Whether it's for a military mission or a supply delivery to an oil rig, Honeywell's latest Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) technology will help civil and defense helicopter operators ensure aircraft availability while increasing safety and reducing operational and maintenance costs. RECONTM is a new solution built on the legacy of Honeywell's Health and Usage Monitoring Systems, and uses connectivity to share critical aircraft health data in real time. This allows maintenance crews on the ground to track the health of a rotorcraft no matter its location. Combined with other solutions like the Sky Connect® tracking systems and Aspire 200 Satellite Communications System, Honeywell is enabling operators to benefit from the Connected Helicopter.

"RECON's ability to transfer data in real time is enabling the new age of the Connected Helicopter," said Ben Driggs, president of aftermarket sales, Americas, Honeywell Aerospace. "Using this new system with other connected technologies like Sky Connect and Aspire 200, operators can remain connected wherever they go. This can reduce in-flight cancellations by up to 30 percent, reduce test flights by 20 percent and cut down on scheduled maintenance by up to 10 percent."

Honeywell's HUMS technology enables predictive, condition-based maintenance using sensors on rotating parts, such as the main rotor, tail rotor and drivetrain, to measure the health and performance of these critical components on an aircraft. The systems collect, analyze and manage this data, helping operators and maintenance crews detect and fix potential mechanical issues before they ground a helicopter.

RECON is the next evolution of Honeywell's HUMS and will be able to acquire and process data eight times faster compared with Honeywell's previous systems, reducing flight-test time and increasing data collection. It also enables in-flight rapid data processing and assessment with alerts that can be transmitted via satellite communication systems. Maintenance crews can stay connected and track the health of a rotorcraft anywhere, at any time. Honeywell's HUMS product family provides a common hardware and software environment, so customers can easily upgrade to the new RECON system.

An eight-year study by the University of South Carolina with the South Carolina Army National Guard found that Honeywell's HUMS saved US$2.1 million in parts cost and operation support. In addition, the study found a 75 percent reduction in unscheduled maintenance, a key indicator of mission readiness. According to the study, unscheduled replacements were reduced to less than 4 percent of total maintenance actions.

"RECON is built on Honeywell's successful and field-proven HUMS technologies, which have helped our customers with maintenance needs for more than 30 years," said Driggs. "This next generation of HUMS will help operators in industries like oil and gas, emergency medical services, forestry, and defense be connected and ready for takeoff at any moment."

Honeywell's HUMS technology has a strong track record in commercial and defense markets with more than 2,000 onboard systems and over 20,000 portable systems fielded. In addition to serving the U.S. Department of Defense and militaries around the world, Honeywell's HUMS has been selected by world-class organizations like Sikorsky, Boeing and Bell Helicopter, and has Supplemental Type Certificates for more than 20 platforms. RECON is the latest advancement in a full suite of Honeywell's Connected Helicopter technologies, extending from nose to tail and from the ground to the sky, increasing the safety, efficiency and operational effectiveness for customers worldwide.

Contributed by Honeywell