Boeing Chooses Hamilton Sundstrand for C-17 OBIGGS
In a recent contract from Boeing, Hamilton Sundstrand Aerospace
Power Systems (HSAPS) was selected to design, develop and produce
the boost compressor and valves, and also undertake system integration
testing, for the next-generation onboard inerting-gas generation
system (OBIGGS) for USAF C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transports.
With a combined total of over $40 million, the development and
production program covers 139 new and retrofit aircraft, with
a potential for another 83 C-17s in the future. Inerting-gas systems
are generally used on military aircraft to increase fuel-tank
safety, due to the potential for high concentrations of volatile
vapor in the fuel tanks as they are depleted. An inert gas such
as nitrogen is then pumped into the fuel tank to replace the volatile
mixture. HSAPS president David Hess said that next-generation
OBIGGS operator benefits included eliminating bottle storage requirements.
The company has already supplied many accessories and systems
for the C-17, worth more than $1.5 million per aircraft.
