Honeywell (NYSE:HON) made two product announcements HFT7000 engine upgrade and availability of its SmartView Synthetic vision system for PILATUS PC-12 NG aircraft

HFT7000 Engine Upgrade

SABER2, the new variant of Honeywell’s singular annular combustor for emissions reduction (SABER) currently available for the HTF engine family. According to the OEM the upgrade "will reduce drag and weight through improved aerodynamics and re-engineered fuel nozzles and fuel scheduling systems. These changes will offer improved performance as well as significant reductions in nitrous oxide emissions, going beyond the 25 percent reduction already delivered through Honeywell’s existing SABER system."

SABER2 is expected to be commercially available by late 2013. While Honeywell engineers are also working on a third-generation SABER combustor, currently in the early stages of development.

Figures released by Honeywell:

  • The 690 HTF7000 engines in operation have now surpassed 1.2 million service hours.
  • The HTF7000boasts dispatchreliability in excess of 99percent, assuring that the engine is virtually always ready for operation.
  • For ease of maintenance,many key components can be replaced in less than 20 minutes.|
  • Each engine in the HTF family, which includes the HTF7000 for Bombardier Challenger 300, HTF7500E for Embraer Legacy 450 and 500, and HTF7250G for Gulfstream G280, offers up to 7,445 pounds ofthrust with an operational range in excess of 3,000 miles at Mach 0.80.

SmartView Synthetic Vision System

An aircraft cockpit display technology, has been slected by Pilatus for its PC-12 NG aircraft equipped with the Primus Apex integrated flight deck. The SmartView option is available now on new PC-12 NG production aircraft and also will be retrofittable in the future.

It is also offered on Gulfstream aircraft equipped with PlaneView cockpits and Dassault EASy-equipped aircraft.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, air traffic will more than double in the next 20 years. Higher volumes of air traffic will necessitate increased situational awareness for pilots to safely navigate more crowded skies and airports and do so in a safe and timely manner. Likewise, addressing increased air traffic volumes is central to air traffic modernization programs being implemented in Europe and the U.S. that seek to make travel safer and more predictable.

"SmartView™Features of the system include the following:

It displays a natural 3-D rendering of terrain, providing a view that pilots normally see only on a clear day.

Flight path symbols make it easier for the pilot to directly and accurately control the aircraft’s flight path without having to guess.

Range rings provide the pilot with accurate distance, motion and ground closure cues that are easily interpreted.

Extended runway centerline, runway numbering and distance remaining markers present a realistic airport environment and prevent runway incursions.

SmartView complements Primus Apex, an integrated flight deck that also offers graphical flight planning for exceptional ease of use and safety.

Rob Wilson, President, Business & General Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace said: “Pilatus’ selection of SmartView adds to the growing ranks of OEMs and operators using our synthetic vision system, which is all about enhancing flight safety. There are a lot of subtleties to the design that really underscore a critical human factors philosophy for us in aviation: provide pilots with only the information they need, when they need it and in a way that is easy to understand.”

Ignaz Gretener, Vice President, Business Unit, General Aviation, Pilatus added: “Characterized by outstanding versatility, performance, reliability, efficiency and operational flexibility, the PC-12 NG is one of the most popular turbine-powered business aircraft on the market today. Honeywell’s SmartView makes the PC-12 NG even safer – the level of situational awareness is improved and the cockpit workload is reduced.”

Source: Honeywell