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One of the most important new products launched by CNS Avionics is its GCAS
ground collision avoidance system which, according to vice chairman Olivier
Hue, will set new standards for reliability and lack of false alarms. The first certification is due on the Falcon 2000 executive aircraft in October, paving the way for global marketing of the computer-based system. GCAS takes full advantage of Dassault Electronique's expertise in low altitude flight navigation systems for military aircraft such as the Mirage 2000 and Rafale. But instead of a forward-looking radar it uses a comprehensive terrain database, position-sensing with GPS satellite technology, and a radar altimeter. Real-time analysis incorporates the aircraft's predicted flight path, including any turns entered into the flight plan or flight management system, and a computer calculation of the aircraft's ability to escape rising terrain based on its present configuration, weight and climb performance. Now, under the tight-knit umbrella of CNS, Dassault Electronique plans to improve the situational terrain display on the Sextant Avionique flight management system, thanks to the capacity of latest computer hardware. "Until now the airlines had no choice for buyer-furnished ground proximity warning systems, as the only one with certification is by AlliedSignal," Hue explained. CNS will bring a second choice to market; it is due to set its certification schedule this month, beginning with Airbus. |
OLIVIER HUE, VICE CHAIRMAN, CNS AVIONICS GIE
Commercial Avionics from New French Entity
The latest entity to emerge from the restructuring of the French aerospace industry is CNS Avionics GIE, exhibiting here at Farnborough for the first time with a full range of commercial avionics for the world's airlines and executive jet operators.
Formed only last June, CNS (for Communication, Navigation and Surveillance) groups under one sales umbrella all the commercial avionics businesses of Sextant Avionique, Dassault Electronique, and Thomson-CSF. It aims to offer a one-stop point of contact for customers with a comprehensive-it claims exhaustive-range of current and next-generation avionics.
"CNS is responsible for all buyer furnished equipment (BFE) offered directly to the airlines by the three companies," vice chairman Olivier Hue told Show News. He is also the director of commercial avionics for Dassault Electronique. "We had all the key technologies in the three companies, but the customers were requesting just one supplier, one contact. Now, for the customer, it cannot be more simple."
CNS will also offer commercial equipment for retrofits and upgrades. Product support will remain with Sextant Avionique, which already employs 600 support staff worldwide. Each company will retain its own engineering and manufacturing operations, but the joint marketing approach is expected to lead to closer cooperation on product development and integration of systems.
"Today, the competition is between companies that can offer an integrated package of systems at the best price. Now we can do that," said Hue.
CNS, as its name suggests, is taking aim at equipment necessary for the proposed CNS/ATM free-flight environment. It is already offering the multimode receiver (MMR) that can work with several different navigation and landing systems, VDF (VHF data radio), SATCOM (satellite communications, antennae and avionics), and a new GCAS (ground collision avoidance system). Sextant Avionique's new-generation active-matrix LCD integrated standby instrument system (ISIS) display panels come under its umbrella; they have just been chosen to equip Airbus Industrie's A319/A320/A321 and A330/A340 families. Incorporating all necessary standby instruments in one LCD screen, ISIS will be available by mid 1999; it has also been selected by Bombardier for the CRJ700 regional airliner. The first major customer is USAirways.
Also in the offing is a new flight management system (FMS) being developed in conjunction with Smiths Industries, which will also be offered for the Airbus family. Planned as a vital part of the CNS package, it is on track for certification on the A320 in December, and on the A340 by mid-2000.
CNS believes it will be the first company to offer a compact, complete Aero-I satcom system from antenna to handsets, and allowing up to 32 handsets per channel for voice, fax and data. "Competing systems are very much larger and heavier," Hue explained.
He insists that CNS, although French, should be regarded as a global company.
"Yes, we are European, but we supply Boeing as well as Airbus and Bombardier,"
said Hue. "That makes it possible to supply an airline with a mixed
fleet with the same products, and that sort of commonality is very important
today." By John Morris
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