A Bombardier testbed aircraft equipped entirely with an all-electric braking system from Meggitt executed its first flight this week, moving the Canadian airframer one step closer to a brakes selection for the CSeries airliner.
The event is being heralded by both firms as a landmark moment for civil aviation. "This flight test that just was completed successfully represents to the best of our knowledge the first flight test in the civil market of an electrical brake system where the stopping was entirely dependent on only electrical braking technology," says Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems (MABS) president Ken Schwartz.
A long-time partner to Bombardier, Meggitt provides wheels and brakes on all of the airframer's regional jets and a good number of its business jets.
The 110/130 CSeries is, however, expected to become Bombardier's first aircraft to feature an all-electric brakes system, says Bombardier Aerospace director strategic technology and senior engineering advisor Fassi Kafyeke.
While the manufacturer has not confirmed if it will choose Meggitt's so-called EBrake system for the aircraft, theirs is "the only one we've decided to test at the moment", he says.
To accommodate the flight test, Bombardier's Global 5000 flying testbed aircraft was modified by removing its hydraulically actuated brake-by-wire control system and replacing it with the EBrake suite, which features electro-mechanically actuated brakes, brake data concentrators, electronic motor actuation control units and supporting aircraft wiring and power distribution.
The aircraft was also equipped with Messier-Dowty's landing gear with electric brake wiring harnesses.
Testing lasted in excess of seven hours, and included five landings and a series of high-speed braked ground runs. The system "provided improved braking control in normal and emergency operating modes, resulting in tight centerline control even during maximum brake applications", says Gary Bruce, pilot in command of the test flight.
Meggitt's system will remain on the test aircraft for an extended period of time to validate the robustness and reliability of its design.
Although Bombardier used a Global 5000 for the flight test, the firm believes electrical brakes are more applicable to the CSeries and potentially other commercial platforms as the technology is expected to increase aircraft dispatch reliability, simplify the aircraft manufacturing process and reduce maintenance costs.
"Because of the elimination of the potentially flammable hydraulic fluid, the EBrake reduces the risk of fire and that is one of the significant safety aspects," says Schwartz. "We also believe on an overall aircraft basis a weight savings may be possible and therefore lead to fuel efficiency."
Asked whether the Bombardier's CRJs might eventually feature electric brakes, Kafyeke says that if a business case can be made for a particular commercial platform: "Then it will go on."
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
