Paris Air Show 2007
LE BOURGET, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Aviation's Systems division (formerly Smiths Aerospace) is providing the next generation interface solution for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. The interface units (IU) enable external signals to be digitized and effectively communicate to the aircraft systems. The V-22 interface units are currently in system verification and validation testing, which is due to be complete next month, and followed with a flight test program.
The V-22 Interface Unit program is valued at $6M for engineering development, followed by potential production sales of $30M over the next 20 years. The system is designed and developed at the Company's facility in Cheltenham U.K. Production deliveries begin in 2008.
The functional flexibility provided by the remote interface units allow rapid design modifications to be made and easily introduced with minimal systems disruption and cost to the aircraft program. The flexibility is important to the upcoming avionics upgrades anticipated for the V-22 program.
The Interface Units are located in the engine nacelle, the wing and the avionics bay on the V-22 aircraft and provide digitized sensor data over the MIL-STD-1553 bus. GE Aviation's participation in the program with Boeing and the U.S. Navy is part of the V-22 cost reduction initiative. GE Aviation is proud to be part of the Osprey team and we look forward to supporting the Bell-Boeing team and the US Armed Services as the V-22 deploys in the Global War on Terrorism later this year.
GE Aviation's System content on the V-22 is valued at $140M for the life of the program including:
-- Rudder Actuators
-- RADS-AT Test & Aircraft Sets
-- Servo valves
-- Shut-off/Isolation Valves
-- Ramp Latch Actuators
-- Utility Lighting Controls
-- Digital Data Sets
-- Nacelle Blowers
-- Interface Units
About the RIU family: The Remote Interface Unit (RIU) product family is a range of units that offer incredible flexibility with the ability to digitize signals like voltage, current, frequency and temperature and effectively communicate them to a large number of aircraft systems via the central nervous system of a modern aircraft - its communication network. The RIU family supports the aerospace industry's transition to Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architectures -- providing a standardized unit that can interface to multiple types of aircraft sensors and communicate with centralized computing resources.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation.
Contacts
GE Aviation
Jennifer Villarreal, + 1 616 617 7755
[email protected]
or
Heather Cox, + 44 771 350 5560
[email protected]
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