The rapid change in both sensor and video system technology in the last decade has pushed aircraft operators to evaluate their onboard surveillance equipment and system architecture. The aim is to maximize performance and reduce complexity, which in turn can reduce system weight and footprint enabling more features while giving operators more control over their video feeds. When an existing aerial support unit customer decided it was time to upgrade their system to reap the benefits of the latest available technology, they turned to Curtiss-Wright, already their trusted and proven partner.
The existing video system consisted of four displays, two video recorders, and video distribution and conversion unit. This legacy equipment was over eight years old and when originally installed, was configured to provide the maximum functionality the system had to offer. After years of in-service use, the operational unit identified that only a subset of this functionality was put to use and the system architecture was therefore unnecessarily complex.
The result of this complexity was that every input and output was connected to cabling that was routed around the aircraft, taking up a significant amount of space and unnecessarily weighing the aircraft down. During the evaluation phase, in addition to needing to retain key elements of the original systems’ functionality, the customer also identified longevity of lifetime support of the system as a critical factor, making Curtiss-Wright an obvious partner to consider.
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