Military

Royal Seal of Approval for BAe 146 Flightdeck Modification

18 Jun 2007 | Ref. 188/2007

Hatfield, United Kingdom. - BAE Systems has won an order from the UK Ministry of Defence (Defence Equipment and Support Organisation) for a major upgrade to the flightdecks of the two BAe 146-100s operated by No 32 (The Royal) Squadron.

This modification which updates BAe 146s with analogue flight deck instruments to an Electronic Flight Instrumentation System (EFIS) flight deck standard, will be fitted to the first aircraft in early 2008 and the second in early 2009 at the latest.

BAE Systems’ regional aircraft business developed the modification in response to a Lufthansa request and nine aircraft have been converted after the system gained full EASA certification in December 2006. Over the past 12 months the upgrade has been in service with two Lufthansa Regional carriers – Eurowings and Air Dolomiti – and has accumulated a total across the instruments of over 68,000 flying hours with a mean Time between Failures of 22,869 hours up until the end of March 2007.

Sandy Dalling, project manager for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), explained that the selection by the RAF was very significant. “On the back of the Lufthansa request to develop this upgrade we have started to market this modification to other carriers. This system is a simpler, more cost-effective and modern LCD alternative to the “Phase 2” Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) EFIS which was standard fit on new-build BAe 146s built after the 163rd aircraft.

“We are now producing quotations for several more operators, and the seal of approval we have now obtained from the RAF is a real boost to the programme as these two aircraft are used to fly Members of the Royal Family and senior Ministers from the UK Government on official duties.”

The upgraded flight deck uses the Collins Type FPI-920 display unit in all four positions. This is an established product that has been retrofitted to many ‘classic’ aircraft including the Boeing 727, Boeing 747-200, Airbus A300B, Boeing DC-8, DC-9 and DC-10.

These displays replace the existing mechanical units and no re-work is necessary to the instrument panels. The harness assemblies (left and right) to interface with the new units are pre-manufactured to allow ease of installation.

A pair of new control panels (Collins type DCP-955) is typically fitted in the rear centre console, but the location can be configured to suit operator requirements.

About BAE Systems:
BAE Systems is a global defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 88,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £13.7 billion pounds sterling (US25.4 billion dollars) in 2006.

For further information please contact
John Neilson, BAE Systems
Tel: + 44 (0) 1252 384795 Mob: + 44 (0)7802 337704
john.neilson@baesystems.com

David Dorman, BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0) 1582 488336
ddaviddorman@aol.com