In-flight entertainment (IFE) system manufacturers Matsushita Avionics Systems and Thales are undertaking extensive testing for their new IFE systems ahead of delivering equipment to Airbus early next year for flight testing on A380 test aircraft, writes Emma Kelly.
Airbus has selected Matsushita and Thales to supply their eX2 and TopSeries i-5000 systems, respectively, to equip 550-seat flight-test aircraft MSN002 and MSN007 for A380 testing in 2005.
The other major IFE system supplier, Rockwell Collins Passenger Systems, is not supplying its eTES. Tommy Dodson, vice-president and general manager, says Rockwell's eTES development schedule did not meet "a very aggressive Airbus schedule for new IFE systems offerability".
Chris Lundquist, Matsushita general manager product planning and business development, says the manufacturer has reached the red-label equipment stage with eX2 - a development of its market-leading System 2000, 3000 and 3000i hardware. A 550-seat system test unit will be operational at Airbus's Hamburg plant in October, mirroring a test rack at Matsushita in Lake Forest, California.
Matsushita has orders for the eX2 from three carriers, including Emirates as the only announced customer with an order for its A380-800s and A340-600s.
Thales recently passed a test hurdle when Airbus approved a prototype of its i-5000 - the latest member of its TopSeries IFE family. A 550-seat test system is up and running at Thales' Irvine, California, laboratory, says Joe Patti, director of marketing.
Both systems provide substantial weight, size and power consumption savings on earlier generation interactive IFE systems.
Source: Flight International
