Boeing has decided the supplier for the final piece of the revamped fly-by-wire and flight control system currently in development for the 777X aircraft family, announcing on 24 February that it has selected BAE Systems to provide the system’s remote electronic units (REUs).
The 400-seat 777-9X and longer-range 777-8X will come equipped with 43 REUs spread out along the wings and empennage of each aircraft, says Andy Corea, director of air transport systems for BAE Systems.
Boeing primarily focused on installing a newer engine – the GE Aviation GE9X – and a longer-span, composite wing derived from the 787 programme when it launched the 777X family.
Under the skin of the 777X, however, are a number of innovations – including the REUs – that bring the onboard systems and flightdeck in alignment with several of the key technologies introduced with the 787.
Besides one major architectural difference – the 777X will draw systems power from bleed air rather than 787-style onboard electrical generators – Boeing’s two newest widebodies will share very similar flight controls.
The original 777 family, including the in-production 777-300ER, 777-200LR and 777F, uses a centralised control system by which a computer sends commands by wire to actuators powering each of the individual control surfaces, such as the aileron, elevator or rudder.
The 787 programme decentralised this architecture, with REUs placed alongside or near the control surfaces that each commands. This layout reduces weight by shortening the length of cabling required to connect the flight control surface to the electronic unit that delivers commands, Corea says.
By selecting BAE, Boeing has decided to switch suppliers for the REUs between the 787 and 777X family, he adds.
BAE’s sales pitch to Boeing for the 777X contract emphasised the company’s legacy of providing electronic control systems for GE Aviation engines, Corea says. These systems must operate in “extreme environments” of temperature and vibration at very high levels of reliability, he adds.
New aircraft development programmes offer opportunities for the supply chain to come forward with their latest product innovations. For the 777X, BAE developed “advanced packaging techniques” for the REUs that improve reliability while reducing size, weight and cost, Corea says.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
