GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Qantas requirement for A330-200s prompts manufacturer to change track on technology and seek HUD information
Airbus has issued a request for information (RFI) to industry for head-up display (HUD) concepts for its entire family of fly-by-wire aircraft. The move represents a significant u-turn for the manufacturer which, until now, has appeared reluctant to embrace HUD technology.
The RFI comes on the heels of a recent Airbus technical team tour of several US airlines operating commercial HUD systems. They are thought to have included American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines.
However, the main driver behind the initiative is a requirement from Qantas for HUDs to be fitted to its recently ordered A330-200s. Other pressure is also being exerted on Airbus from A320 family operators such as JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines, both of which employ crews with recent civil HUD experience.
Airbus confirms the RFI has been issued, for all models except the A300/A310, to the three key industry players - BAE Systems, Thales and Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics - with responses due back this week.
Although the Airbus move comes in the form of an RFI, the terms of the request are believed to more closely resemble a request for proposals. Airbus is therefore expected quickly to downselect to two finalists, giving customers a competitive choice.
Although Air Inter (now part of Air France) equipped its A320s with Sextant Avionique (now Thales) HUDs in the late 1980s, Airbus has until now avoided adopting the technology on a large scale.
"Unlike many Boeing aircraft, all our aircraft are Category 3B [autoland] capable, and operationally a HUD therefore brings a lot less capability to the aircraft," says Airbus. However, the manufacturer adds that in specific cases like Qantas, which operates into many Category 1 capable-only airports in Australia, HUDs do have a benefit.
Thales, through its experience of working alongside Airbus on limited HUD programmes such as Air Inter, is viewed as the "de facto" incumbent.
Observers expect a battle between BAE and Rockwell Collins for the other downselect place. The companies remain tight-lipped about their bids.
Boeing, which was similarly reluctant to start offering HUDs on all its models in lieu of sophisticated Category 3B-capable autoland systems, has since begun featuring the equipment as a factory installed option on the 737. It is also working to offer HUDs on other models.
Source: Flight International
