Category: PRs

Rockwell Collins announced a new program to bring a series of innovative technologies to the flight deck of Boeing 757/767 airplanes.

Jointly developed by Rockwell Collins and Boeing, and inspired by flight deck improvements offered on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the advanced flight deck technology will be available for retrofit on existing Boeing 767 and 757 airplanes. Supplemental type certification is expected in the 2nd quarter of 2014.

“The open architecture design of the advanced systems that Rockwell Collins developed for the Dreamliner is what makes its seamless integration into other platforms possible,” said Jeff Standerski, vice president and general manager, Air Transport Systems for Rockwell Collins. “With more than 1,600 Boeing 767 and 757 aircraft currently in operation, airlines worldwide will benefit from the high levels of efficiency and situational awareness enhancements this new technology brings, all while being installed cost effectively with minimal aircraft downtime.”

The all-new 757 and 767 flight deck features the following technologies:

Comprehensive electronic flight instrument and engine indicating crew alerting advanced flight display system featuring three large-format, landscape displays which provide significantly higher levels of situational awareness and reliability. Each display provides two independently controlled display windows to replace six cathode ray tube displays and numerous analog instruments.

Advanced NextGen communication and surveillance systems – with optimized viewing on the advanced displays ? provisions for future airspace modernization around the globe, including ADS-B In applications, controller-pilot datalink, airport taxi maps, and surface guidance.
Additionally, Rockwell Collins will offer an Integrated Head-up Guidance System (HGS) with future SVS capability for improved situation awareness, more efficient operations through all phases of flight, including departures and approaches in low-visibility conditions, thunderstorm diversion, and quick, at-a-glance flight path monitoring.

Donaldson Company announced that US Airways selected the Donaldson Air Purification System (APS) for installation on 57 Airbus A321 passenger jets. US Airways is retrofitting the aircraft with the APS High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) and carbon-based chemical filter. The retrofit process began in mid April and is scheduled for completion by the fourth quarter of 2012.The APS System and other aerospace filtration products will be on display in Donaldson exhibit C16, Hall 1, at the Farnborough International Airshow, July 9-13.

“US Airways conducted thorough testing prior to selecting the APS for our filtration needs,” said Joe Maloy, director of the Aircraft Acquisition and Propulsion Engineering Group for US Airways. “Odors were reduced by more than 60 percent within the first two minutes of our tests. Within 12 minutes, the odors were gone.”

US Airways’ passengers and crews will benefit from the system’s ability to remove dust and other airborne particulates, as well as allergens, bacteria, viruses and even odors in pressurized cabins and cockpits, according to Sheila Peyraud, general manager, Aerospace & Defense at Donaldson Company. “Donaldson is proud to partner with US Airways to improve cabin air quality and comfort,” Peyraud said, “and it has been a pleasure to work with US Airways throughout the evaluation and testing process.”

Donaldson expects an APS Supplemental Type Certificate for the Airbus A320 series fleet within a year.

Airbus and Boeing are gearing up to roll out large commercial jetliners in ever-increasing quantities over the next 10 years, according to a new report from Forecast International, but will component suppliers be able to keep up with demand?

Forecast International’s newly released “The Market for Large Commercial Jet Transports” projects that 14,655 large commercial airliners will be produced in the 10-year period from 2012 to 2021. The Connecticut-based market research firm estimates the value of this production at $2.04 trillion in constant 2012 U.S. dollars.

Airbus and Boeing, the two dominant manufacturers in the market, are implementing production increases, and are considering additional increases for the future.  However, determining how fast and high to increase production is a tricky proposition for the two companies. In addition to the vulnerability of their supply chains, another concern is the overall health of the airline industry.

The desire of Airbus and Boeing to expand production is putting a considerable strain on their suppliers, especially in light of ongoing global economic sluggishness and uncertainty. In such an environment, a number of suppliers may be unable or even unwilling to support continual production increases. Adding to the pressure on suppliers is the fact that Airbus and Boeing are shifting their focus from manufacturing to integration, and are looking to outsource more design and production responsibilities. According to Forecast International senior aerospace analyst Raymond Jaworowski, “The potential for bottlenecks among suppliers means that Airbus and Boeing need to tread cautiously when it comes to future production increases.”

A second major concern is the health of the airline industry. Air traffic is growing, and the industry as a whole is profitable.  Still, many individual airlines are experiencing financial difficulties, including some carriers that have hundreds of orders on the books for new aircraft.

At the same time, Airbus and Boeing have considerable incentive to keep production rates high and growing. The two companies hold large numbers of unfilled orders, but this means long waiting times for customers to take delivery of their aircraft, which often results in considerable frustration for these customers. A lack of early delivery slots could also tempt potential buyers to take a serious look at new aircraft emerging from manufacturers outside of the Airbus/Boeing duopoly. Such aircraft include the Bombardier CSeries, the COMAC C919, and the Irkut MC-21.

With an eye on this new competition, Airbus and Boeing have launched development of new, re-engined versions of their narrowbody airliner families. The Airbus A320neo series and the Boeing 737 MAX family will battle each other for the lion’s share of the narrowbody market.

In the widebody segment of the large airliner market, the new Boeing 787 entered service in 2011. The Airbus response to this new aircraft is the A350 XWB, which is currently scheduled to enter service in 2014. The A350 is also aimed at the popular Boeing 777, with the result that Boeing is looking at ways to upgrade the 777.

Avianor Inc. is pleased to announce that Mr. Sylvain Bédard has joined the company as its new president and general manager.

Following a dual degree in Industrial Engineering and Business Administration, Sylvain Bédard has spent more than 25 years in aerospace and high-tech industries. He has developed a sound expertise in negotiating and structuring business ventures with local and international business partners. Avianor believes that due to both his clear judgment and integrity, he has the ability to initiate and drive change.

The founders and owners of Avianor, Sylvain Savard and Earl Diamond, are looking forward to the future of the company under Mr. Bédard’s leadership. The appointment will highly benefit the future growth of Avianor, due to the combination of a spirit of entrepreneurship and a systematic implementation of technical standards and processes that will allow current and future opportunities to be dealt with effectively and efficiently. Mr. Savard and Mr. Diamond will shift their focus from day to day activities towards the strategic direction of the company, while providing support to the new President. The human aspect, i.e. maintaining close contacts with the staff members and customers, will remain one of their top priorities.

About Avianor Inc.

Founded in 1995, Avianor Inc. is a privately held Canadian corporation based in the airport area of Mirabel (Québec) which specializes in aircraft and component maintenance and overhaul (wheels, brakes, seats and cabin interiors including galleys, crew seats, closets and dividers). More than 15 years of expertise in the design, engineering, certification, manufacturing, repair, overhaul and distribution of aeronautical and general transportation equipment have entitled the company to position itself as a vertical integrator in the marketplace. Due to its recent growth, Avianor Inc. has become a significant employer in the Montreal aerospace community, regularly bringing on new talent. The 170,000 sq. ft. of warehouse, fabrication, repair shops and hangar space should reach 300,000 sq. ft. by the end of 2012, due to the steady growth and diversification of Avianor Inc.

As part of an ongoing program to integrate and grow its global engineering capability, GKN Aerospace has opened an engineering and technology centre at the company’s Filton, UK site, near Bristol.

The Filton engineering center will focus on progressing future wing structure design and manufacture, with over 100 engineers expected to be based at the site providing integrated design & build capability.

More than 50 permanent staff are already in place at the Filton center and a recruitment program is underway to fill the remaining posts. The Filton center will integrate with the company’s other established engineering centres today – on the Isle of Wight in the UK and St. Louis, Garden Grove and Santa Ana in the USA.

This growing team, mainly based across the four engineering centers, will operate as a single global engineering force supporting more than 25 GKN Aerospace manufacturing centers worldwide. They will progress product design and analysis and advance new manufacturing technologies and techniques, with each site leading on a defined area of expertise whilst drawing on the experience of the whole force to speed progress and increase engineering efficiency.

“Bristol is now established as the heart of our global wing structures manufacturing activity. With the National Composites Center close by and strong links into local academic research programs, this is the ideal base for developing our engineering capability,” says Rich Oldfield, technical director, GKN Aerospace. “This move marks an important stage in the global re-shaping of engineering at GKN Aerospace, helping us maintain and extend the technology leads we have established across our businesses. Our intention is to continue to grow the design-and-build capability based at each of our engineering centres in the coming years.”

GKN Aerospace has been awarded a contract for the design, development and production of transparencies for the Bombardier Global 7000* and Global 8000* business jets. The contract includes both the cockpit and passenger cabin windows for these ultra long-range business jets.

Design, development and production will take place at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove, CA, USA. Initial test deliveries will take place in 2013.

The Global 7000 and Global 8000 aircraft passenger cabin window will feature significantly larger windows, bringing much more natural light into the cabin. These windows also incorporate GKN Aerospace’s industry-leading CrystalVueII abrasion resistant coating.

The cockpit windows are a low weight, all glass “plug” design using the company’s high strength, chemically tempered Chemplex glass and incorporating advanced coatings that add critical capabilities such as de-icing and electrostatic charge draining.

“These windows represent the absolute state-of-the-art in transparencies technology,” says Ron Kato, vice president and managing director Special Products, GKN Aerospace. “They have been produced using advanced forming technology and incorporate our market-leading coatings – which together provide unbeatable performance and reliability in all operating conditions.”

GKN Aerospace says their cockpit windows, passenger cabin windows and wingtip lenses exceed industry performance benchmarks across the board and are the reliable, low-risk products of choice for OEM’s and airlines around the world. GKN Aerospace supplies transparencies to the full range of aircraft in all market segments – from supersonic military applications such as the F-35 Lightning II (JSF) canopy to the large-size, state-of-the-art Boeing 787 passenger cabin window.

GKN Aerospace has delivered its 750th Tornado assembly to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) as part of the company’s maintenance contract with BAE Systems, awarded in 2006 and continuing until at least 2016. This work package forms one element in the UK Ministry of Defence/BAE Systems ATTAC (Availability Transformation: Tornado Aircraft) agreement, which is aimed at providing effective, through life support for the GR4 aircraft.

Work on this maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) package is being carried out by the GKN Aerospace maintenance operation based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, UK. Under the contract, GKN Aerospace is responsible for providing a range of Tornado aircraft structures including rudders and ammunition boxes.

“Over recent years spares deliveries for the Tornado have increased significantly in order to provide effective support for the aircraft in theatre in Afghanistan and Libya. This has greatly increased the workload on our maintenance team at Cowes but by working extended hours and bringing in additional help from around the facility our output has increased by 25 percent,” Paul Young, general manager for Customer Support and MRO comments.

The Cowes-based maintenance operation overhauls structure from a wide variety of aircraft including the C-130 military transporter, the Dash 8 and Saab 2000 turboprop aircraft, and the massive Airbus A380 double-deck, jet airliner.

GKN Aerospace worldwide has a growing maintenance, repair and overhaul operation and this area of the business is a focus for future growth, with the company working on developments that will streamline, automate and speed future aircraft MRO procedures.

GKN Aerospace has been selected to provide Bell Helicopter with key metal and composite structures across the new 525 Relentless helicopter fuselage.

This major work package includes composite and aluminium fuselage panels and structural parts installed in the cockpit, cabin and tailboom. Manufacture will begin in late 2012 with initial deliveries scheduled for 2013 and continuing through to the end of 2015.

Two GKN Aerospace North American facilities, in St. Louis, Mo. and Tallassee, Ala., will undertake the manufacture of these components and assemblies. The St Louis site will supply complex machined aluminium bulkheads, frames and spars and the Tallassee site will produce composite structure including skins, bulkheads and frame assemblies.

“GKN Aerospace engineers have worked closely with the Bell Helicopter team through the structural design phase of this program. Together we have met the demanding weight and performance requirements for structures and assemblies that will equip this airframe from tip to tail – and whose manufacture will exploit our expertise across composite manufacture and metal machining,”  Kevin Cummings, CEO – GKN Aerospace, North America commented. “We are extremely proud to play our part in the creation of this first in a new class of ‘Super Medium’ helicopters.”

The 525 Relentless brings new capability to the new super-medium class by combining best-in-class performance characteristics and passenger amenities, with fly-by-wire flight controls, a touch screen avionics suite and Bell Helicopter’s new tail boom technology.

Donaldson Aerospace & Defense continues to see growing utilization of its new AgustaWestland AW109E/S/SP Inlet Barrier Filter (IBF) system by helicopter operators across the globe.  Idaho’s Summit Air Ambulance was the first AW109E operator to implement the IBF and provided key assistance in developing the barrier filter system.

“We were fortunate to assist Donaldson in performing the initial flight testing and certification of the 109 Inlet Barrier Filter system,” said Summit Senior Vice President Larry Bacus. “We fly in extremely dusty environments and I believe this system will cut our non-scheduled maintenance and our engine overhaul costs drastically. The return on investment is substantial and it also enhances our safety program.”

Installed on Summit’s AW109E ships, the IBF systems will lead to a direct reduction in engine damage and related operating costs for this longtime air medical helicopter operator.  The IBF provides the most effective protection package available in the industry, preventing engine damage in adverse conditions and ramp environments alike, while maintaining performance.

Summit’s operations include high-altitude landings to assist patients in Idaho, Nevada and across the Western U.S.  Thanks to the IBF, Summit continues to operate effectively in these service areas, now allowing engines to reach TBO without erosion, glazing or other environmental damage.  The combination of engine protection and high altitude performance benefits the most important part of Summit’s program which is the ability to provide consistent service to patients.

One of the first European AS350B3e helicopters is flying with proven, advanced engine protection from Donaldson Aerospace & Defense. Donaldson delivered its AS350B3e Inlet Barrier Filter system to utility operator Scandair for installation on the company’s new aircraft.

Scandair joins customers worldwide protecting their helicopter engines with Donaldson IBF system. Donaldson says barrier filter systems help eliminate turbine engine damage and expense in both ramp and offsite operations. The Donaldson AS350B3e IBF carries approvals from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, European EASA and Brazil’s ANAC.

Donaldson’s AS350B3e IBF Supplemental Type Certificate approvals cover both single hydraulic aircraft (PN#112005-101) and dual hydraulic aircraft (PN#121001-101) with the Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine.

Expansion of the STC allows operators to maintain fleet commonality while operating different AS350 models equipped with Donaldson IBF systems.

“We have just completed our first 200 hours of flying with the new filter system and I can tell you that we are very, very pleased with it,” said Scandair owner Fredrik Ulander. He and his team perform aerial application operations and have long experience with the AS350 series aircraft.

“These flights have been in a very dusty environment while fertilizing, and the indicator still shows good filter performance, so that is impressive. We can highly recommend this filter so far,” added Ulander.

Donaldson IBF systems for the Eurocopter AS350B3e feature an easily removed flat filter assembly and integral bypass design, readily installed into existing cowl designs without burdensome cowling alterations. A filter maintenance aid allows for on-condition status checks between established cleaning intervals, eliminating unnecessary service. No restrictions are imposed for flight in falling or blowing snow or with visible moisture in non-icing conditions. Users of the Donaldson IBF systems will realize better engine protection and performance over that offered by traditional sand filters or improved inertial particle separators.

Donaldson’s IBF systems will be on display during the Farnborough International Airshow July 9-13 (Booth C16/17 Hall 1) and the Airborne Law Enforcement Association’s (ALEA) annual conference and exhibition July 11-14 (Booth 4440) in Reno, Nev.