Electronic retrofit enhances the economic life of Airbus Industrie's first aircraft type
Electronic retrofit enhances the economic life of Airbus Industrie's first aircraft type
Keywords Airbus Industrie, Aircraft, Cockpit
A new electronic retrofit for the analogue cockpits of Airbus Industrie A300B2 and A300B4 aircraft has been certified. This retrofit will allow the aircraft to meet new navigation requirements, obtain fuel and time savings from new routeings, and enhance the useful economic life of the aircraft.
When they originally entered service, A300B2 and A300B4 aircraft were optimised for the operating environment they then faced. That environment is changing. This retrofit, in the form of an Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin, gives operators the technology required to ensure that they can continue to operate their A300s in today's air traffic environment. The main changes are a result of ICAO and other national authority initiatives, including the increasing importance and reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems.
The retrofit comprises the installation of two Global Navigation and Landing Units (GNLU), and two Liquid Crystal Navigation Displays (ND) manufactured by Rockwell-Collins.
The GNLU includes a Flight Management System (FMS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) capability, neither of which was available when the original A300B2 and A300B4 analogue cockpits were designed. The FMS and GPS functions are accessed through a Multi-purpose Control and Display Unit (MCDU) installed on the centre pedestal.
The system was developed in response to new navigation requirements in Europe and the challenges this posed to operators of older Airbus Industrie aircraft. Since April 1998, Basic Area Navigation (B-RNAV) has been mandatory in Europe and, from 2005, Precision Area Navigation is planned to become mandatory. In addition, the OMEGA navigation system has been discontinued, requiring a replacement. The system retrofit will provide the navigation accuracy required by aircraft utilising CNS/ATM routes, and to perform non-precision approaches. This upgrade will alleviate restrictions that newly evolved air traffic environments can create for older aircraft.
The Global Navigation Landing Unit is used to compute an accurate aircraft position based on GPS and radio aids, which allows operators to benefit from the advantages of GPS navigation accuracy. Crew workload is reduced by use of the FMS, and better situational awareness provided by the Navigation Displays. The system complies with the immediate Basic Area Navigation requirement but also has the capability for future upgrades.
The Navigation Displays,which are off-the-shelf liquid crystal displays manufactured by Rockwell-Collins will be controlled by the crew through a pair of Display and Control Panels(DCPs). The Navigation Displays are installed on the pilot instrument panels,replacing the electromechanical Attitude and Direction Indicator, while the DCP and MCDU are mounted on the centre pedestal above the throttles.
The Navigation Displays provide navigation status and situational awareness, similar to newer Airbus Industrie aircraft with electronic displays (four modes are available, Compass Rose, Plan, ARC and MAP).
The A300B2 and A300B4 were the first aircraft produced by Airbus Industrie, and preceded the manufacturer's pioneering flyby-wire developments. The first A300 was delivered to Air France in May 1974 and 214 of the aircraft are still in active service with almost 40 operators worldwide. While many are still in passenger operation, a significant number of aircraft are now being converted to freighters, which will mean an extended economic life for the aircraft, and to which this retrofit will add value as the aircraft operate into the new millennium.
Details from Airbus Industrie. Tel: +33 (0) 5 61 93 33 87. Fax: +33 (0) 5 61 93 49 55.
