Boeing's phased-array communication antenna has been certificated for operation by the US Federal Aviation Administration, after it was fitted to a corporate Boeing 757 at the Associated Air Center in Dallas, Texas.
The antenna is able to receive live television and business data, including stock-market reports and financial news, from the EchoStar Communications/DISH Network satellites, and TV broadcasts from the DIRECTV/USSB satellites. Boeing says that the unit is "an improved version of the testbed antenna".
The 1,500-element antenna measures about 0.5 x 1m, and is around 25mm thick. It is located on the centre line of the roof and aligned close to the leading edge of the wing root. The antenna steers beams electronically, allowing instantaneous connections between satellites and mobile platforms, unlike the slower, conventional, mechanically steered antennas.
The antenna was first flight tested on a company-owned Cessna 206 in June and, later that month, a system was fitted to a US Air Force Boeing C-135 "Speckled Trout" avionics testbed which took part in the Joint Warrior Interoperability Demonstration. During the trials, it was used to receive satellite-transmitted television, military Global Broadcast Services video and other data.
The antenna is believed to be mounted on the 757 owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of software company Microsoft, although Boeing declines to comment.
Source: Flight International
