Andrew Doyle/LONDON
THE Brunei royal family has ordered the world's first Future Air Navigation System-1 (FANS-1) upgrade for a "Classic" Boeing 747.
Work on the modification, which is being performed by Lufthansa Technik, is under way.
The aircraft, a 747SP, is being fitted with a "hybrid" cockpit which consists of five Honeywell electronic flight-instrumentation system (EFIS) displays - two primary displays for each pilot and a large moving-map display mounted on the central console.
It is understood that Honeywell is also supplying global-positioning system (GPS) and satellite-communications equipment, flight-management computers, and an aircraft-communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS). The flight-engineer's station is to be retained.
The Honeywell GPS navigator is due to be certificated in July, but rewritten FANS-1 software for the 747SP is not expected to be available until the fourth quarter of 1997. Honeywell and Lufthansa have been unable to comment.
The only FANS-capable aircraft now being flown are 747-400s, which have digital avionics.
Classic 747s have mainly analogue avionics, and require analogue-to-digital converters if retrofitted with latest-generation navigation equipment and cockpit displays. Some inputs, such as from the inertial-navigation system, are already digital.
Lufthansa Technik, which designed the 747SP upgrade, is thought to be in talks with around five other potential customers for FANS-1 upgrades.
ARINC of the USA claims to have a significant order from a 747-200 operator for its FANS-1 package, while Rockwell-Collins also plans to offer an upgrade.
HM The Sultan's Flight was unavailable for comment on the upgrade as Flight International went to press.
Source: Flight International
