is a solidly profitable business. Our acquisition price is roughly six times projected 2011 income before tax, and we expect the acquisition to be accretive in 2012, said Peter J. Gundermann, president and CEO of Astronics.

Affiliated Computer Services.

We are a very large, very complex

operating organization and we have a

big technological challenge in front of

us. Thats my background, implementing

large technology systems for transporta-

tion organizations, Huerta told Avionics

Magazine last year.

The resignation of Babbitt comes at a

critical time for NextGen as the agency

faces a budget crunch and technology

implementation roadblocks for the Next-

Gen modernization project.

ARC: No ADS-B In Mandate

There is not a positive business case for

commercial or general aviation opera-

tors to equip their aircraft for automatic

dependent surveillance-broadcast

(ADS-B) In applications, according to

a report from the ADS-B Aviation Rule-

making Committee (ARC).

The ARC on Nov. 17 submitted a list of

recommendations to the FAA, including

no ADS-B In equipage mandate, incentive

voluntary ADS-B In equipage and the con-

tinuation of ADS-B In demonstration

industry scan


projects. U.S. operators are required to

equip their aircraft for ADS-B Out by 2020.

While many ADS-B In applications

show significant promise, additional

developments and analysis are required

before operators can justify investment

or implementation decisions, according

to the report.

Additionally, the ARC recommended

FAA develop an integrated communica-

tions, navigation and surveillance (CNS)

roadmap to help industry better under-

standing future capabilities benefits

and investments. The roadmap should

include a phased transition path to what

will be available in 15 to 20 years; the

avionics integration required for the dif-

ferent systems; known plans for mandat-

ing avionics equipment; bundled avion-

ics upgrades with a goal that operators

only have to upgrade every five to seven

years; and appropriate benefit-cost justi-

fication for each phase.

The ARC finds the FAA should devel-

op clearly defined regulations, certifica-

tions and detailed specification for the

ADS-B In applications to provide accept-

able levels of uncertainty and risk,


The ADS-B In ARC was formed in 2010

to recommend a plan for incorporating

ADS-B In.


NextGen-SESAR Report

FAA is generally working with its Euro-

pean counterparts to modernize the

airspace, but needs to do a better job

of disseminating information about the

interoperability of FAAs NextGen sys-

tem and Europes Single

European Sky Air Traffic

Management Research

(SESAR) program, accord-

ing to a U.S. Government

Accountability Office

(GAO) report released in

November.

Specifically, the report

suggests FAA provide

more information about

a March 2011 memoran-

dum of cooperation (MOC)

establishing a formal col-

laborative structure for

NextGen and SESAR

between FAA and Euro-

pean Union. The MOC

defines roles and responsi-

bilities, leverages resourc-

es and provides monitor-

ing and evaluating results.

Some U.S. and European

stakeholders are skeptical

these benefits will ever be

realized.

With the 2011 MOCs

signing, FAA has an oppor-

tunity to include in its pub-

lic documents the details

of the MOCs structure for collabora-

tion and governance. Such information

could reduce skepticism on both sides

of the Atlantic about realizing the future

benefits of NextGen and SESAR, and in

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industry scan


turn, reduce airlines hesitancy to equip

with NextGens advanced technologies,


Space-Based ADS-B

FAA is looking for vendors to provide the

space surveillance capability for auto-

matic dependent surveillance-broadcast

(ADS-B) in oceanic and remote moun-

tainous regions starting in 2018.

FAA issued a market survey Nov. 22,

looking to augment the ground-based

portion of ADS-B.

As part of FAAs ADS-B NextGen pro-

gram, the Surveillance and Broadcast

Services Office is considering enhancing

ADS-B service to include surveillance

in oceanic and remote mountainous air-

space and other airspace as required

currently outside the detection limits

of land-based surveillance equipment

(non-radar airspace), thereby increasing

safety and efficiency and reducing sepa-

ration minima, according to the notice.

Air China Trials Gogo

Gogo reached an agreement to provide a

trial of its wireless in-flight entertainment

equipment on Air China, the company

said in November. The first live trial on a

commercial flight was conducted Nov. 15

on a Boeing 737 en route from Beijing to

Chengdu. Live trials are expected to con-

tinue through the first quarter of 2012.

We are excited to bring Gogos wire-

less in-flight entertainment system to Air

China and look forward to working with

them on providing affordable entertain-

ment options to their passengers, said

Michael Small, Gogos president and

CEO. As the first international air carrier

to offer Gogos in-flight entertainment

equipment, this represents a significant

milestone for Gogo and for Air China.

In November, Air China became the

first airline to obtain an in-flight Wi-Fi ser-

vice license from the General Administra-

tion of Civil Aviation.

Gogo has a proven track record of

providing wireless solutions to the avia-

tion industry and currently is the only

company to have a wireless IFE solution

in market and available to consumers,

said Zhang Yang, Air China assistant

president. We look forward to working

with them as we become the first Chi-

nese air carrier to leverage their equip-

ment to bring a wireless entertainment

option to our passengers.

MILITARY

Flight Tests on CONECT

Boeing completed flight testing needed

for the B-52 Combat Network Communi-

cations Technology (CONECT) program

to receive low rate initial production

(LRIP) authorization from the U.S. Air

Force, the company said in December.

The flight test program was conducted

at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., by

Boeing and the Air Force.

Completion of the LRIP flight test

phase means CONECT is ready to

be reviewed by our customer for ini-


tial production authorization, said

Scot Oathout, B-52 program director.

CONECT increases B-52 operational

effectiveness by providing improved

mission flexibility, increased situational

awareness and new network-centric

capabilities. In addition, CONECT paves

the way for easier integration of future

upgrades.

Milestone C authorization for low-

rate initial production is expected in

mid-2012.

The CONECT modification provides

the ability to change a mission, as well

as change the target of a weapon, while

the B-52 is in flight. The system provides

increased situational awareness for B-52

crews by adding several communication

data links and full-color LCD displays

with real-time intelligence feeds overlaid

on moving maps, according to Boe-

ing. CONECT also enables future B-52

improvements with its onboard, high-

speed network.

UNMANNED SYSTEMS

Fire Scout Sensor Data

A Northrop Grumman-built Fire Scout

unmanned helicopter transmitted sensor

data to a cockpit display of a Navy MH-60

helicopter during an exercise earlier this

year, the company said in December.

Northrop Grumman said the demonstra-

tion, which took place Oct. 25 near Patux-

ent River Naval Air Station, Md., paves the

way for improving the speed at which field

commanders can make informed decisions

Sagem Patroller Tests

Sagem said Dec. 1 that its Patroller long-en-durance surveillance UAS completed a series of flight tests in France.

The tests, which took place at the Istres air force base in southern France from Sept. 19 to Oct. 21, qualified the aircrafts in-flight performance, including automated landings at a steep glide slope; integrated a new data link for taxiing, and a new, higher-performance imaging chain for target identification; and qualified new flight control functions support-ing degraded operating modes, as well as automated touchdowns in case of actuator or propulsion system failure.

Additionally, the redundant avionics suite also received authorization from French authorities to overfly densely populated zones in controlled airspace. The Patroller was also operated over the Mediterranean Sea to test operational maritime and coastal surveillance scenarios.

Sagem said it will be able to deliver a com-plete, fully operational Patroller system within 12 to 18 months.

Patroller is a medium-altitude, long-endur-ance (MALE) UAS in the 1-ton class, based on an EASA-certified aircraft. It capitalizes on technologies already developed by Sagem for the Sperwer Mk.II tactical drone, and field experience in Afghanistan. Patroller features a modular design, allowing it to carry differ-ent pod-mounted payloads, and offers flight endurance of 20 to more than 30 hours, at a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet.

industry scan


during military operations.

Fire Scout complements the Navys

manned helicopters by effectively extend-

ing the range and area of ship-based

intelligence gathering operations, said

George Vardoulakis, vice president for

tactical unmanned systems for Northrop

Grummans Aerospace Systems sector.

Until now, intelligence, surveillance and

reconnaissance data gathered by Fire

Scout has been sent to its host ship for

further dissemination. During the demon-

stration, crew members aboard a nearby

U.S. Coast Guard boat also viewed Fire

Scouts sensor data in real time using a

remote terminal.

Fire Scout features a modular archi-

tecture that accommodates a variety of

electro-optical, infrared and communica-

tions payloads. These payloads provide

ground- and ship-based commanders

with high levels of situational awareness

and precision targeting support.

CONTRACTS

The U.S. Army awarded Northrop Grumman two contractor logistics sup-

port contract modifications totaling $91.2

million for the MQ-5B Hunter program.

The cost-plus-fixed-fee interoper-

ability engineering change proposal and

the tactical common data link (TCDL)

RESET programs both have a period of

performance of 12 months. The TCDL

technology serves as a foundation of

establishing interoperability among

different U.S. Department of Defense

air vehicles and ground stations. The

MQ-5B Hunter, which is currently

deployed supporting contingency oper-

ations in Southwest Asia, is providing

the U.S. Army with intelligence, surveil-

lance and reconnaissance, and commu-

nications relay.

Elbit Systems of America was awarded a five-year, $38.5 million Indefi-

nite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract

by the Defense Logistics Agency-Ogden

for Reliability and Maintainability Elec-

tronic Module Assemblies for all U.S. Air

Force Block 30 and Block 50 F-16 Wide

Angle Conventional Head-Up Displays.

Lockheed Martin received two con-tracts totaling $30.6 million from the

Naval Surface Warfare Center for the Tar-

get Sight System (TSS), the fire control

system for the U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z

Cobra attack helicopter.

These contracts will provide spare

units and parts as well as program sup-

port for the AH-1Z fleet. The Naval Sur-

face Warfare Center awarded the initial

TSS production contract in March 2008

and follow-on production contracts in

June 2010 and September 2011. Lock-

heed Martin delivered the first TSS in

June 2009, and recently began early

delivery of follow-on production units.

Production is expected to continue


through 2018. TSS is produced at facili-

ties in Ocala and Orlando, Fla.

Cobhams HGA-7001 SATCOM high gain antenna subsystem has been

selected by Virgin Atlantic for the air-

lines Boeing 747 cabin upgrade program

to commence in 2012. Virgin Atlantic

will retrofit seven of its Boeing 747 air-

craft with the Cobham antenna, which

will enable Inmarsat SwiftBroadband

connectivity in the cockpit and cabin.

Cobhams antenna sub-system will be

retrofitted to the fleet of seven Boeing

747-400s through an independent Sup-

plemental Type Certificate.

ERA, based in the Czech Republic, was awarded the contract to supply its

Advanced Surface Movement Guidance

and Control System (A-SMGCS) system

to Heydar Aliyev international airport in

Azerbaijan. ERA will deliver a system

consisting of an Air Traffic Control system

fed by both surface movement radar and

MSS by ERA mulitalteration.

Northrop Grumman has been awarded an $8 million, four-year exten-

sion by the Royal Australian Air Force

(RAAF) to the existing support contract

for the LITENING AT system, used as the

RAAFs Target Designation System for

F/A-18 Hornet aircraft (HTDS).

Northrop Grummans LITENING AT

system is a self-contained, multisen-

sor weapon-aiming system that enables

fighter pilots to detect, identify, track

and designate targets for highly accurate

delivery of both conventional and preci-

sion-guided weapons.

U.K. airline Monarch Airlines selected Goodrichs SmartDisplay Electronic

Flight Bags (EFB) for its Airbus A300s,

A320s, A321s and A330s. Monarch has

completed initial installation of the sys-

tem on an A321 and conducted a suc-

cessful two-month in-service demonstra-

tion period. SmartDisplay EFBs will be

rolled-out across the airlines remaining

Airbus fleet with planned retrofit comple-

tion by the second quarter 2012. Goo-

drichs Sensors and Integrated Systems

team in Burnsville, Minn., is producing

the systems and performing integration

activities.

Boeing on Nov. 28 received a U.S. Navy contract to provide the first major

upgrades for the Royal Malaysian Air

Force (RMAF) fleet of eight F/A-18D Hor-

nets. The contract covers design, devel-

opment and installation of retrofit kits

that will provide enhanced navigation,

targeting and situational awareness. The

program includes GPS improvements; a

moving-map cockpit display; Identifica-

tion Friend or Foe Interrogation capabili-

ties; the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing

System; and maintenance and air crew

training for these systems.


business/ga

The large business market looks robust in 2012, while the

light-to-medium jet market is expected to be flat in the new year

By James W. Ramsey

The business aviation industry is bracing for what is forecast to be another

slower-than-expected year in 2012, as the national economy struggles to

come out of a recession. For the most part, airframe manufacturers are pre-

dicting flat or slightly higher deliveries in 2012 from 2011.

In recent down years, operators have been focused on increasing the capabilities

of their aircraft by upgrading current systems, rather than buying new aircraft and

2012 will be no exception. Indeed, expectations for 2012 from attendees at business

aviations biggest event, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) confer-

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Slow Ascent

Cessnas Citation Latitude mid-size busi-ness jet, introduced in October, has a full fuel payload of 1,000 pounds, a maximum cruise speed of 442 knots true airspeed and a range of 2,000 nautical miles.


ence and exhibition held in October, seemed to be guarded, at best.

In its annual forecast released at NBAA, Honeywell echoed this, forecasting esti-

mated deliveries of 600 to 650 new business jets in 2011, down 15 percent from 732

in 2010 due to continued slow global economic recovery. While 2012 deliveries are

expected to be below 700 airframes, they will be higher than last year, with the indus-

try positioned to begin another period of expansion.

The survey forecasts sales and delivery of $230 billion in new business jets in the

next 10 years, with buying plans in Asia and the Middle East a bright spot.

Sustainability is a concern due to the global economic slowdown, said Rob Wil-

son, president of Honeywells Business and General Aviation business unit. We noted

over the last two years that the timing of planned purchases in the five-year window

was heavily shifted in most regions to the post-2010 timeframe. That still remains the

case, with roughly 80 percent of planned purchases timed for 2013 or after.

Rockwell Collins senior marketing director for commercial systems, Joe Otto,

agreed, saying, you might see some production rates increase late in the year lead-

ing into 2013, but with deliveries for 2012 pretty level with 2011.

Gulfstream is optimistic about 2012, saying certification and flight test programs

Honeywell projects sales and delivery of $230 billion in new business jets in the next 10 years, with buy-ing plans in Asia and the Middle East a bright spot.

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for its G650 and G280 models are progressing. Were making a lot of airplanes in

Savannah, Pres Henne, Gulfstream senior vice president of programs, said during

the companys press conference at NBAA.

At the show, Gulfstream said it had an $18 billion backlog, which grew by more

than $400 million in the second quarter. The delivery window for most products is an

18-month to 24-month sweet spot, according to Gulfstream Aerospace president

Larry Flynn. G650 orders extend into 2017.

Businesses that were once regional are now global, Flynn said. And their lead-

ers need long-range transportation. They recognize Gulfstream as the leader in inter-

national markets and are the key drivers behind that growth.

Larger-Jet Market

With the growing need for longer-range international travel both by domestic and over-

seas customers, the market for larger corporate jets has remained strong. Gulfstream,

which unveiled its newest entry, the ultra-long-range G650 in 2010, moved closer to its

anticipated certification after completing tests of its fly-by-wire and other systems.

We expected to deliver the first 10 to12 green G650s into final-phase completions

The Gulfstream G280s PlaneView avionics suite, based on the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion system,

is on target to be certified during the first quarter of 2012.

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in 2011, with customer deliveries to begin in the second quarter of 2012, a Gulfstream

spokesperson said. The Savannah, Ga.-based manufacturers planned production

rates on the G650 for 2012, 2013 and 2014 are 17, 32 and 32, respectively, according

to a report from Jay Johnson, chairman and CEO of parent company General Dynam-

ics. There are some 200 orders for the aircraft extending to 2017.

On Nov. 18, the G650 received FAA provisional type certification (PTC), clearing the

way for the company to begin interior completions in preparation for customer deliver-

ies in the second quarter of 2012. The four G650 aircraft in the flight-test program have

flown more than 2,225 hours during more than 675 flights. More than 20 aircraft are in

various stages of initial or final phase production.

The G650 which features a Thales fly-by-wire flight control system has a

PlaneView II flight deck, Gulfstreams adaptation of the Honeywell Primus Epic avi-

onics system. The avionics suite features four 14-inch adaptive LCD displays, and a

synthetic vision-primary flight display. Gulfstream, which pioneered enhanced vision

systems (EVS) on business aircraft, has its EVS II system on the G650 in conjunction

with Rockwell Collins latest head-up-display (HUD). Rockwell Collins also provides

the pilot controls and trim actuation systems for the aircraft.


Primus Epic on the G650 includes triple FMS, radio/nav package, and Honey-

wells new-generation IntuVue 3-D weather radar that can be displayed on the

pilots MFD or PFD.

Gulfstream said a lot of progress has been made on its G280, the aircraft intro-

duced in 2008 as the G250. The company increased its range by 200 nautical miles,

allowing it to fly nonstop from London to New York. The G280 is conducting final

activities required for a type certificate from FAA and EASA.

The avionics certification is moving forward as well. The PlaneView avionics suite,

based on the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion system, was on target to be certified

on the G280 during the first quarter of 2012, Otto said.

The G280 features PlaneView avionics suite includes three 15-inch diagonal LCD

displays working in concert with the Gulfstream-designed multifunction controller.

It has dual flight management systems (FMS) with wide area augmentation/localizer

precision vertical and required navigation performance capabilities. It also includes

Rockwell Collins MultiScan weather radar and TSS-4100 traffic surveillance system

with automatic dependent surveillance broadcast capabilities. The Rockwell Collins

HGS-6250 digital LCD head-up guidance system (HUD II) is optional.

A similar Pro Line Fusion-based system, named Global Vision, is on the Bombardier

Gulfstream in October unveiled a new Elite Interior, an optional package featuring elements from the G650. The option is available for G550 and G450, Gulfstream said.

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Global 5000 and 6000 aircraft and has already been certified, with entry into service

expected in the next few months.

Light-to-Medium Jets

Outside of the larger Gulfstream-sized jets, the market has been slow to recover.

While Gulfstreams backlogs have grown, Cessna said its aircraft backlog shrank

by $400 million during the first six months of 2011. However, airframe and avionics

manufacturers see growth potential in this market, and are introducing new products

in hopes of capitalizing on some of it. Cessna CEO Scott Ernest characterized the

overall business aviation market as spotty but said the company would see a slight

uptick in deliveries in 2011 from 2010. The economy is what it is, said Mark Paoluc-

ci, head of sales at Cessna. We cant wait; our destiny is in our hands.

Return of the Eclipse

The Eclipse light business jet is back, this time in the form of the 550 offered by Eclipse Aerospace, based in Charleston, S.C.

In October, the company said the Eclipse 550, with a base price of $2.7 million, will have the same airframe and Pratt & Whitney engines of the original Eclipse 500, and will include enhanced avionics systems from Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S), of Exton, Pa.

Eclipse said it expects to make 50 to 100 per year with deliveries in 2013.Eclipse Aviation, founded in 1998, developed, manufactured and delivered about 250 Eclipse

500s before a lack of funding shutdown the company in 2008. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009 and was purchased by a group of investors, rebranded as Eclipse Aerospace. Last year, the company secured a minority stakeholder in Sikorsky Aircraft.

We expect a robust customer response based on the support weve received from current Eclipse owners, our suppliers and the aviation community in general. Ultimate production and production levels will be driven by overall market demand, and we couldnt be more excited or optimistic, said Mason Holland, CEO and chairman of Eclipse Aerospace.

IS&S is providing the electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) portion of the Eclipses integrated Avio FMS package. The IFMS received an FAA supplemental type certificate in March.

IS&S will provide a version of the glass panel Vantage Premier avionics suite that features two 10.4-inch displays on each side, plus a 15-inch center primary flight display (PFD), Ross Cairns, IS&S vice president of business development, commercial and general aviation, told Avionics Magazine.

Other avionics enhancements in the Eclipse 550 include expanded aircraft computer systems and integrated avionics package, which will now support features such as Synthetic Vision, En-hanced Vision, dual-mode FMS, TAWS, TCAS-1, ADS-B, on-board color radar, Radar Altimeter and iPad data entry integration.

Eclipse Aerospace said it will become the first in its industry to offer Auto-Throttles as an option for the Eclipse 550.


At NBAA, Cessna introduced the Citation Latitude mid-size business jet, positioned

between the Citation XLS+ and Citation Sovereign in Cessnas product line. With space

for a crew of two plus up to eight passengers, the Citation Latitude features Garmin

G5000 avionics and an 84-inch fuselage for a six-foot high, flat floor passenger cabin.

The Citation Latitude is a game-changer for the mid-size segment, offering the

payload, speed and range the market requires with an unmatched cabin experience at

this price point, said Brad Thress, senior vice president, Cessna Business Jets.

The Latitudes Garmin G5000 system includes three 14-inch LCD primary and mul-

tifunction displays and four touch-screen control panels. It includes an integrated

Flight Director/Autopilot and Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS). Among the

standard features are a pilot-vehicle touch-screen interface, TCAS II with Change 7.1,

Synthetic Vision Technology, electronic charts, Garmins SafeTaxi, a dual flight man-

agement system with WAAS LPV and RNP, solid-state weather radar with turbulence

detection and vertical scan capability, integrated terrain awareness and warning sys-

tem (TAWS), ADS-B Out and Link 2000+ data link. Options include satellite weather

and an ICAO Type 1A flight data recorder.

The Latitude was released only two weeks after the company introduced the Cita-

tion M2 light business jet, positioned between the Citation Mustang and the Citation

CJ family with room for two crew members and up to six passengers. The $4.2 mil-

lion jet has a range of 1,300 n.m. and can operate at airports with runways as short

as 3,250 feet.

Since M2 has been introduced, market response has been meeting expectations,

Brian Rohloff, Cessnas business leader for Mustang and M2 said. The first flight of

the M2 is expected in the first half of 2012 with FAA (Part 23) certification in the first

half of 2013, followed by deliveries in the latter part of the year.

The M2s cockpit design features Garmins G3000 avionics suite, featuring three

14.1-inch LCD primary and multifunction displays, and two infrared touchscreen

control panels. Using the touch-screen controls, the pilots can select just what they

want to be looking at on the display whether it be the weather radar, approach

charts or other information, and they can have it full screen or choose to move it to a

half screen and have the other half bring up another critical piece of information for

that phase of flight, said Ben Kowalski, director of aviation OEM sales and marketing

for Garmin in Olathe, Kan.

Rockwell Collins is bringing its Pro Line Fusion avionics system to the light-to


medium-range business jet market. The company recently unveiled a new configura-

tion of its latest Pro Line Fusion system, tailored for the light jet and turboprop market

segment. What we announced at NBAA is taking the Fusion software and putting

it into a hardware configuration that is scaled to the fuselage-size cockpit dimensions

and other things for light turboprop and mid-sized business jets, Otto said.

Hawker Beechcraft has selected the new Pro Line Fusion version to be a retrofit

offering to its King Air line and to be a replacement for the Pro Line 21 flight deck dis-

plays currently being delivered in that aircraft, Otto said. Certification of the new sys-

tem is planned for 2013.

The Pro Line Fusion system includes the displays, FMS, comm/nav surveillance

systems, safety situation awareness system, crew alerting, engine indication and Mul-

tiscan weather radar. Terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), synthetic vision

and the Head-Up display are options.

Rockwell Collins also announced a synthetic vision offering that will be available in

2012 as an add-on for Pro Line 21 system users. Pro Line 21 is currently in production

and being delivered for a number of aircraft from the Challenger 650 to the King Air.

Now with Fusion for the Global 5000 and 6000, and the Gulfstream 280 and other

platforms that will follow, we will start to transition out of Pro Line 21 into Pro Line

Fusion, Otto said.

Honeywell is also offering a new product for the smaller bizjet/turboprop market.

It has several new wins including on the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop and Viking

Twin Otter for the Primus APEX flight deck system, which is tailored after the Pri-

mus Epic platform, but is smaller with less redundancy, according to Honeywells

Snodgrass. Primus Epic is scalable from mid-size to air transport aircraft and cus-

tomers include the Augusta 139 helicopter and the Embraer 190/170 regional jets,

Otto added.

With some 3,000 Primus Epic systems currently flying on bizjets and on regional

carriers, Snodgrass described the platform as being solid.

We are not working on new platforms. For the next decade, we will be providing

mostly software upgrades with more functions, he said. For Primus Epic retrofits to

Primus Elite we can drop in new LCDs, add synthetic vision and graphical capability, and

still use the same wiring. Older cockpits require continual updates, Snodgrass said.

The HondaJet is expected to receive its scheduled certification in 2012, which has been

delayed by more than two years. Customer deliveries are expected to begin in 2013.


military

By Robert W. Moorman

Avionics manufacturers are responding to the U.S. militarys need for technolo-

gies and systems to protect pilots in degraded visual environments (DVE), such

as brownouts and whiteouts.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is particularly anxious to acquire

avionics systems that will assist military pilots in navigating through DVEs. Brown-

outs, whiteouts and other DVE events can causes spatial disorientation and loss of

situational awareness, which could bring the aircraft down.

According to the Army, 98 Class A and B DVE and controlled flight into terrain

(CFIT) accidents accounted for 104 fatalities and a loss of $930 million between fis-

cal year 2002 through fiscal year 2010. (Class A accidents are those that result in a

destroyed aircraft, more than $1 million in damage, fatality or permanent disability.

Class B accidents involve damage of $200,000 or more, but less than $1 million.)

DVEs caused by brownouts and whiteouts account for almost half of the U.S. Air

Force rotorcraft airframe losses and are the leading cause of airframe losses for the

Army, according to DoDs Aviation Safety Technologies Report, which covered crash

data from 1985 through 2005.

The need for the technology is there, but so far, avionics system developers have

yet to find a price and size point for a specific system for helicopters.

Two possible reasons could exist as to why the U.S. military has yet to acquire

specific avionics technology to reduce brownouts. One factor could be the ongo-

ing disagreement between DoD and the U.S. Army regarding the major cause of

non-combat related accidents. The Pentagon says Control Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

is the principal cause of these accidents, while the Army maintains that brownouts

Through Sand and FogU.S. military looks for specifi c systems to improve situational

awareness for landing in degraded visual environments


and other DVE elements is the culprit.

The Army is putting the final touches on a clarifying

study for Army operations that will say, in effect, flying

in degraded visual environments is the leading cause

of non-combat related accidents, said Layne Merritt,

assistant program executive officer for engineering

and technology at the U.S. Armys Program Execu-

tive Office.

The other factor: technology offered so far is lim-

ited. Were not talking simply about brownouts dur-

ing landings or takeoffs, Merritt said. Were talk-

ing about operating in any DVE where the pilots

visual acuity is degraded.

Consequently, we wouldnt want to invest, say $2

million per aircraft, for something that only solves 30 percent of your problem, Merritt

said. I dont think it is very feasible to expect that it will be implemented as is, on any

of our platforms.

Nevertheless, the Army, which operates approximately 3,800 rotorcraft, appears

ready to move from the research and development and testing phases to putting

together an acquisition strategy to acquire these systems that will include a multi-

sensor solution, Merritt said, adding that the Army plans to seek a materiel develop-

ment decision this fiscal year.

The Navy and Air Force are considering commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technol-

ogy to deal with DVE events, a DoD official said.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the DoD research arm,

h and Fog

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has been studying the development of advanced see-through, see-and-remember and

combination technologies for safe landings in DVEs. DARPAs Sandblaster program,

which ran from 2007 to 2009, included Sikorsky Aircraft, Honeywell and Sierra Nevada

Corp., involved a series of tests and demonstrations to develop a helicopter pilot per-

formance enhancement systems for landing in DVEs (Avionics, April 2010, pg. 20). In

Sandblaster, Sikorsky integrated its own point-in-space flight control software with a

Honeywell SLEEK (Sensor-driven Localized External Evidence Knowledge) terrain data-

base and Sierra Nevada radar. The fixed-azimuth radar could spot obstacles from 1,000

feet slant range to touch-down. The SLEEK processor overlaid return symbology on

Digital Terrain Elevation Data from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

While research on specific DVE coping technology continues, and some related

technology being fielded is helping reduce DVE events, aircraft continue to crash in

conditions of degraded visibility due to the pilots inability to discern obstacles, cables

or other aircraft during flight or while landing, according to the Program Overview of

DARPAs second research study on the matter published April 22, 2011. The message is

clear: researchers must continue to find ways to enhance the survivability of rotorcraft

through a multi-sensor solution. They also need to find ways to reduce the size, weight

and cost of the sensors and overall system, particularly now with the budget cutting

frenzy upon us.

Sandblaster 2.0

DARPA is beginning the second phase of the Sandblaster research project, called

Multifunction RF program, to find ways to reduce DVE-caused accidents. A flight

test demonstration program will be conducted in Albuquerque, N.M., at the conclu-

sion of the 18-month program, then full-scale development of the technology. Flight

tests are planned for fiscal year 2012, according to the DoD. The goal of the DARPA

Multifunction RF Program (MF RF) is to demonstrate a multifunction onboard sensor

to perform a variety of tasks that enhance the survivability of rotorcraft and also pro-

vide lethality improvements for combat missions. According to the DoD 2012 bud-

get request, the MFRF will look to develop lighter DVE systems and high-frequency

multifunction radar systems, and develop and test subsystem technologies for multi-

function RF waveforms and arrays.

In this follow-on program, DARPA and partners will try and develop a multifunction

sensor able to satisfy numerous tasks to enhance the survivability of rotorcraft. Surviv-

ability enhancements should include landing in brownout/whiteout conditions, cable

and obstacle avoidance, collision avoidance, terrain following, weather avoidance and

ground mapping.


Another Approach to Flying in DVE Conditions

The National Research Council Canada Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC Aerospace) has developed a unique automated control system for fly-by-wire (FBW) rotorcraft that could help pilots flying in degraded visual environment (DVE) conditions.

Higher levels of stability aug-mentation are needed in DVE con-ditions. NRC Aerospaces control system reduces the pilots work-load by automatically balancing the stability of the aircraft with the pilots demands for agil-ity and counter balancing the controls that stabilize the aircraft. The system also reduces the pilots tendency to over- maneuver the aircraft. In bad visibility, the pilots inputs are naturally more tentative and the aircraft responses are more stable and deliberate. In good conditions, by moving the controls more aggressively, the pilot gets a lower level of stability augmentation and can operate the aircraft more aggressively.

In effect, the control system acts as an independent controller of multiple input modes. NRCs system blends rotorcraft control response types so that the frequency of the pilots input determines the control response type applied. Such an approach allows the pilot to operate the aircraft more safely in any weather.

In scientific parlance, the optimum scenario for a rotorcraft in a degraded environment is where the speed is one integration away from the attitude, which is one integration away from the angular rate, said Stewart Baillie, director of the NRC Aerospace Flight Research Laboratory.

In good conditions, the pilot is able to predict the outcome of the three integrations and keep the aircraft position stable. In poor visibility, this is much more difficult, so we stabilize by raising his input from rate control to attitude or velocity control, thus reducing the number of integrations the pilot must estimate to stabilize the aircraft, Baillie said.

The initial research that led to the eventual development of the automatic control system occurred in the 1980s when NRC Aerospace worked with the U.S. Army on helicopter design requirements. The re-search took on more importance in the 1990s because of incidents and accidents of military rotorcraft that involved pilots wearing night vision goggles during operations in degraded environments.

Baillie said NRC Aerospace is seeking application partners for its control system with various OEMs. NRC Aerospace has held preliminary discussions with OEMs, but nothing firm on how to exploit this new technology, he said.

Until that occurs, NRC Aerospace will continue to demonstrate the capabilities of this new unique control technology for FBW rotorcraft manufacturers and operators using its Bell 412 research aircraft equipped with an experimental FBW system.

The Bell Boeing V-22 tilt-rotor, Sikorsky S-92 and the NHIndustries NH-90 are FBW rotorcraft in pro-duction that could benefit from the NRC Aerospace control system. But rotorcraft manufacturers and civil and military operators might be reluctant to invest in new technology that, for now, could have limited applications. Fuel savings and safety benefits from FBW could outweigh those concerns over time, Baillie said. Robert Moorman

The fly-by-wire system was tested at the NRC Flight Research Lab in Ottawa, Ontario, using the institutes Bell 412 Advanced Systems Research Aircraft.

Photo courtesy National Research Council Canada Institute for Aerospace Research


In recent years, DARPA has developed new component technology which may be

applied to solving this problem. Silicon technologies have been developed which

are operating at frequencies of more than 100 GHz and performing beam forming

functions. According to DARPA, this program goes beyond sensor development by

requiring a broad technical approach to demonstrating a multifunctional, software-

adaptable system architecture which will also provide for capability expansion in the

future without the addition of new hardware.

Honeywell, for its part, is looking at its role in the original Sandblaster program and

refining and adding capabilities to its baseline system separate from the MFRF program.

During the original Sandblaster program, Honeywell performed millimeter wave

sensor data integration within a synthetic vision environment to reduce pilot work-

load and restore situational awareness lost in a brownout, said Howard Wiebold,

advanced technology sales manager for Honeywell Aerospace.

In some circumstances the sensors would be linked to a low-light TV camera, or

millimeter wave radar, which transmits in the 94-gigahertz range. The overall plan is

to use several sensors placed strategically on the rotorcraft. The so-called sensor

agnostic system takes data from all sensors and fuses it to Honeywells synthetic

vision system (SVS) that was developed initially for business aircraft.

Following Sandblaster, improvements included integration of high-resolution ter-

rain data in the synthetic vision depiction in all phases of flight as well as the ability

to depict terrain, including wires. Honeywell said it has invested heavily in advancing

DVE technology, including simulated and actual DVE tests at the Armys Yuma Arizona

proving grounds.

It is likely that any future system will include multiple sensors to provide the pilot

with an integrated vision of the threat environment, whether that be sand, dust, snow,

sleet rain, fog or physical obstacles, Weibold said.

Additionally, Honeywell is developing an advanced lightweight compact sensor,

which is part of a Cable Warning, Obstacle Avoidance System. Data from the DARPA

programs is part of Honeywells product road mapping process. A product for mili-

tary application could be available within two to four years, Wiebold said.

Other companies are also developing technologies for DVE applications. BAE Sys-

temss Brownout Landing Aid System Technology (BLAST) uses off-the-shelf tech-

nology to help helicopter pilots see through obscurant conditions. BAE said it tested

the system during a two-week campaign in April 2011 at the Yuma Proving Grounds

in Arizona. Fitted on a Bell UH-1 Huey test-bed helicopter, the system demonstrated

real-time 3-D visual landing zone representation with overlaid flight symbology infor-

mation to a pilot in DVE conditions.


The system, which consists of a forward-looking 94 GHz sensor, an embedded

computer with proprietary monopulse radar processing algorithm and synthetic

terrain morphing display engine, multi-function displays, landing zone designation

switch and tracked helmet mounted display for each pilot, can provide increased

situational awareness for the pilot before takeoff, enroute, on approach and dur-

ing hover and landing, the company said. The system combines proven millimeter

wave technology with advanced situational awareness capabilities, and provides

safe-flight capabilities for front-line helicopter crews in diminished visibility condi-

tions such as brownouts, whiteouts, darkness and adverse weather, helping the

pilot achieve mission success, said Paul Cooke, business development director of

defense avionics for BAE Systems.

Rockwell Collins is fielding a brownout approach and hover symbology in its Com-

mon Avionics Architecture System (CASS)-equipped cockpits and other cockpits,

which feature its displays. Those Rockwell Collins-equipped rotorcraft include the

Armys MH-47G Special Operations aircraft, CH-47F Chinook, UH-60M Blackhawk

and the U.S. Coast Guards MH-60T. This technology grew out of the Brownout Situ-

ational Awareness Upgrade Program in the early 2000s that Rockwell Collins per-

formed for the U.S. Army. However, the technology was never fielded. But, shortly

thereafter, Rockwell Collins developed CASS. Among the features in CASS is an

approach and hover symbology that came out of the brownout upgrade program.

A combination of CASS cockpits and the automatic flight control system on the

CH-47F has saved lives in brownout conditions, Doug Schoen, manager of cargo

utility and attack sales for Rockwell Collins Airborne Solutions said, referring to

statements made by customers and Army Aviation officials. While the technology

does not deal directly with brownouts, it has been helpful in reducing the number of

brownout-related accidents, officials said.

In a related development, Rockwell Collins is transferring its synthetic vision tech-

nology developed for fixed wing aircraft to military rotorcraft for use in a tactical envi-

ronment to improve situational awareness. The company is also working with sensor

manufacturers to fuse sensor imagery with synthetic vision, similar in scope to what

Honeywell did with DARPA.

Thales TopOwl Helmet Mounted Sight & Display system (HMSD) is not a brown-

out system specifically, but can provide pilots with capabilities to help them in DVE

conditions. Its performance provides level 5, the visibility equivalent of a cloudy

night with no moon, no peripheral light source and no starlight. TopOwl is capable

of switching from intensified image projection to high-resolution infrared projection,

through a simple click.


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17824


product focus

Cockpit Switches

The proliferation of touchscreen display technologies is changing

the role of traditional push-button and rotary switches in the cockpit

By Ed McKenna

The growing influence of digital electronics on the flight deck is driving switch

developers back to the drawing board. Already ceding territory to liquid

crystal displays (LCD), traditional rotary and push button switches must

now contend with new touchscreen panels being rolled out. Still in an early

phase, touch technology is, in a way, changing the definition of the cockpit switch. In

response, switch companies are broadening their offerings and introducing smaller,

more capable components to compete for their place in the changing cockpit.

Most industry experts concede that traditional mechanical cockpit switches, espe-

cially those used for key safety functions such as deploying landing gear, are not

going away any time soon. However, the days of the Boeing commercial cockpits

with 200 discrete switches overhead and all around you are passing with arrival of

multifunction panels with the ability to take a whole bank of switches and consolidate

Photo

court

esy A

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ace O

ptics

The Multi Function Body (MFB) switch Series, right, from Aerospace Optics, uses components from the companys Logic Series, and includes Electronic Latch, Pulse Timer and Pushbutton Rotary variant switches.


their functions into a multifunction box, said Terry Trumbull, vice president of Electro-

Mech Components, based in South El Monte, Calif.

Last summer, Rockwell Collins gave a boost to the touchscreen movement intro-

ducing what it called the industrys first touch-control primary flight display for busi-

ness jets and turboprop aircraft. Available on the companys Pro Line Fusion inte-

grated avionics suite, the technology is slated to be certified in 2013, according to

Adam Evanschwartz, principal business development manager for commercial sys-

tems at Rockwell Collins.

While targeting smaller business aircraft, the system will initially be retrofitted

into Hawker Beechcraft King Air aircraft with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avion-

ics. Evanschwartz said he sees market interest in touchscreen technology across

all of commercial aviation. The technology offers OEMs and cockpit designers the

flexibility to make tradeoffs between physical switches (and) touchscreens.

In its current offering, Rockwell Collins is providing physical switches as backups,

but just having a touchscreen allows OEMs to save cost and simplify installation by

integrating functions previously performed by federated buttons, he said

For the pilot, the benefits begin with ease of use, Evanschwartz said. Our touch-

screen displays are the primary flight displays and the multifunction displays themselves

(so) by interacting directly with the screens, the pilots eyes and hands are (focused)

on the same exact place on the system making it easier to use.

Market Moves

The following are new products introduced by manufacturers of cockpit switch products.

Astronics Corp., of East Aurora, N.Y., in October was selected to supply illuminated instrument panels for Cessna Aircrafts Citation M2, Citation Ten and Corvalis TTX aircraft as well as exterior lighting for the Citation M2 and Citation Ten. Zodiac Aerospace, through its ECE Company in France and IDD Aerospace in the United States, completed development and certification of various LED flight deck controls and systems for the Gulfstream G650, the company announced in October. The shipset includes the subsystem for the lighting dimming controllers as well as the Systems and Equipment Overhead Control Pan-els that are the interface between pilots and onboard systems. Staco Systems, based on Irvine, Calif., in June said it was selected to provide an 88-key panel mount keyboard designed for use in an aerial surveillance system for a primary European cus-tomer. The keyboard can be integrated into the control console of many applications such as the air systems and simulators.

This keyboard will feature an embedded design for green LED backlight illumination and five-level dimming features. It is rugged, rated IP65 waterproof compliant and meets MIL-810 and MIL-461 specifications, the company said.


Touch technology simplifies the operating environment and allows pilots to

accomplish what (they) need to accomplish more quickly, said Jim Alpiser, director

of aviation aftermarket sales and marketing at Garmin. The company introduced the

technology on its G3000 integrated cockpit system and is using it on GTN 650 and

750 products and its forthcoming G5000 system.

Unlike Rockwell, Garmin uses a touch controller for its primary flight display and

the multifunction displays that is ergonomically designed to go into a pedestal area

and be almost down toward your knee or the side of your body, said Alpiser. It is

a very natural place to interact with the unit, which has a wide rubberized bezel on

it (giving) the pilot something to grab on to. For its more retrofitable GTN 650 and

750 panels, Garmin tackled the challenges of integrating into the less user friendly

traditional avionics stack by building a stabilization rest at the bottom of the unit for

pilots to anchor their hands on very naturally, said Alpiser.

We have alternate data entry for most of the core functions (so) you can still

do a more traditional cursor knob, he said. But the company chose not to repli-

cate every single button with a hard button.

We are still pretty early in (bringing) touch controls into the cockpit, said Alpis-

er. That said, the company is already targeting the larger Part 25 aircraft market com-

mercial airline market with its G5000 product. However, Alpiser acknowledges with

all the stakeholder issues involved, the G5000 may be multiple years away from get-

ting its certification for an aircraft partner under its belt. These issues are why you

Luma Technologies board mounted LT-2000 LED switches are designed specifically for cockpit terrain awareness sys-tems and feature a sunlight-readable surface in a low profile package.

Photo

court

esy L

um

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are seeing it come into the smaller end of general aviation first, he said. The Cessna

Citation Ten will be one of the first aircraft programs to use the system.

Future of Switches

Even in this early phase, it is clear the technology will have a significant impact on

traditional cockpit switches. Certainly some of the avionics switches can be con-

solidated, said Evanschwartz. It can perform, for example, some of the functions in

flight that are not used com-

monly like HF radio tuning

and setting the HF radios

properties and changing

the default avionics settings

like the attitude director

indicator on the screen.

In the longer term, the

technology when paired

with the right airplanes sys-

tems can also be used to

replace or augment other

system switches beyond

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Staco System says its Series 200 line of compact switches includes four-pole switching capabilities, LED lighting perfor-mance and military-grade reli-ability.

Photo courtesy Staco Systems


the avionics, he said. You

can imagine using virtual touch panels for fuel (and) electronic system control.

Also, environmental control, cabin temperature, lights (and) pressurization seem

to be easy targets for integrating into a touchscreen controller.

Traditional, dedicated switches would, however, continue to be used to control

many flight safety functions, such as landing gear, master caution warning, fire fight-

ing and some of the communications, said Craig Morgan, vice president of sales at

Aerospace Optics, based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Touch is really controversial issue: nine out of 10 pilots that you approach pre-

fer to have a traditional tactile type response as opposed to touch, but at the same

time, they will admit touch has utility and value because ultimately it reduces the pilot

workload and improves the human factors, Morgan said.

Even with this building momentum, questions about broader use of the technology

remain, centering mainly on issues related to usability and turbulence.

Its clearly making in-roads and does indeed have a place but has some sig-

nificant downsides as well, said Bruce Maxwell, president of Luma Technologies,

based in Bellevue, Wash. Time will tell what the ultimate configuration and accep-

tance will be.

Zodiac Aerospace, through ECE in France and IDD Aerospace in the United States, is providing LED flight deck controls and systems for the Gulfstream G650, including dimming controllers and over-head control panel.

Photo

court

esy Z

od

iac A

ero

sp

ace


While they do not offer the same feel or assuring click of mechanical switches, the

systems do have built-in safeguards to prevent errors. For example, both Garmin and

Rockwells systems require to pilots to not only select an action but also confirm it in

an additional step.

A separate issue for the Rockwell Collins system is insuring that pilots can reach

the displays, said Evanschwartz. While not an issue in the lighter business aircraft,

pilots would really have to move forward in their seats to reach the displays on larg-

er aircraft. Retrofit of such aircraft would likely require reconfiguring cockpits. Cer-

tainly on clean sheet aircraft programs, we can design a cockpit to accommodate.

When it comes to turbulence, Garmin touts the design characteristics of its touch-

screen controller with its wide rubberized bezel providing pilots something to grab

onto and stabilize their hands when operating in turbulence. We did hard work and

did a lot of research and a lot of user testing as well to see what is the potential way

to alleviate those concerns, said Alpiser.

The fact is that during the typical corporate aircraft or airline flight, you are not

changing display configurations that much, so there is virtually no case to be made

for touching the displays during turbulence, Evanschwartz said. However, our dis-

plays are activated on release, so you can stabilize your finger by pressing right on

the display, (and then) it doesnt activate or select anything until you take it off, he

said. The system also includes mechanical backups.

Garmin and Rockwell are by no means the only companies building touchscreen

displays. There are growing number of companies offering displays designed to

boost operations in existing cockpits. For example, Honeywell and Aspen Avionics

have developed the Bendix/King KSN 770, a multi-function touchscreen display for

general aviation customers.

Many pilots will find this approach much more attractive than replacing a full

cockpit suite to get the same functionality from Garmin, said Rob Wilson, president

of business and general aviation at Honeywell Aerospace.

Ducommun LaBarge Technologies introduced its touchscreen Multi-Input Interac-

tive Display Unit (MIDU). Our unit is basically like a Swiss Army knife: it can do a lot

of functions, said Daniel Auh, the companys business development manager HMI.

The ARINC 615/615A, ARINC 739 and ARINC 717 compatible system allows the

crew to interact with a number of subsystems, including Aircraft Data Loading (ADL),

satellite communications, the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting

System and Aircraft Condition Monitoring System. We are currently marketing the


system to the airlines as a replacement for older technology and a way to reduce

the number of line replaceable units in the aircraft, Auh said.

Meanwhile, Aerospace Optics is responding to the proliferation of multifunction

displays with its VIVISUN Multi-Function Body (MFB) switch series that allows for

components to take on additional functionality. One example would be a push button

switch that could function as a rotary switch, so you would have to functions in one,

said Morgan. In addition, cockpit designers are asking to incorporate typically external

functions, such as an edge detector or even a latching relay that they would normally

hang somewhere in the cockpit into a discrete multifunction switch.

Electro-Mech Components offers an audio control rotary potentiometer switch with

a push switch combined, said Trumbull. Feedback from the pilots has been very posi-

tive. They like the tactile feedback of the push switch.

Meanwhile, companies, such as Luma Technologies, are expanding the potential

uses for their products. The low profile LT-2000 Series switches, designed mainly for

cockpit terrain awareness systems, are now being used for applications including

autopilot control panels for helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, rail/locomotive display

systems, said Maxwell.

Along with versatility, there is still the strong industry trend to produce smaller, more

compact and lighter components, said Trumbull. Our typical switch is a half-inch

square in width and height although we do some that are three-eighths square inch,

he said. That is pretty compact if you are talking about discrete functions. There is

also a push to shorten the depth the component extends behind the cockpit panel.

We go to maybe three-quarters of an inch behind the panel, but that is about it; we

cant get much shorter (because it will) then affect mechanical travel of the buttons.

The need to shorten is being mitigated by the implementation of the multifunction dis-

plays, which can extend an inch to an inch-and-a-half behind the panel, he sai

Documents

01 Avionics January 2012.pdf