Smiths Industries Aerospace (Hall 4, Stand A11) has been granted FAA certification for two of its products. The first is the Flight Management System (FMS) for the E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post upgrade, produced in partnership with Boeing. This is the first military application of the FMS to receive FAA certification and is a big step in meeting the requirements of global air traffic management (GATM).The FMS is based on the system supplied as basic equipment on Boeing 737 aircraft including the Next Generation series. The E-4Bs are militarised Boeing 747-200s. Smiths Industries' commercial-off-the-shelf FMS is also being incorporated into US Navy E-6 aircraft and is used on the US Air Force C-130, UK and Spanish C-130s and the UK's Nimrod 2000 maritime patrol aircraft.
The company has also gained a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its B747 Classic Transient Suppression Unit (TSU). The TSU, along with the Smiths 2300 Series Digital Fuel Quantity Indicating System (FQIS), is in production and being delivered to several airlines. Air France is Smiths' first contract for the retrofits. Deliveries will be completed by December 2000.The TSU/FQIS can be installed in less than a day. The FQIS, installed as a result of a Boeing Service Bulletin, replaces the analogue fuel quantity equipment and utilises the existing aircraft connectors. A single TSU is mounted to each tank wall connector, and mates to the existing aircraft connector and receptacle. Each wing tank TSU contains all of the suppression circuitry for up to four tanks. Additionally, the Smiths' TSU consists of all passive components, and needs no external power.
With the successful completion of the 747 TSU certification, Smiths Industries expects to have full STC/AMOC on the 737 Classic aircraft TSU by August 2000.
Source: Flight Daily News