Archives :: Avionics Magazine :: Issue :: Feature Story
Displaying 1 - 20 of 662 stories.
May 1, 2012
Since their emergence more than 20 years ago, health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) have expanded from oil and gas rotorcraft to military helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, drones and business jets. HUMS systems not only monitor the health of vibrating and spinning parts but record the operational context of events and provide data for trend analysis and condition-based maintenance (CBM). HUMS...May 1, 2012
Rockwell Collins SVS, as pictured on the Heads-Up Guidance System of its test aircraft flying over Washington state. As synthetic vision systems become more mainstream, technology providers are refining their offerings to appeal to a wider range of customers. Along with general and business aviation operators, key targets include the rotorcraft and commercial transport markets. For the latter, however, the...May 1, 2012
Alex Mirot Interest in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), particularly in the civil space, is growing rapidly. And as the FAA looks to integrate civilian UASs into the National Airspace System during the next few years, the number of systems and types of missions, including border security, fire-fighting, disaster relief and military expeditions, among others, are set to escalate, driving the need for...April 1, 2012
Like their U.S. counterparts, European nations are engaged in an intense airspace modernization initiative aimed at bringing operational efficiencies, cleaner skies and financial benefits to operators. The technological and regulatory challenges are many, but with passenger traffic projected to rise, operators around the globe are eager to see benefits of the new systems. Europe’s Single European Sky...April 1, 2012
In December Boeing delivered a 737 Boeing Sky Interior to Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, the airline’s 18th 737-800 with the interior. The system includes the B/E Aerospace LED cabin lighting system, featuring adjustable lighting with full spectrum color capability, according to the company. Photo courtesy Boeing Light emitting diode (LED) technology is providing a very visible divide between newer and...April 1, 2012
Micro-Miniature Connector Amphenol Aerospace, of Sidney, N.Y., offers a series of rugged, micro-miniature connectors that provide more power throughput and consistent coupling by incorporating more electrical connections in compact form factor. They are available in shell sizes from five to 23, and are intermateable and intermountable with existing micro-miniature high-density connectors typically used in...March 1, 2012
Chances are that if you asked most Americans above the age of, say, eight, to name a satellite system, the answer would unhesitatingly be GPS. It is only reasonable because today, tens of millions of Americans either own a GPS or know others who own one or more units. GPS devices are becoming as ubiquitous as cell phones, and in turn are now morphing into combined communications and navigation units, while...March 1, 2012
When Blake Hogge meets with potential clients about updating the interiors of their business jets, he knows pretty much what they’re going to be looking for. “High-def, Blu-ray, touch-screen, stream from iPad, control with iPhone,” he says. “Everything that people want in their high-end homes they now want in their airplanes.” That’s been the trend for a few years now...March 1, 2012
Long, expensive software development periods and the desire to bring more capabilities, faster to soldiers in the field spurred the creation of a new avionics software standard, designed to allow aircraft across the military to get the latest applications faster than ever before. The Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Consortium, established in 2010 as a government and industry partnership to...March 1, 2012
With growing demand for in-flight connectivity, the question is increasingly not if but when operators will opt to equip their aircraft with broadband service. For antenna developers, this trend should yield opportunities for all operators — from global airlines to the individual general aviation pilot. However, the market remains in flux with technology providers offering a variety of approaches and...February 1, 2012
Undeniably one of the most present and most concealed threats on the battlefield today remains the shoulder-launched, heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, or Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS), a lightweight and proliferating weapon with a low acquisition cost. The names of such systems are well-known the Russian-made 9K38 Igla, U.S. FIM-43 Red Eye or FIM-92 Stinger, British Blowpipe, French...February 1, 2012
Software problems related to FAA’s $2.1 billion En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) project are threatening to delay the agency’s multi-billion-dollar Next Generation Transportation System (NextGen) initiative. In its simplest form, ERAM will process flight radar data, provide communications support and generate display data for air traffic controllers at all 20 FAA Air Route Traffic...February 1, 2012
The requirements for higher bandwidth and speed and lower weight and power use are driving expanded use of fiber optics in the aircraft cabin and cockpit. The technology, increasingly being used to connect in-flight entertainment systems and video-rich cockpit displays, is now being looked at to play a more significant role in aircraft control operations. In the meantime, connector developers are crafting...January 1, 2012
Avionics manufacturers are responding to the U.S. military’s need for technologies and systems to protect pilots indegraded visual environments (DVE), such as brownouts and whiteouts. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is particularly anxious to acquire avionics systems that will assist military pilots in navigating through DVEs. Brownouts, whiteouts and other DVE events can causes spatial...January 1, 2012
The growing influence of digital electronics on the flight deck is driving switch developers back to the drawing board. Already ceding territory to liquid crystal displays (LCD), traditional rotary and push button switches must now contend with new touchscreen panels being rolled out. Still in an early phase, touch technology is, in a way, changing the definition of the cockpit switch. In response, switch...December 1, 2011
Aircraft batteries, like the batteries in our personal electronic devices, deteriorate over time and with use. Various tests must be performed to determine if the battery systems are still capable of performing as expected. There are two basic tests capacity and charge acceptance. The capacity test defines what the battery can do, i.e. how much current it can deliver before it is exhausted. This is of...December 1, 2011
Even as they deploy networks on new aircraft to support high-speed systems, aircraft designers are increasingly looking at Mil-Std-1553 databus technologies to support their mission critical systems. This interest in the old, but reliable, military standard is being driven by the technology and design changes in the next-generation aircraft and ongoing efforts to reduce weight and, in some cases, address...November 1, 2011
The Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) that claimed a U.S. Army Chinook loaded with Navy SEALS last August was a grim reminder that threats to battlefield rotorcraft are more than guided missiles. The Joint and Allied Threat Awareness System (JATAS) is meant to warn helicopter and tilt rotor crews of Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS), unguided munitions and telltale lasers. “You take a lot of...November 1, 2011
During the course of the last 30 years, precision approach landing systems have undergone a series of name changes, technological advancements and system setbacks. However, the concept of using a dedicated network of precision GPS monitor receivers to guide aircraft into an airport remains a priority for air navigation services providers worldwide. It’s often useful, as we look at where we are today...November 1, 2011
Universal Avionics Systems, based in Tucson, Ariz., announced new contracts and new capabilities for its slate of avionics systems. The privately held company, which celebrated its 30th anniversary at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference and exhibition in Las Vegas in October, is hoping to grow its business while still maintaining the customer-driven approach that it has employed...
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Awards Banquet: June 4, 2012 - Washington, D.C.
These awards honor Women for their work in aviation electronics engineering, research and development in commercial, business and military aviation, and in air traffic management, as well as a company that demonstrates vision and leadership in promoting Women in avionics technology roles.
• Avionics Women of the Year Award
• Women in Technology Corporate Award
• Emerging Leader Award
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