Engineers at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in Renton, Wash., needed actuator controls for the 777 passenger jet. They found a solution with BAE Systems’ Electronics and Integrated Solutions division in Nashua, N.H.
The Boeing 777 is a twin-engine, twin-aisle passenger jet that is smaller than the classic 747. It achieves better fuel efficiency with a new wing, more efficient engine, and a lighter structure. The first model, the 777-200, entered service in 1995, with an extended range version flying in 1997, and a long-range freighter version still in design.
Technicians at BAE Systems have been supplying actuators to Boeing since 1990. After that contract expires in 2005, they will begin the new order, to build Actuator Control Electronics (ACE) units for Boeing through 2012.
“The design update program was very complex, as no performance differences with the current units were acceptable, thus making the design transition transparent to users,” said Omid Safavian, director of advanced systems for BAE Systems Platform Solutions.
BAE Systems has completed the ACE design update, and delivered flight-worthy units to Boeing for April flight tests and August certification. For more information, see www.eis.na.baesystems.com.