Mickey Jacobson, engineering manager
of optics at Esterline Control Systems,
based in Everett, Wash. Esterline manufactures lighting products under the
Korry name and is providing the overhead panel section for the Boeing 787.
“As LEDs get brighter, they tend to
obsolete older designs,” Jacobson added.
“Brighter isn’t always better because
you could have to go back to the design
and change specs. It’s a challenge for the
lighting engineer.”
Another challenge is reconciling the
25-year lifecycle of an airplane with the
typical 18-month turnover of electronics
originally developed for the consumer
market.
“The issue with following consumer
electronics is obsolescence,” said Jacob-
son. “We have to supply spares for 20
years, so we have to be careful about what
we pick. Some suppliers are better than
others in maintaining their product line.”
Jacobson mentioned a number of
trusted LED suppliers that his company
expects to be working with in the com-
ing years, including Avago Technologies,
of San Jose, Calif., a former division of
Hewlett-Packard, and Japan’s Nichia
Corp. and Toyoda Gosei.
In addition, LEDs are fragile if they
are not packaged and handled properly.
And there are the usual regulatory issues
associated with introducing new technology into aviation.
“One of the problems we face in doing
this is the length of time and investment
associated with obtaining the regulatory
Emteq provides LED ceiling and sidewall
wash lighting, reading lights and accent
lighting panels on the Bombardier Q400.
approvals needed to get it on the plane,”
said Luma’s Maxwell. “About the time
you get a technology developed and
incorporated into a certifiable product,
they’re already talking about something
new and better. Obviously, I’m exaggerating, but those other industries often move
at a much faster pace than ours.”
LED Trends
There also is an increasing demand for
night vision imaging system (
NVIS)-compatible products from the non-military marketplace, predominantly
rotary wing applications for medical, law
enforcement and a growing number of
special mission aircraft.
Much of this work is handled by modification houses that specialize in NVIS
lighting, such as Aviation Specialties
Unlimited, of Boise, Idaho, and Rebtech,
of Savannah, Ga.
In many cases, LEDs greatly simplify
the filtering that’s necessary for night
vision compatibility because they don’t
produce wavelengths of light that can be
picked up by night vision goggles, while at
the same time providing visible light when
a pilot looks under the goggles.
Interestingly, one trend related to
flight deck lighting seems to be reversing
itself. Human factors studies show that
there are possibly too many functions
that have transitioned from standalone
indicators in the cockpit to large, multi-function glass displays, causing them to
get lost in the maze of information. As a
result, lighting executives say they hear
a growing call to reverse the trend and
return warning and caution lights, for
example, back to standalone status.
“Many displays have second-, third-and fourth-level menus, and human
factors studies are telling us that you
can’t have things buried so deep,” said
Edwards. “You don’t want pilots to have
to click more than two times to hunt for
warnings and cautions. We’re seeing a
trend reversing the number of switches
in the cockpit, and when those functions
come back, they’re coming back as pushbutton switches where the pilots get an
immediate and tactile response.”
Avionics Magazine's Product Focus is a
monthly feature that examines some of the
latest trends in different market segments
of the avionics industry. It does not represent a comprehensive survey of all companies and products in these markets.
Aerospace Optics ........................................... www.vivisun.com
Airtechnics, Inc. ........................................ www.airtechnics.com
Astronics Corp. ........................................... www.astronics.com
Avtech Corp. ................................................. www.avtcorp.com
B/E Aerospace ..................................... www.beaerospace.com
Bruce Aerospace Inc. .................................. www.bruceind.com
Dallas Avionics, Inc. .............................. www.dallasavionics.com
Day-Ray Products, Inc. .................................. www.day-ray.com
DeVore Aviation Corp. of America ......... www.devoreaviation.com
Diehl Luftfahrt Elektronik GmbH .................. www.diehl-luftfahrt.de
Ducommun Technologies ......................... www.ducommun.com
Eaton Aerospace .............................................. www.eaton.com
Electro-Mech Components, Inc. ..... www.electromechcomp.com
Emteq ............................................................. www.emteq.com
Endicott Research Group ............................ www.ergpower.com
Esterline Control Systems .............................. www.esterline.com
Firan Technology Group .................................. www.ftgcorp.com
Goodrich ......................................... www.goodrich-lighting.com
Heads Up Technologies .............................. www.heads-up.com
Honeywell ................................................. www.honeywell.com
IDD Aerospace .............................. www.iddaerospacecorp.com
Interface Displays & Controls ............ www.interfacedisplays.com
Luma Technologies ..................................... www.lumatech.com
Page Aerospace .............................. www.pageaerospace.co.uk
Panelight Components Group, LLC www.panelightcomponents.com
Precise Flight, Inc. ................................... www.preciseflight.com
Sirio Panel S.p.A .............................................. www.siriopanel.it
Spectralux ................................................. www.spectralux.com
STG Aerospace .................................... www.stgaerospace.com
Talon Aerospace ................................ www.talonaerospace.com
