Technology Update

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December 2002
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Hotter hover for Harrier

A more powerful development of the Harrier GR7 in service with the RAF has flown as the GR7A. It uses a new version of the Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine, designated Mk 107, with performance improvements that include enhanced hover capability. The additional performance will form a key element in the advanced Harrier GR9A program. The engine up-grade started in 1999 with the re-manufacture of 40 Pegasus Mk. 105 engines to Mk. 107 standard. The GR9 program also includes integration of new "smart" weapons and systems software upgrade. This upgrade involves the integration of high order language software with a new open architecture mission computer, a MIL-STD-1760 stores management system, new inertial navigational/global positioning system, ground proximity warning system, upgraded displays, and secure communications.

Compared to the current GR7, the GR7A's engine provides an extra 3000 lb of thrust above 30°C, allowing the all-up weight of the aircraft to be increased from 32,000 to 34,000 lb, improving performance including weapons "bring back" capability notably in high ambient temperature conditions that can reduce hovering performance of a STOVL (short take-off vertical landing) aircraft. Also as a part of the GR9A program, the GR7A will be fitted with a composite rear fuselage similar to that of the Harrier II-Plus operated by the U.S. Marine Corps.

- Stuart Birch

Data acquisition from Astro-Med

Astro-Med's Dash 8X data-acquisition system allows historical data to be viewed without interrupting real-time acquisition, making it suitable for viewing data during a long-term capture.

Designed for applications ranging from process trending to transient capture to remote troubleshooting, the Dash 8X from Astro-Med, Inc., can simultaneously capture eight analog channels to internal hard drive at a sample rate of 200 kHz per channel. The data-acquisition recorder also has four scope channels at a sample rate of 10 MHz per channel for a total of 12 channels of data acquisition. It is equipped with a 15-in monitor for intuitive touch-screen control and real-time data viewing and analysis.

Modular inputs allow each channel to be configured independently for isolated high voltage (up to 600-V rms), thermocouple, RTDs, pressure transducers and load cells, and other inputs to eliminate the need for external signal conditioning. Signals up to 40 kHz can be recorded with an A/D resolution up to 16-bit, depending on the module. The digital-signal processing of the Dash 8X provides low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch filtering. Differentiation functions and rms conversions are also included.

The Dash 8X is equipped with 10/100BaseT Ethernet for direction connection to a PC for recorder setup and data upload/review. Microsoft Windows-based AstroVIEW X software allows data to be imported to a PC for data analysis and review on spreadsheet and analysis programs that include Excel, FlexPro, DADiSP, and MathCAD.

Waveforms can be viewed from any angle on the high-resolution monitor, claims the company. The display is customizable, allowing different colors to be used for waveforms, grids, timing marks, and annotation. Link ports allow captures from multiple systems to be synchronized for capturing a high number of channels.

- Jean L. Broge

BAE Systems developments

A commercial, real-time operating system for safety-critical aviation applications has been introduced by BAE Systems. Its CsLEOS is a layered, embedded system applicable to flight controls. The company describes it as a commercial, off-the-shelf system employing brick wall time and space partitioning to operate multiple systems independently of each other such that if one system experiences a failure, the others are unaffected. The system is compliant with ARINC-653 applications. A flight-worthy system is available, with a version following certifiable to DO-178B. (DO-178B, developed by the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics, is the international standard for certifying software used in safety-critical airborne systems.) BAE Systems says CsLEOS is applicable to military and commercial platforms.

BAE Systems has also developed what it claims as the first Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for helicopters, the Seaspray 7000E. It is suitable for both UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and light maritime patrol aircraft. The system offers enhanced radar tracking performance and target detection and greater reliability than mechanical systems, according to the company: The AESA technology together with the engineering implementation ensures that failures cause only "graceful" performance degradation. The mean time between critical failures is such that Seaspray 7000E is effectively a fit-and-forget radar. Via a software upgrade, the sensor can provide a wide range of extended surveillance modes, such as moving target indication and high resolution ground mapping, or interface with the weapons system to provide missile target and guidance information. Seaspray 7000E comprises only two line replaceable units, easing installation and reducing volume and mass. The E-processor and AESA scanner are typically at least 25% lighter than their mechanically scanned radar equivalents.

- Stuart Birch

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