Dowty Buy Boosts Bizjet Biz at New Smiths Aerospace

Newly formed Smiths Aerospace, which now incorporates Dowty after the buyout of TI Group earlier this year, is looking for more integration work on new corporate jet programs.

Bill Mawer, Smiths Aerospace director of strategy and marketing, told Show News the company aims to be an integrator of systems rather than just a supplier of individual instruments and actuators.

For example, both Smiths and Dowty were already on board the Raytheon Horizon before the companies joined forces. "We build the Horizon empennage as a complete unit at our Hamble site in the UK," said Mawer. "We don't supply the flight control actuators but we do supply the actuation around the landing gear, as well as the integrated fuel system and elements around the cockpit."

As a supplier, Smiths recently signed with Bombardier to supply Integrated Standby Instrument System attitude indicators for Learjet 60s in a deal worth $20 million over five years, and it hopes to win the Learjet 45 too. ISIS was designed by Smiths specifically for the bizjet market.

The company will also supply Combined Voice Flight Data Recorders to an undisclosed cargo airline. This is a spin-off from Smiths' military work and is an affordable candidate for corporate and regional markets, Mawer said.

Smiths is not exhibiting at NBAA but marketing representatives are here to talk with customers. One of their tasks is to convince manufacturers of Smiths' enhanced ability to integrate systems now it has Dowty on board.