The Acra KAM-500 data acquisition system was compact enough to fit in the wings of the aircraft reducing wiring and testing costs.

1. Marshall Aerospace - TP400
Marshall Aerospace was
contracted by Airbus Military to
undertake flight trials for the TP400
power-plant which powers the
Airbus A400M.
The System
CWC-AE provided the data
acquisition, airborne data
recording and visualization
systems used to collect, distribute
and process the power-plant data.
The Results
• 3,000 parameters acquired
and processed over 115 hours
of engine running time
• Development of a compact
Acra KAM-500 Onboard hybrid PCM/Ethernet system to
fit in the wings of the C-130
TP400 Flying Test Bed in Risk • Reduction in flight test
instrumentation cost by
Reduction Flight Trials re-using COTS hardware

2. The System Acra KAM-500
Data Lowers Risk
First time developing a system that output Acquisition
Proven on every platform type in
Ethernet packets. Units
all environmental conditions
• Seven Acra KAM-500 DAUs, each with COTS hardware with short delivery
13 user slots: three in the cabin of the times
aircraft, three in the wing to monitor
Reduces Cost of Ownership
temperature, pressure and strain and Reduced inventory of spares due
one on the wing to monitor pressure to common product line
data and output Ethernet data
Lower installation, setup and
maintenance requirements
• 1Gbps managed Ethernet switch
Modular design greatly extends
distributed the acquired data to dual
system lifetime
on-board computers
FTI by Design
• A data recorder completing the data Analysis
Designed to minimize the data
recording and visualization system transfer time from sensor to screen
Guaranteed predictable data
• A laptop running GS Works 7 to
Simultaneous sampling occurs
perform flight flutter assessments across the complete system
COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF
MODULAR DESIGN

3. The Results I
3,000 parameters acquired and processed
over 115 hours of engine running time
• With meticulous planning and use of the flight
simulator, the project was executed safely and
successfully, gathering all of the extensive data
required by the customer.
• On board performance monitoring and
analysis was a key component, the FTI team “ Curtiss-Wright equipment
enabled Marshall
Aerospace to continuously
measured, recorded and processed “
approximately 1,000 parameters via the meet or exceed changing
customer requirements.
KAM-500 DAUs.
• When functionality needed to be added, Ben Jakubowski
CWC-AE created a work around and provided Senior Flight test
Instrumentation Engineer
24 hour phone and 48 hour in-person support. Marshall Aerospace
WORKS ONCE
WORKS ALWAYS

4. The Results II
A sophisticated hybrid PCM/Ethernet system
small enough to fit in the wings of the C-130
• Because the available space for
instrumentation was limited, the compact size
of the KAM-500 DAU enabled placement in
the wings of the aircraft, resulting in easier and
more flexible system design.
• The development of a sophisticated hybrid
PCM/Ethernet system.
“ The flexibility of Acra
equipment enables
Marshall Aerospace to run
• Successful completion of a high risk flight test simultaneous flight test
program. programs. “
COMPACT
FUTUREPROOF DESIGN

5. The Results III
Reduction in FTI costs by utilizing COTS hardware
for both flight and ground tests.
• CWC-AE equipment enables Marshall Aerospace
to run simultaneous flight test programs thanks to
its inherent flexibility.
• The hardware will continue to help Marshall
Aerospace satisfy the customer needs for reliable
flight test data.
REDUCE RISK, LOWER COST
INCREASE DATA QUALITY

6. For more information visit
www.cwc-ae.com
Curtiss-Wright Controls Avionics & Electronics
cwc-ae@curtisswright.com
665 North Baldwin Park Boulevard Landscape House, Landscape Road
City of Industry, CA 91746, USA Dublin 14, Ireland
Phone: 626-851-3100 Phone: +353-1295-1264