GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Hamilton Sundstrand and Rockwell Collins have won the lion's share of the major avionics and systems contracts for the Boeing 7E7, largely at the expense of Honeywell, which has been named only as supplier of the aircraft's navigation suite.
A flurry of further 7E7 awards is expected to be announced over the next six weeks for more than 30 other significant systems and components, says Boeing. Unlike the case with previous commercial airliners, Boeing has asked 7E7 systems suppliers to propose integrated solutions to allow lower acquisition and operating costs.
Hamilton Sundstrand will provide four main systems for the aircraft in a deal valued potentially at up to $5 billion over the life of the programme, says the United Technologies subsidiary. Tailoring its "clean-sheet" designed systems bid package to the more-electric architecture requirements of the 7E7, the company will supply the electrical power generation and start system, environmental control system (ECS), remote power distribution units and auxiliary power unit (APU).
The APU, designated the APS5000 and rated at around 600shp (450kW), is based on recently developed units such as the APS2300 now in production for the Embraer 170/190.
"The APU is a bit simpler because there is no pneumatic system as it is a non-bleed aircraft, and it only has to run the generators," says Hamilton Sundstrand's 7E7 vice-president and general manager Tim Morris. He adds: "There are no breakthroughs in the fundamental systems. What is new is the way many of them will be running together for the first time."
Rockwell Collins, which values its win at potentially around $2 billion, is supplying "next-generation" large format head-down liquid-crystal displays, and a wide field-of-view head-up-display (HUD) follow-on version to the recently developed Flight Dynamics HGS4000 series. The HUD will be offered as an option, and will be configured to operate with an - as yet - unspecified enhanced vision system (EVS), says Rockwell Collins air transport marketing director Bryan Vester. "We are in final negotiations on the HUD," he adds. The Rockwell Collins communications suite includes VHF radios, satcom and voice and data HF, as well as cockpit and flight data recorders.
The company is also providing the surveillance package, including a multi-scan weather radar with an integrated surveillance system comprising Mode S, terrain awareness and warning system and traffic collision avoidance systems.
Honeywell, which was still to confirm its selection as Flight International closed for press, was expected to be awarded the navigation suite including air data, inertial and satellite-based systems.
Source: Flight International
