Honeywell's Electric Brakes for X-45A May Pave Way for Commercial
Planes
"We've installed our electric brake system on the Boeing X-45A
Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle [UCAV], flown it, and more importantly,
landed and stopped."
The technology for lighter-weight, hydraulic-free brakes is already
being tested, says Peg Billson, vp and general manager of Honeywell's
Aircraft Landing Systems Business. The goal now is to improve dispatch
reliability in the new digital controllers and the electromechanical
actuators before proposing electric brakes for commercial service.
"The challenge is to make sure the system is completely reliable,"
she told ShowNews.
Honeywell is one of the leading suppliers of original equipment
wheels and brakes and aftermarket MRO services in a market crowded
with five competitors. Its revenues will hit 324 million euros ($400
million) this year, and its equipment had made close to four million
landings this year by the time Farnborough began.
With that amount of wear and tear, and fierce competition, Billson
says customer service is her prime consideration. She claims an
85% win rate on wheel and brake contracts, and reports that revenues
grew by 13% even during the air transport slump of 2003.
"We do what we say we will do," Billson explained. The
business achieved a 100% on-time delivery record on original equipment
in the first quarter, which she said "takes focus."
A key growth area is improving the product for existing customers
with retrofits, modifications and upgrades for both carbon and steel
brakes to help reduce operating costs.
One trend with the airlines is toward more fixed-charge-per-landing
contracts, "so we get paid when something works, not when it
breaks," Billson said. But a side effect has been more wear
and tear as airlines find braking more economical than reverse thrust
to slow the aircraft.
A second key growth area is the regional jet market, and Honeywell
is currently testing its first strong entry into that arena-a heat
sink for the Embraer ERJ 145 that should be certificated at the
end of this year. Honeywell is in Hall 1, Stand A8 and Chalet A9-13.
—John Morris
Noteworthy
Honeywell's wheels and brakes business is a partner with
Dunlop Aerospace of the UK (just bought by Meggitt plc) on
two major programs set to enter production.
The team is the sole source supplier for aircraft wheels,
brakes and support services for the 555-passenger Airbus A380,
with a contract valued at 1.2 billion euros ($1.5 billion)
over the next 25 years. Honeywell will design and manufacture
the main wheels, piston housing, and some brake assembly components,
while Dunlop will be responsible for the nosewheels, carbon
heatpack and torque tube.
The team was also selected to develop wheels, brakes and
tires for the Joint Strike Fighter, in conjunction with Crane
Hydro-Aire.
