SBIR 95-1 SOLICITATION
PROJECT SUMMARY
Proposal Number:
Project Title:
ENABLING TECHNOLOGY FOR PROTECTING ADVANCED GA COCKPITS AGAINST LIGHTNING AND HIRF
Technical Abstract:
The advent of high performance of GA airplanes such as Glasair III, Lancair IV, Mooney
TLS, etc., provides GA with far more cross-country travel capable airplanes. Many of these
airplanes are equipped with state of the art avionics that rival business jet cockpits.
Consequently, their owners/users often look upon them as on demand almost all weather
travel airplanes. This usage pattern as well as their performance capability for high altitude
cruise will expose them to a greater variety and possibly duration of adverse atmospheric
electromagnetic environment, atmospheric conditions such as rain, icing, lightning, etc. The
advantage offered by LTI is integrating HIRF & LEMP protection along with lightning
protection at the cockpit systems level. High cost avionics and other airplane flight critical
and essential systems will be protected and transient effects due to P-static are also minimized
providing a more reliable IMC GA cockpit environment and avoiding expensive repair or
replacement costs.
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Potential Commercial Applications:
LTI will commercialize a testing, installation and certification service for emerging digital
avionics systems in the GA industry. Industry manufacturers can take advantage of the
system integration design documentation created for FAA Part 23 certificationm thereby
overcoming present cost obstacles for protection of IFR/IMC capable avionics. Current
aircraft refurbishers and avionics installers as well as new aircraft and avionics manufacturers
will constitute the potential customer base.
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Name and Address of Offeror:
Lightning Technologies, Inc.
10 Downing Parkway
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) &
Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) Programs
Electronic Management System (EMS)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
The SBIR/STTR EMS site is maintained by Steve
Hu, Hughes STX.
For comments and questions, contact
webmaster@sbir.hq.nasa.gov.
Updated: Feb. 7, 1996