PHOENIX --- Honeywell said today its next-generation flight management system (FMS) has been selected by Airbus as the standard FMS on the new A380 super jumbo jet.
Revenue from the A380 FMS business is estimated at $200 million over a 15-year period, including follow-on sales of spare units, product support, data base updates and other after-market business.
"Honeywell's flight management systems have been standard on all Airbus models since 1984, and with this selection our leadership in FMS technology has once again been acknowledged by this premier manufacturer of transport aircraft,'' said Frank Daly, President, Air Transport Systems, Honeywell Aerospace Electronic Systems. "It's a great vote of confidence by Airbus.''
"To create this next-generation FMS, we took the functionality of our advanced Pegasus FMS, added new hardware for vastly greater speed and memory capacity, and gave it a completely new user interface,'' said Paul Ebertz, Director, Honeywell Flight Management and Flight Control Systems. "This system will be easier to operate than any previous FMS, helping pilots stay focused on flying the aircraft even in a demanding emergency situation. Its technology will become the basis for future Airbus FMS.''
The new A380 FMS will have a graphical user interface with pop-up menus and a cursor control device rather than the familiar text-based interface. The system will still have a keyboard but will require less typing. For many functions, pilots can select items from lists rather than type them, saving time and reducing entry errors.
Enhanced graphics capability is made possible in part by the high data-handling speed of the system's Avionics Full-Duplex Switched (AFDX) Ethernet databus. It will drive graphics for multiple displays, including traditional navigation map displays and new vertical profile displays, which show a side view of the aircraft in relation to its intended flight path. "The extra data-handling speed also greatly expedites updating the navigation database,'' Ebertz said.
"In addition to our proven flight management capabilities, a key element of this strategic win was our ability to provide the required improvements in quality, reliability, dispatch, and maintainability, said Ebertz. ""These improvements are vital to the success of a high capacity, very long range aircraft such as the A380.""
Initial certification of the new FMS is expected in the fourth quarter of 2005. The first A380 deliveries are expected in 2006.
The A380 will be the world's largest airliner, introducing a new way of flying in the 21st Century. Passengers will benefit from a more spacious cabin and wider seats, even in economy class, while operators will benefit from its 15-20 percent lower operating costs and enhanced environmental friendliness.
Honeywell's aerospace business has sales of $10 billion and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. It is a leading global provider of integrated avionics, engines, systems and service solutions for aircraft manufacturers, airlines, business and general aviation, military, space and airport operations.
Honeywell is a US$25-billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; power generation systems; specialty chemicals; fibers; plastics; and electronic and advanced materials. Honeywell employs approximately 120,000 people in 95 countries and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HON, as well as on the London, Chicago and Pacific stock exchanges. It is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
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" Honeywell's Next-Generation Flight Management System For A380 Super Jumbo
