Archives :: Avionics Magazine :: Issue :: Feature Story
Displaying 1 - 20 of 652 stories.
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...November 1, 2011
With all the attention focused on the new technology, it is easy to overlook the critical role wire and cable plays in the development of the next-generation aircraft. Using an array of materials and system designs, wire and cable developers are striving to meet growing capacity demands, while holding the line on size and weight and meeting stringent regulations. It is an effort filled with daunting...November 1, 2011
Honeywell Sees Slow Growth Honeywell expressed cautious optimism in the recovery of the business aviation industry, hopeful that 2011 will be the “trough year” and 2012 will see modest growth buoyed by international demand. In its annual Business Aviation Forecast, the unofficial kick-off of the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) annual conference, Honeywell forecasted $230...October 1, 2011
Hunting insurgents or covering convoys, the U.S. Army’s first digital aircraft remains its most heavily used combat helicopter. To hike Kiowa Warrior availability and trim operating costs, the Army itself is integrating a Cockpit And Sensor Upgrade (CASUP) that turns OH-58Ds into more capable OH-58Fs with longer-ranged sensors, intuitive color displays and a more powerful avionics architecture. The...October 1, 2011
Trust, cooperation and collaboration among industry stakeholders, and among the varied technology programs, are key drivers to implementing the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation (NextGen) airspace modernization program, according to panelists at the Avionics for NextGen conference, organized by Avionics Magazine. The event, held Sept. 13 in Atlantic City, N.J., brought together representatives...September 1, 2011
One of the rather surprising omissions of FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Implementation Plan, released in March, was that, despite its full description of the agency’s automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) program, the plan failed to mention the system that has been widely adopted by air navigation service providers (ANSP) around the world, and that is...September 1, 2011
For automated test equipment (ATE) developers, addressing complexity is their specialty. It is no simple chore to keep the systems on a variety of legacy and new military aircraft bristling with latest technologies fit for service in an ever-changing operational environment. Along with a dose of creativity, the developers of these systems accomplish this using a growing array of standard platforms and...August 1, 2011
After a decade of fighting overseas wars, the U.S. defense industry is undergoing some downsizing. Pentagon officials have declared the need for belt-tightening as it draws down troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. The U.S. military and its suppliers are turning their attention from major, large-scale programs to fleet upgrades, modifications and life-cycle extensions. Honeywell Defense and Space, a supplier...August 1, 2011
There is no shortage of diversity in the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market. There are UASs the size of Boeing 737s and handheld systems that weigh less than a pound. Most of the headlines and tax dollars, though, are reserved for the large UASs, including the Predator, Global Hawk and Reaper, which pack potent sensor and weapons payloads. However, increasingly sophisticated sensor payloads using...July 1, 2011
Painting the words “police” or “sheriff” on the side of a helicopter does not a law enforcement helicopter make. It’s the mission equipment the search lights, radios, video systems, etc. that make it a police helicopter. Even in the 1960s and 70s, when police departments in the United States were first finding their wings but didn’t have access to the technology found on...July 1, 2011
Only a few European manufacturers produce and develop high-tech fighter aircraft. The Eurofighter and the Rafale are the final contenders selected by the Indian air force in the 125+ aircraft purchase program to replace that service’s old MiG-21 fleet. Both companies are gloating about their respective fighter’s warfighting qualities while both aircraft demonstrate excellent combat readiness...
Avionics Jobs
Nominations Deadline: March 2, 2012
Awards Banquet: June 4, 2011 - 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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