New Demonstrator Will Debut March 3 At HAI Heli-Expo

The flexible and modular Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system has been selected for 17 aircraft, including business jet, air transport, tilt-rotor and military flight decks. It’s even been flight tested as an unmanned aerial system ground station.

Now, at HAI Heli-Expo 2015 in Orlando, the award-winning system is making its entrance into the commercial helicopter market. A brand new Pro Line Fusion demonstrator will debut in the Rockwell Collins exhibit where visitors can “fly” the rotary wing avionics solution.

“We have extensive experience in developing mission-specific avionics for helicopters and now we’re adapting that expertise to create a new helicopter cockpit concept based on the innovative design of Pro Line Fusion,” said Troy Brunk, vice president and general manager of Airborne Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “We believe Pro Line Fusion will evolve into a premier avionics solution for civil helicopters by delivering a whole new level of efficiency to the rotary wing cockpit.”

Featuring advanced graphical interfaces, intuitive icons and easily configurable multi-function display windows, Pro Line Fusion makes it easy for pilots to keep their eyes forward, with the right information in the right place. Now, pilots can more naturally and effectively stay focused on the mission during all phases of flight and in all flying conditions.

With an intuitive layout that can be preconfigured to match specific operational scenarios, the system offers a variety of innovative technologies designed to reduce pilot workload and enhance situational awareness.

The mission-specific operational profiles include offshore platform approaches; hover in place; extended search and rescue patterns; and other critical mission capabilities. Combining large, high-resolution displays with the ease of touch-screen operations (complemented by intuitive keypad and cursor controls); Pro Line Fusion can meet the demands of any helicopter mission today and for the future.

In addition to Pro Line Fusion, Rockwell Collins will also showcase the following technologies for commercial helicopters:

HeliSure Flight Situational Awareness

HeliSure delivers sensor data in real time through an intuitive user interface that features 3D visualization for information that pilots can easily, quickly and effectively process. The first two products of the HeliSure family are Helicopter Synthetic Vision System (H-SVS) and Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (H-TAWS), which have been selected by AgustaWestland for the AW149, AW189, AW101 and AW169 platforms.

RTA-4100 MultiScan Weather Radar

The RTA-4114 MultiScan Weather Radar represents a major step forward in automation for helicopter flight crews. The system automatically scans ahead of the aircraft and combines the returns through advanced digital processing and analysis algorithms to display not just precipitation rates, but the actual weather threats.

Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II)

TCAS II works by interrogating the air traffic control transponders of other nearby aircraft to determine and display their altitudes, ranges and relative positions. The TCAS II computer uses sophisticated algorithms and interrogation techniques to calculate the speed, direction and conflict potential of these targets and if necessary, computes and displays a recommended vertical avoidance maneuver to ensure safe separation.

(Image provided by Rockwell Collins)

FMI: www.rockwellcollins.com