Rockwell Collins Debuting Three Technologies at Paris Show

On display at the Rockwell Collins stand this year are three products making their debut at the Paris Air Show: combined vision, MultiScan ThreatTrack weather radar and Pro Line Fusion for helicopters. These products are interactive so visitors can see them in action at the Rockwell Collins stand (Hall 2b D108).

For aircraft with Rockwell Collins avionics and its head-up guidance system head-up display (HUD), the company now offers an added capability called combined vision system (CVS). With CVS, pilots can not only view enhanced-vision system (EVS) infrared imagery on the HUD combiner glass but also synthetic-vision system (SVS) imagery. With CVS, both types of images–the “real” view provided by EVS and the synthetic view provided by SVS–are combined so the images are conformal with each other and with the outside world as seen through the windshield. This eliminates the need for a pilot to switch between the two types of images and helps pilots “maintain optimum awareness,” according to Rockwell Collins, “especially in low-visibility conditions.”

The MultiScan ThreatTrack weather radar has been selected by airlines for installation on more than 2,500 airplanes, according to Rockwell Collins. Key features of the weather radar system include display of hail and lightning predictions adjacent to or above thunderstorm cells as well as “two levels of turbulence detection–severe and ride-quality–which more accurately informs flight crews of the type of turbulence in their path,” the company explained.

Imagery in All Types of Weather

Rockwell Collins also plans to take advantage of additional MultiScan capabilities, by using the radar as a sensor for EVS and SVS. Although EVS cameras can help pilots “see” through darkness, haze and light fog, according to the company, “[infrared], however, does not effectively penetrate high-moisture weather phenomena, like dense marine fog or heavy snow.” The MultiScan radar’s ground imaging can provide imagery in all types of weather because it operates at a much lower-wave frequency than infrared. The weather radar picture can also be supplemented with air-to-air and air-to-ground networks to provide additional weather information to pilots.

As Boeing prepares for the entry into service of the next-generation of its twin-engine widebody 777 series–the 777X–in 2020, Rockwell Collins is likewise developing products for the new airplane. Boeing expects to deliver the larger version, the 777-9X, in 2020 followed by the shorter 777-8X in 2022. The new jets will be equipped with Rockwell Collins flight displays, surveillance avionics and flight control electronics.

The contract award for the 777X, which was announced late last year, represents a significant increase in the content supplied by Rockwell Collins compared to existing members of the 777 family, but also similar to the products the company supplies for Boeing’s 787 family.

The Rockwell Collins Integrated Surveillance System avionics include compliance with the 2020 ADS-B out mandate and also ADS-B in features, which help pilots see improved displays of airborne and airport surface-based traffic. ADS-B in also can allow the operator to take advantage of upcoming NextGen capabilities that will improve flight efficiency and allow reduced separation over some over-ocean routes.

Pilots of the 777X will fly with five 15.1-inch cockpit displays arranged in landscape format, with two mounted in the instrument panel in front of each pilot seat and one in the control stand. This is similar to the setup in the 787 and 737 Max models, and will help Boeing and its customers realize savings in purchasing, maintenance and training costs. The displays are manufactured at the Rockwell Collins LCD center of excellence in Manchester, Iowa, and the company expects the production rate to climb to 305 displays per month in 2018, as the production rate for all three airplanes ramps up.

For the first time in a 777, Boeing has selected the Rockwell Collins head-up guidance system HUD. The Rockwell Collins HUD is standard on the 787 and optional on the 737 Max. The HUD’s projection of essential flight information on a combiner glass in front of the pilots’ eyes allows the pilot to keep looking outside the cockpit while flying an approach or during other critical flight phases. HUD-equipped airplanes can be certified to fly to lower landing minima, which can help airlines reduce the number of weather-related diversions.

Rockwell Collins is also supplying the control stand, digital audio system, mode control panel and primary control damper for the 777X, in addition to the flight control module. The entire fly-by-wire system is being developed in partnership with BAE Systems, which designed the software for the flight control module. The module “delivers high-integrity fly-by-wire computing functionality that supports the 777X’s new wing with load alleviation, and its high-lift and folding wing tips,” according to Rockwell Collins.