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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 2572.PDF
INDUSTRY Trekker allows hands-free operation Rockwell introduces strap-on computer ROCKWELL HAS unveiled a voice-controlled, body-worn notebook computer called the Trekker, which it believes has wide- ranging applications for the aero space industry. Initial uses include running customised, paperless air craft-maintenance software. The Trekker is operated as a hands-free, mobile information system, based on standard person al-computer circuitry and Win dows software, and has a 25 x 25mm liquid-crystal monocular head-up display which "floats" a full-size virtual image ahead of its wearer. The wearer can "navigate" through on-screen interactive in struction sequences and parts cata logues using voice commands and has an unimpeded view of his task. The Trekker is being evaluated by the UK Ministry of Defence to speed up helicopter maintenance, and is also being tested by American Airlines, Boeing and the US Air Force. • NEWS IN BRIEF • GECAS PICKS GABLES GE Capital Aviation Services has selected Gables En gineering communication and navigation control-pan els for new-generation Boe ing 737s on order. • GREENWICH LOT Greenwich Caledonian has signed a ten-year, $70 million contract to overhaul General Electric CF6-80C2 and CFM CFM56 engines for LOT Polish Airlines. Lord tackles DC-9 cabin noise LORD HAS flight-tested active noise- and vibration-control on a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and expects US supplemental type- certification of the system in Nov ember. The company says that its NVX Active System for the DC-9 and MD-80 series eliminates en gine tones and reduces cabin noise by"asmuchas70%". The system monitors cabin noise and drives actuators mounted on the engine pylons to eliminate vibration. The NVX controller combines engine-speed signals with data from 16 microphones behind the trim panels in the aft cabin, and sends commands to six actuators in each engine pylon. The actuators replace tuned vibration-absorbers and generate forces to counteract disturbances coming from the engine. Lord is demonstrating the system to potential customers at its Cary, North Carolina, development cen tre, using a full-scale mock-up con sisting of a DC-9 aft-fuselage sec tion, complete with interior. Programme manager Becky Weih says that flight tests"... have demonstrated effective elimina tion ofengine tones over a range of flight conditions. With the system, the aft [seat] rows of the DC-9 became as quiet as the front rows." Erie, Pennsylvania-based Lord says that its NVX Active System is retrofittable to a DC-9 or MD-80. The location of the microphones is not critical, the company says, and they can be integrated with over head passenger-service units and installed without removing the cabin trim. • IS&S upgrades Northwest altimeters NORTHWEST AIRLINES has selected Innovative So lutions & Support (IS&S) to sup ply altimeters and altitude-alerters for retrofit to ten McDonnell Douglas DC-9s. The solid-state barometric alti meter will replace the DC-9 pilot's electromechanical unit and the co pilot's pneumatic unit. Malvern, Pennsylvania-based IS&S says that its altimeter functions as a repeater and a self-sensing unit, via its own internal pressure-transducer. The unit has a predicted mean- time-between-failures of more than 2 0,000h. The alerter provides voice and visual warnings of mini mum descent altitude, and displays air temperature and cabin altitude. IS&S says that its altimeter has been retrofitted to 15 different air craft types, including NASA Northrop T-3 8s and Swiss air force Northrop F-5s. The company sup plies altimeters and alerters to Lockheed Martin for the C-13 OH as part of a total air-data system. IS&S is also providing an air- data system for retrofit to Gulf- stream II business jets to meet new reduced vertical-separation mini ma requirements. • Delta Air rolls out sliding carpet DELTA AIR LINES is to equip 150 McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and MD-90 airliners with Scandinavian Bellyloading's Slid ing Carpet cargo and baggage load ing system. Two cargo systems will be installed in each aircraft, in the fore- and aft-holds. The Sliding Carpet system, con sisting of a Kevlar-reinforced con veyer belt and quick-release bulk head, is designed to eliminate the need for an employee to work deep within the cargo bay of a narrow- body airliner to assist with loading. At the start of loading the bulk head is located next to the cargo door. As available space is filled, the belt moves the bulkhead further into the hold, allowing loading to continue. Forunloading, the beltis moved in the opposite direction. "In addition to the obvious ad vantages, the Bellyloader provides in speed and ease of handling, it also helps avoid serious problems of injuries and other health issues related to having employees work deep within a lm-high space," says Anders Helmner, president of Scandinavian Bellyloading. • Endevco accelerometer picks up hot vibrations ENDEVCO UK HAS devel oped a differential piezoelec tric accelerometer which is capable of measuring vibration in jet en gines at temperatures of up to 650°C. This capability means that the device is suitable for location in the high-temperature turbine sec tion of the engine, says the Hert fordshire, UK-based company. The 6240C transducer requires no external power, and uses natur al crystal tourmaline to allow high er operating temperatures. Ac- celerometers which use ceramic ferroelectric crystals can typically only operate at temperatures of up to 480°C, Endevco claims. • GEC-Marconi wins UK contracts for Tornado and Chinook work GEC-MARCONI Avionics Support division has won a £40 million ($62 million) contract from British Aerospace, covering the augmented logistic support of new avionics being installed in Royal Air Force Tornados. BAe was recently awarded the support contract for RAF Tornado GR4s by the UK Ministry of Defence, following the mid-life update of GRls to the GR4 stan dard. The initial contract is valid until 2003. Meanwhile, GEC-Marconi Sen sors has won a £7 million contract from the Helicopters division of the Boeing Defense and Space Group, for the supply of communi cations equipment for RAF Boeing Chinooks. The Boeing order consists of radio transceivers, tactical air-navi gation units and automatic direc tion finders. • 24 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 25 September - 1 October 1996
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