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Aviation History
1977
1977 - 0083.PDF
FLIGHT International, 8 January 1977 77 Component improvement at Smiths ALTHOUGH THE British avionics indus-i try is in some areas ahead of the USA in technology, and keenest in the world on prices, the falling value of the pound is increasing the cost of materials—in some cases by as much as 40 per cent last year. But there are important future markets in the up dating of equipment to beat the in creasing "cost of ownership," with maintenance of some equipment now running at 50 per cent of first cost. These are the views of Mr Michael Hodges, general manager of Smiths Industries Aviation Division's engine control and instrumentation establish ment at Basingstoke. Examples of successful private- venture component-updating, says Hodges, are the engine-control ampli fiers of the military and civil Spey, Orpheus, Viper and Pegasus. These amplifiers are as a result cheaper, lighter and more accessible. "It pays off, creating new business which we never knew existed. We don't believe in sitting around complaining that By J. M. Ramsden there isn't much new business. We created it ourselves, showing the customer that it is actually cheaper to buy a piece of updated equipment." Smiths feels that so far these benefits are not fully appreciated by HM Government, specifically by the MoD Procurement Executive. In the USA "CIPs" (Component Improve ment Programmes) are a way of life. The doctrine that "if something works, leave well alone" is now, in Hodges' opinion, increasingly to be challenged. "We passionately believe that planned technical updating of components not only keeps us com petitive but reduces operating cost for the customer." Thjs is relatively easy to substan tiate in the USA, where Government- contract figures are published under the Freedom of Information Act. Con tractors do not have to prove the point. It is more difficult in the United Kingdom, where procurement is the responsibility of one department, maintenance and repair another's, and where Government contracts are confidential—paradoxically "in the commercial interest of the contractor," according to the traditional Procure ment Executive explanation. Smiths say that they could give examples of equipment now costing so much to maintain that an updated replacement would reduce the custo mer's outgoings almost immediately. "We do not propose to be caught out by better competing devices—we up date our own, and the money we spend doing this pays off." Basingstoke is competing with lead ing US and British companies in the "Smiths is bidding also for the F-18 fuel- gauging system" "Examples of successful private-venture com ponent updating are the engine-control amplifiers of the civil and military Spey . . ." The Vought A-7 is powered by the US-built Spey, the Allison TF4I world markets for advanced engine- control systems. One current bid is in consortium with Dowty Fuel Systems; Smiths' avionics and Dowty's hydro- mechanical experience are well matched, according to Hodges, to offer what he believes are the most competitive systems. Asked how the UK can even com pete with, let alone lead, US tech nology, Hodges says: "I think that we are more productive in design. We have to be. We develop systems that are widely applicable while the Americans tend to reinvent the wheel for each new project. We also have the all-round approach, making, a wide variety of equipment. Interfacing is easier for us than it is for the Americans with their specialist approach. "The Americans invented the word •:=V •i • —P
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