Check out some of the latest business and commercial aviation related technology developments Avionics International has been covering in recent months.
Astronics Introduces Wi-Fi 6E Cabin Wireless Access Point
Astronics introduced its new Wi-Fi 6E compatible CabinAxE cabin wireless access point in June The New York-based avionics manufacturer claims in its July 2022 announcement of CabinAxE that the company is the first to launch an aircraft cabin wireless access point that is compatible with the recently adopted Wi-Fi6E standard.
According to a PC Magazine overview of the technology, Wi-Fi 6E adds support for 6GHz spectrum, plus faster wireless speeds and lower latencies.
"The Wi-Fi Alliance, a group of Wi-Fi platform vendors that work with the FCC and electronics manufacturers to set standards for Wi-Fi technology, announced the Wi-Fi 6E designation in 2020 for any IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) products that support 6GHz wireless spectrum," Jerry Jackson writes in an October 2021 PC Magazine article. "Essentially, this means Wi-Fi 6E enables faster speeds and lower latencies than Wi-Fi 6 and earlier iterations."
Astronics is making CabinAxE available as a retrofit or line fit enabler of faster cabin connectivity.
“Delivering blazing-fast Wi-Fi performance and increased throughput for added reliability, CabinAXe is a powerful demonstration of our commitment to passenger experience,” said Astronics connectivity systems and certification president Mike Kuehn. “Added sensing capabilities for internet of things applications and integration with Summit Line components demonstrates our attention to existing in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems with a strong look to the future in the cabin.”
Britten-Norman Developing Garmin TXi Certification for Islander Cockpits
Britten-Norman, the U.K.-based turboprop aircraft manufacturer, is developing a type certification path for the integration of Garmin's TXi engine indication system (EIS) into its Islander aircraft, according to an AUg. 18 announcement by the two companies.
Britten-Norman has been manufacturing its BN-2 Islander since 1965, with 1,250 of the light utility aircraft produced and an estimated 750 still in service with commercial operators around the world. Garmin signed a development and distribution agreement with the company to create a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)-approved supplemental type certificate allowing TXi to be retrofitted or added to new Islander aircraft.
"It not only gives our customers an affordable technology solution, but it also provides improved engine efficiency which is essential when considering sustainability," Mark Shipp, technical director and head of design at Britten-Norman, said in a statement. "This is one of several enhancements being launched this year under a larger 2022 R&D investment strategy.”
Dassault Falcon 8X Dual Head-Up Display Installation Certified by EASA, FAA
Dassault has achieved civil aviation regulatory approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the installation of a dual head-up display (HUD) modification for its Falcon 8X business jet.
The EASA and FAA approvals were issued for FalconEye, developed by Elbit Systems and first certified as in a single HUD configuration on the Falcon 2000LXS/S and 900LX in 2016. FalconEye is the industry's first HUD to fuse separate synthetic database-driven terrain mapping and enhanced thermal and low-light camera images in the same display. It is also the first HUD to allow pilots to adjust the split between a synthetic vision system (SVS) and enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) imaging areas.
Carlos Brana, executive vice president, civil aircraft at Dassault Aviation, says the regulatory approval "results in enhanced safety and more capability for Falcons equipped with Dassault’s industry-first FalconEye technology."
Dassault also has plans for certifying the dual HUD option on the Falcon 6X, due to enter service mid-2023, and on the ultra-long range Falcon 10X, planned for certification in late 2025. Some 8X operators have already scheduled installations for the dual HUD modification.
Boeing Tests Digital Taxi Time and Clearance EFB Capabilities on ecoDemonstrator
Boeing is testing two new digital capabilities—Taxi Time Information and Taxi Clearance—on its ecoDemonstrator 777-200 program that can improve the way airline pilots anticipate the amount of time they will need to spend taxiing around airports during the pre-departure or post-landing process. In emailed statements to Avionics International, several experts from Boeing Global Services explained how these two capabilities use aircraft connectivity and ADS-B positioning data to calculate estimated required taxi times on a per-airport basis.
The purpose of testing the Taxi Time Information and Taxi Clearance digital capabilities is to give flight crews improved predictability for the pre-departure or landing process by reducing the amount of time they spend taxiing around the airport waiting on clearances for takeoff or to roll into a parking stand for deplaning.
"To implement reduced engine taxi operations and reduce fuel consumption, the flight deck crew must accurately predict the taxi time needed between their runway and parking stand. Pilots tell us this is difficult, because the historical averages used today are insufficient for accurate decision-making in real-life situations," Marco Gärtner, Senior Product Manager, Boeing Global Services, said in an emailed statement.
Taxi Time Information, for example, is an application programmable interface compatible with the Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro app—or other third party EFB applications—that uses ADS-B positioning data to anticipate inbound or outbound clearance and taxi times for flight crews. This is one of the two tablet-based digital airport mapping capabilities Boeing is testing on its ecoDemonstrator program.
Air Methods to Retrofit Medical Transport Fleet with FlightOS Control Interface
Air Methods, one of the largest air medical service providers and helicopters operators in the U.S., has signed a new agreement with California-based transportation technology provider Skyryse to retrofit more than 400 single-engine helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft with the FlightOS automation hardware and software.
Skyryse first started making headlines in 2019 after using its flight stack automation technology—a combination of helicopter flight and communications systems including "smart helipads"—to autonomously fly a modified Robinson R44 helicopter with no human intervention. In addition to retrofitting its air medical transport fleet with FlightOS, Air Methods will invest $5 million into a Series B funding round for Skyryse, bringing the startup's total raised to $205 million.
