The Astronautics wireless Airborne Communications System (wACS) is in the final stages of market entry on various Airbus Helicopters platforms, beginning with the H145. Part of Airbus Helicopters’ push to move to digital management of its fleets, wACS will provide the ability to upload data and information to the aircraft, download information off the aircraft, and connect while in flight.
Formal flight tests supporting European Union Aviation Safety Agency approval of wACS on the Airbus Helicopters aircraft were conducted in the third quarter, and the Milwaukee-based electronics specialist (Booth 1428) has also delivered final software updates for production aircraft.
Noting the milestones as the wACS readies for the market, Astronautics president Chad Cundiff said, “We look forward to working with Airbus Helicopters as the advanced communication system becomes standard fit for these new-production helicopters.”
Astronautics's wACS combines an airborne communications server (AFS6400), connectivity module (AFS6460), and remote media device (AFS6480) to provide secure air-to-ground data transmission.
With the system, helicopters will be able to connect to Airbus Helicopters data platforms via the Helionix avionics suite, enabling the OEM and its customer support team, along with the operators themselves, to leverage that data through Airbus HCare analytics services to enhance safety, operational and support costs, and availability. It automates what has been a more manual process that requires the use of an SD card to pull data off the helicopter while on the ground. Now data can be transmitted securely via Wi-Fi or cellular, providing much quicker access to information.
Astronautics added that ability will help better prepare the helicopter for flight, with faster performance computations, support for the flight operations team and maintainers as they manage the helicopter, as well as provide the ability to better pinpoint issues that might occur. Operational and maintenance data can be aggregated and securely transferred to an onboard repository via Wi-Fi or cellular connection, and pilot/crew tablets can be securely connected to onboard avionics in flight.
“It can provide two-way communication on and off the aircraft,” said Joshua Berrian, the senior program manager of connected aircraft solutions for Astronautics. “We can take a flight plan wirelessly, load it to the FMS, and we also retrieve data and offboard it automatically to a ground server such that an operator doesn't have to worry about the manual way of getting the data off anymore. They can just fly the aircraft.”
The system builds on the communications experience that Astronautics has built over the past decade, including with the Airbus A400M. In that program, the Astronautics system interfaces with a multitude of computer systems on board the aircraft for data loading, general communications, maintenance tracking, and other functions.
Shifting over to the Airbus Helicopters suite was a natural fit, said Astronautics product strategy manager Brian Keery. “With our experience…it was perfect for us.”
Building out the wACS unit, the company eyed the helicopter maker’s goals of improving predictive maintenance capabilities, gaining an enhanced understanding of the helicopter’s operations in flight, providing in-flight entertainment capabilities to passengers, and ensuring that all the data coming on and off the helicopter is accomplished securely. “Their higher message was connectivity, maintenance, ease of use, alerts, and wireless remote capability of automated data,” Berrian said.
As far as in-flight connectivity, the unit will eventually connect to the cellular network, using a new proprietary technology that Astronautics is developing. Since those connections are terrestrially pointed, there won't be an issue with rotor interference. “This is a big deal—being able to get weather data through cellular means in flight, and for VIP passengers to have a mobile office in flight. Our cellular radios are about five times stronger than what's in your cellphone,” he said.
As far as flight tests, he said, the system has proven to meet its targets. Flight-test teams “have literally had no negative feedback…it just works. So, we're really excited about that,” Berrian said.