Honeywell Plans New TCAS

Honeywell is working on a next-generation Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System in a smaller, lighter box that will provide 100 nmi range.

Swissair and Virgin Atlantic have ordered the system, called the CAS-100 Traffic Surveillance system, for as many as 37 A340-600s they are purchasing. SAS will put it on up to 39 A320 family and A330/340 transports it has on order. Value of the three sales to Honeywell is about $14 million at list price if all aircraft options are exercised.

CAS-100 will be highly reliable, with an estimated 30,000-hour mean time between failures, according to Frank Daly, president of Honeywell Commercial Electronic systems. The system also will support Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology, when it becomes available.

Current TCAS systems are limited to 40 nmi range. The CAS-100 has a more sensitive receiver coupled with a Honeywell phased-scan antenna system that enables greater bearing accuracy. It is up to 60% smaller and 30% lighter than any TCAS system flying today, Honeywell said.

CAS-100 can be integrated with Honeywell's Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System to provide "smart" alerting, which allows the traffic avoidance system to provide the best conflict resolution advisory based on both traffic and terrain.

By Paul Proctor