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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 3274.PDF
H EADLINES Honeywell lands Boeing 777 avionics deal BY JOHN BAILEY IN LOS ANGELES Honeywell has been chosen as the lead contractor to develop the bulk of the cockpit avionics for the Boeing 777. The company will supply the 777's Aeronautical Information Man agement System (AIMS), a new system which will integrate all of the aircraft's communications and navigation functions. It is understood that Hon eywell will also supply the 777's full-colour flat-panel liquid crystal displays and other items of cockpit hardware possibly including systems controllers, although the company will not confirm any programme details. Honeywell says that it would be "...premature to make any com ment on the 777 until Boeing has officially launched the pro gramme". Honeywell developed the in tegrated cockpits for the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, Gulfstream GIV and the Dornier DO.328, and has more experi ence of total cockpit integration than any other supplier. According to industry Observable while low, B-2 starts low observable tests B-2 starts vital stealth tests The Northrop B-2 stealth bomber has entered the most critical part of its flight test programme — the low ob servable (stealth) tests. The number one aircraft ended a four-month lay-up last week when it made the first of what is expected to be a year long series of flights to demon strate its stealth characteristics. The new test series began just four days after the second B-2 made its maiden flight from Palmdale to Edwards AFB, Cali fornia. The first B-2 completed 67h of testing in 16 envelope- expansion flights during the Block 1 test programme, before it was laid up on 13 June. The flights demonstrated the air craft's take-off, landing and han dling qualities, at medium alti tudes and airspeeds, together with its aerial refuelling capabil ities. No major aerodynamics or flight-worthiness problems were identified during the testing. The aircraft was due to be out of action until the third week in August, but modifications for low-observability took longer than expected. During the four month lay-up the aircraft has losts its trailing- cone sensor and radar cross- section enhancers, and has been "...caulked and puttied" to en sure a smooth surface finish. Northrop has also repaired hair line cracks to titanium areas near the engine exhausts. The low-observability testing will take place at Edwards, and at other locations in the south western USA, probably includ ing the electronic warfare ranges at Nellis AFB. The second B-2, which flew for 2h 36min on 23 October, will initially be used to verify loads in flight, as well as further envelope expansion, weapons carriage testing and perform ance testing. Six B-2s will even tually enter the test programme. • sources, supplier contracts will be signed within the next week, conditional on a formal launch decision by the Boeing board of directors. The board was due to meet on 29 October, and was expected to give the official go-ahead following the United Airlines order for up to 68 aircraft announced two weeks ago (Flight International, 24-30 October). Boeing has been unwilling to identify any of its major sub contractors until the launch de cision was announced, although it has already been revealed that GEC Avionics will develop the aircraft's fly-by-wire control sys tem. Boeing says: "We will be in a better position to discuss sup plier contracts once our board of directors approves the formal launch of the programme". Although Honeywell has won the lion's share of the 777's avionics, it is understood that Collins will supply the autopilot system, and is bidding on sev eral other contracts. The com pany confirms that it has a "preliminary agreement" with Boeing, but adds: "The details of this agreement will not be re leased until we have permission from Boeing". Several other contracts, in cluding radios, satellite commu nications, datalink, and the 777's unique electronic library system have not yet been awarded, although some of these systems will be chosen by the customer airlines. The 777 cockpit is derived from that of the 747-400, but will feature a generations leap in technology. One industry source says: "The AIMS system is a brand-new concept that goes beyond even the MD-11. Considering that this is the first fly-by-wire air craft that Boeing will build, integrating the avionics is going to be a monumental task." •All Nippon Airways (ANA) has postponed a decision on whether to order the 777 until the end of November. The air line had intended to join United Airlines as launch customer for the new twinjet, with an order for up to 30 aircraft due to be placed on 26 October (Flight International, 24-30 October). ANA's president, Akio Kondo, now says that ANA's purchasing committee has decided to wait until the end of this month to make further evaluations of the rival Airbus A330/340 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-11. a Kegworth correction I n our Comment (Flight Inter national, 24-30 October) on the AAIB report into the Keg worth crash, we referred to an unfortunate coincidence of fail ures including "...that of the cabin crew who failed to com municate the visually apparent gravity of the situation to the flight crew". We accept that inadvertently this may have given the impres sion that Flight International or the AAIB were criticising the cabin crew and are pleased to confirm that this was not the case. We apologise to the cabin crew and regret any distress which may have been caused to them. The AAIB report stated that information about the flames emanating from the left engine of the aircraft "...was available to the three cabin crew in the rear of the aircraft but they, like, the passengers, would have had no reason to suppose that the evidence of malfunction they saw on the left engine was not equally apparent to the flight crew from the engine instru ments. In addition, it would appear that there was not the same awareness of possible error, since these cabin crew members stated that they had not heard the commander's ref erence to the right engine. This may have been because the cabin crew, engaged on their own duties, were not aware of any more than the general sense of the broadcast. "In addition, cabin crew are generally aware that any intru sion into the flight deck during busy phases of flight may be distracting, and this is particu larly true if the flight crew are known to be dealing with an emergency." • 6 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 31 October - 6 November, 1990
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