Honeywell Introduces Industry-First Cloud-Connected Anthem Cockpit System
Similar to the way smartphones gave users a more intuitive, customisable experience over flip phones, Honeywell promises its all-new, industry-first, cloud-connected Anthem aircraft cockpit system will introduce an easier, customisable experience for pilots. Operators, maintenance personnel, and other service providers will also gain greater insight into real-time flight details from Anthem, which will be adaptable to virtually any aircraft type, including business jets, helicopters, general-aviation aircraft, and advanced air-mobility (AAM) vehicles.
“It's scalable and customisable, meaning we can bring this into almost anything that's currently flying or will fly in the future,” says Honeywell Aerospace Vice President Stephane Fymat. Anthem has already been selected for use in the upcoming Vertical Aerospace VA-X4 electric battery-powered aircraft and electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) Lilium Jet.
Solving Industry Problems
Honeywell says Anthem will enable increasingly complex aircraft to operate more autonomously, and will allow disjointed aircraft support systems to work more cohesively to provide pilots with critical information. It will also give smaller business and general-aviation aircraft access to advanced features that have historically required considerable computing power. Honeywell further claims that Anthem’s smartphone-like interface is more intuitive than any other flight deck.
Anthem will use ground-based computer servers to generate and transfer data that anyone involved in flight operations can access remotely, even if the aircraft’s systems aren’t powered up. Anthem will also help cut pilots’ preflight prep time by up to 45 minutes per flight, says Honeywell, as it integrates with flight bag planning applications to facilitate the generation, storage, and retrieval of flight plans from anywhere and allows pilots to upload them remotely. In addition, caterers, fueling teams, ground transport, and others will also have greater insight into real-time flight plans.
"The aircraft becomes accessible via the cloud computing infrastructure, and things like maintenance data, flight plans, and overall aircraft status are stored automatically by the avionics or via ground-based applications used by support personnel,” says Vipul Gupta, Honeywell Aerospace vice president and general manager of avionics. “This means data is accessible by any authorised user from anywhere."
Safer Operations
Anthem’s smartphone-like interface will let pilots and operators customize digital display layouts to their preference using finger swipes, visualization, and modern graphical and gesture-based methods rather than traditional text entry or basic graphical menus. Honeywell says the system provides “crystal-clear” 2K-resolution screens and “unprecedented” situational awareness through such features as a 3D Runaway Overrun Alerting and Awareness System (ROASS) and 3D Airport Moving Maps that can reduce ground collisions, runway incursions, and runway excursions by 50%.
Other features include a web browser that provides access to third-party applications and websites from the cockpit, including live-weather cameras at destination airports or live radar imagery above an airport. Anthem also integrates with Honeywell Forge, which compiles data on in-air and on-ground flight operations, flight efficiency, and connected maintenance into a single interface so operators and support staff can make proactive decisions about in-flight routing and plan maintenance in advance of the aircraft’s arrival. Forge integration could reduce fleet management labor costs by 10% to 15%, Honeywell says.
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Source: Honeywell