Crane Aerospace & Electronics is offering live demonstrations of a wireless tyre pressure monitoring system at its stand in hall 5A (24).

The system is based on the SmartStem wireless sensor, which is built into the tyre's inflation stem. The user places a hand-held reader near the SmartStem to get a temperature-adjusted reading of the tyre's pressure. Data recorded by the device can be downloaded to a computer via USB or Bluetooth.

Fitted as standard to the Boeing 777, the sensor has been in service since 2007, flying more than 500,000h, says Nigel Duncan, vice-president of sales and marketing at Crane's aerospace group. It will also be on the 787.

The system is used in the business jet and military sector as well as large commercial aircraft. Under an agreement with Cessna, it is approved on the Citation X and Sovereign.

The system "dramatically reduces the amount of time it takes to take the tyre pressure", says Duncan. He says that on a Boeing 747, which has 18 wheels, it takes upwards of an hour to manually record and not tyre pressures. "We do those entire measurements in somewhere around 10 minutes," says Duncan.

As well as saving time, the system eliminates loss of gas that occurs when a valve is pressed and extends tyre life by keeping tyres at optimal pressure, says Duncan.

Crane is also displaying examples of its landing gear control interface unit - which can be retrofitted to A320s and will be fitted to new Airbus aircraft from next year - and titanium proximity sensor, available on Boeing aircraft from next year.

Source: Flight Daily News