IAC Wins Contract, Award

Intelligent Automation Corporation (IAC) recently won a contract to supply 72 IAC 1209 Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) for the U. S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopters. The company was also recently named to M2M Magazine’s M2M 100 list of the most important and influential companies offering machine-to-machine technology solutions.

The Army order, along with IAC HUMS systems already installed in H-60 Blackhawk and H-47 Chinook helicopter, made IAC the number one U. S. Army HUMS supplier. "The system allows you to catch a problem at the earliest possible moment," according to Bill Lawler, vice president, sales and marketing, "plus the system adds just 17-18 pounds to the helicopter’s weight. That’s 1/10 the weight of our competitors." During independent U. S. Army testing, the system demonstrated a 10 percent increase in operational readiness and availability while decreasing maintenance costs and aircraft downtime. "The system gives you time to plan ahead and be proactive," Lawler said, "and it can allow you to, based on performance, eliminate maintenance checks and extend TBO."

The company maintains that the system has a highly developed rotor track and balance capability that provides an optimum set of corrections with the objective of reducing maintainer workload and errors. "IAC has developed a robust, low cost, light weight, diagnostics tool. They have been successful in building a system that collects data for PhDs and engineers but also for the maintainer and technician," said General Lester Eisner, assitant adjutant general for the South Carolina National Guard, whose unit was the launch customer for the product. "The system has processors and accelerometers with large dynamic range. It’s not just saying part X is vibrating, but can give mechanics the information needed to make decisions."

The general went on to say that the system is easy to use and understand. "Once an aircraft has landed, the information can be downloaded to a PC or Palm. The mechanic can scroll down and see the fleet averages for immediate feedback and can make a decision based on that," he said. Lawler added that the company has not sent support people to Iraq because they don’t need to. "This system communicates directly to the mechanic on the floor," he said.

IAC’s selection to be on the M2M 100 list was a result of the 1209 HUMS System as well as another groundbreaking product of the company, the Intelligent Aquatic Biomonitoring System that uses similar technology. That system is used to detect changes in the water supply to protect drinking water from contamination. IAC also has civilian customers for the IAC 1209 including Air New Zealand, and hopes to expand the technology for use in fixed wing aircraft as well. — By Joy Finnegan, Editor

Embry-Riddle Rebounds after Christmas Storm

Students will bereturning to classes on Jan. 16 as we go to press, and training aircraft are alread flying again at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus. After a Christmas Day storm, the university delayed the start of the Spring 2007 semester by six days to prepare the campus for a normal start of the spring term. "Fortunately, our students, faculty and staff had gone home for the holidays when the storm hit, so nobody was hurt," said Tom Connolly, chancellor of Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus. The campus’s training fleet and some administrative buildings were not so lucky. A number of aircraft were destroyed or severely damaged by the storm. The aircraft maintenance hangar was leveled and the main administration office building was rendered unusable. Three other campus structures suffered minor damage. Embry-Riddle has replaced all of the planes it lost. Flight training has resumed. "The enthusiastic assistance of our alumni, students, and Cessna Aircraft, as well as promotional help from many industry groups made the process much easier," said Frank Ayers, director of flight training at Daytona Beach. Aircraft maintenance work has been moved to a nearby hangar at Daytona Beach International Airport. Ironically, the destroyed hangar had been slated to be replaced by the second phase of a College of Aviation complex that is on the drawing board.