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Collins Aerospace news roundup
Cedar Rapids’ largest employer announces products, milestones
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Here is a roundup of new products and milestones announced by Collins Aerospace, the largest employer in Cedar Rapids.
Collins, an RTX business, employs about 7,000 people in Cedar Rapids, and around 80,000 people worldwide
Barcelona contract
Collins Aerospace has signed a 10-year contract with Air Europa to provide comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the airline's fleet of 787 aircraft. Through its FlightSense and DispatchSM combined asset and MRO programs,
Collins will supply Air Europa with on-site support for a number of 787 systems, including electric power, environmental control, avionics, lighting and cargo. In addition, Collins will provide predictive health maintenance through its Ascentia software platform and expand its pool of 787 spares in Europe.
Cabin management
Collins Aerospace has delivered its first new Venue cabin management system for aircraft. The system is equipped with new smart monitors and upgraded graphical user interface, enhancing entertainment, usability and simplicity for operators and passengers, the company said in a news release.
Venue has 1,700 installations on more than 50 aircraft models. It is the most fielded system of its kind.
"The enhanced user interface and smart architecture … establishes a firm foundation on which customers can seamlessly build onto their system as future technology upgrades become available,“ said Nathan Voight, vice president and general manager of business and regional avionics at Collins Aerospace.
Aircraft seating
Collins Aerospace is expanding its executive aircraft seating facility in Medley, Fla. The $2 million project doubles the plant's upholstery production floor space to 30,000 square feet and adds new machining equipment that improves production and reduces material waste.
The 150,000 square-foot Medley facility uses a mix of high-tech automated machining and specialized craftsmen to produce customized aircraft furnishings to meet the needs of a global customer base, the company said in a news release.
Propeller update
Collins Aerospace and S3 AeroDefense, a global military distributor for aircraft sustainment requirements, are partnering to extend the service life of C-130H aircraft and expand the service sustainment of the NP2000 propeller system.
The business relationship will allow Collins’ growing global C-130H customer base to obtain the NP2000 propeller system in a more expeditious manner.
“This collaboration aligns with our commitment toward enhancing our global capabilities and increasing operational readiness for international C-130H operators across the world,” said Jesse Miller, director of business development, NP2000 Propellers, at Collins Aerospace.
‘Launched effects’ demo
Collins Aerospace and Raytheon, both RTX businesses, demonstrated the new capabilities of “launched effects” in October at the U.S. Army's Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
Launched effects is a term that describes small, uncrewed aircraft that can be launched from the ground, air platforms or other vehicles. The Collins-Raytheon development allows users to execute a mission, merging vehicle autonomy with human on-the-loop command.
The RTX team demonstrated two systems that find, fix, track, target, engage and assess a broad spectrum of threats, RTX said in a news release.
The team executed the threat detection mission and decided how best to proceed in real-time, even when command links to the ground operators were severed, the company stated.
Power distribution
Collins Aerospace has completed a prototype of a solid-state power controller and power distribution panel as part of the SWITCH project, supported by the European Union's Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking.
Following design and production in Nordlingen, Germany, the megawatt-class power components will be shipped to Collins' electric power systems lab, The Grid, in Rockford, Ill., for system integration testing.
RTX said in a news release that new high-voltage distribution technologies are required because electric power levels will increase from hundreds of kilowatts in today's aircraft to megawatt levels in the aircraft of the future.
RTX is developing a hybrid-electric propulsion system that combines two Collins’ megawatt-class electric motor generators within a Pratt & Whitney GTF engine.
With the ability to handle increased electric loads, Collins' solid-state power controller and power distribution panel will enable the safe management of high-voltage electricity in the air.
"Hybrid-electric aircraft are an integral part of the aviation industry's drive to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, yet without new, safe high-voltage power distribution systems, they will not fly," said Tino Schuldt, general manager for Collins' Nordlingen facility.
"Here in Nordlingen, we're leveraging our decades of experience in power distribution solutions and a world-class facility to break new ground in the development of these critical enabling technologies for the next generation of hybrid-electric and all-electric platforms,“ Schuldt said.
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