Dépêches

BAE Systems to Supply New Touch-Screen Attendant Control Panel for Airplane Cabin Upgrades

Dépèche transmise le 12 avril 2011 par Business Wire

BAE Systems to Supply New Touch-Screen Attendant Control Panel for Airplane Cabin Upgrades

JOHNSON CITY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BAE Systems is now offering its new Attendant Control Panel touch-screen display system for cabin upgrades as an aftermarket retrofit solution for all commercial aircraft models.

“An airline can replace dated switch panel technology and control a number of cabin functions, including LED lighting, with our modern ACP”

The modernized Attendant Control Panel, or ACP, makes work easier for flight attendants thanks to its intuitive, reconfigurable, touch-screen display that enables flexible, user-friendly control of a number of cabin systems functions on the airplane. Its modular design allows ease of customization for a wide variety of aircraft interiors.

“An airline can replace dated switch panel technology and control a number of cabin functions, including LED lighting, with our modern ACP,” said Dr. Ehtisham Siddiqui, vice president of Commercial Avionics for BAE Systems. “By switching fluorescent lighting with LED lighting an in-service plane can achieve a cost-effective interior make-over, with more lighting options and less maintenance.”

Fluorescent lights are less reliable and more costly to maintain. LEDs (light emitting diodes) are brighter and require minimal power. With an estimated 40,000 hours between replacements, LEDs last 10 times longer than the previous standard of lights.

The ACP features a durable, FAA-certified design with intuitive controls, a color touch-screen display, and a variety of peripheral and network ports. Configurable to airline preferences, the panel controls a number of cabin system functions including dynamic “mood” lighting; environmental systems such as cabin climate control; in-flight entertainment; and assorted cabin attendant functions such as lavatory status, water and waste water tank levels, and smoke detector status. A key feature of the ACP is a laptop-based software tool that allows airline personnel to select colors and intensities from a color palette to create a custom lighting environment (lighting scenes) onboard the aircraft. The panel’s ability to capture system fault data also simplifies maintenance for airlines.

BAE Systems’ ACP is installed onboard all Next-Generation 737s equipped with the new passenger-inspired Boeing Sky Interior. A total of 46 airlines and leasing companies have ordered the 737 Boeing Sky Interior for more than 1,200 of their airplanes. Dubai-based flydubai was the first of five airlines to receive Next-Generation 737s with the new interior last year.

As a leading provider of electronics maintenance, repair, and overhaul, or eMRO, services for commercial, regional, and business aircraft systems, BAE Systems is introducing new value-added service offerings, such as the ACP, to help customers decrease costs, simplify maintenance, and enhance their services.