Avionics News March 2021 - 36

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT
Continued from page 35

As Hedrick explained, IS&S's patented LifeGuard
technology provides critical VMCa upset protection
by automatically maintaining the maximum safe thrust
produced by the " good " engine. Doing that minimizes
the chance of the pilot trying to climb too aggressively
and subsequently lose control.
" Our real-time analysis of loss of control due to
asymmetric thrust and a sudden loss of airspeed of as
little as 5 knots per second showed that by maintaining
the maximum safe thrust of the operating engine, the
pilot can maintain heading with the foot on the rudder
on the side of the good engine and the airplane will stay

IS&S is very active in the legacy air transport and military markets. One of
its more popular upgrades replaces legacy mechanical flight and engine
instruments with the new-generation Flat Panel Display System on legacy
Lockheed C-130 aircraft.

straight, " he said. " No matter how slow you go, the
airplane will go straight and level to the stall. Of course,
our ThrustSense Autothrottle will sense the loss of
airspeed and automatically advance power on the good
engine to help prevent the stall warning.
" It keeps the pilot in control and the airplane right side
up. Even the best pilots can get into this situation. Our
innovative technology provides better control and safer
operations.
" Textron has shown great initiative and trust by certifying
our ThrustSense Autothrottle with LifeGuard protection
as a standard feature on the new-generation King Air 260
and 360. I believe they're the only factory-new turboprop
airplanes in the world with VMCa mitigation. We're also
offering the system as a retrofit solution to other legacy
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march

2021

King Air models through Textron service centers and select
MROs. The system integrates with the existing throttle
quadrant, so installation and operations are very simple. "
Like with the ThrustSense Autothrottle for the PC-12, the
twin-engine version provides a host of features, including
FADEC-like engine protection, over-torque, and under-torque
protection, under- and over-speed protection, and more.
" You can fly the airplane the way you want, and the system
will protect you as much as technology can, " Hedrick said.
As you would expect, because of the safety-enhancing
benefits of the ThrustSense technology, the IS&S team is
hard at work developing systems for other popular twinand four-engine turboprop aircraft.
You can't spell support without
the second 'S'
As he mentioned earlier, Hedrick stressed that
providing exceptional support to its customers, avionics
shops, and MROs is part of the company's DNA.
" That commitment was, and is, a critical part of who
we are, " he said. " Support is integral to making sure
that our products deliver the solutions customers expect.
We work very closely with our shops to help make our
installations as easy as possible. "
While the recent COVID-19 pandemic has brought
virtual meeting tools into aviation and avionics, helping
customers via virtual technology is nothing new to IS&S.
Hedrick shared a story of how, in 2001, IS&S first used a
camera taped to a technician's cap so engineers could get
a peek of what was happening during an installation. And
today, that capability is more valuable than ever.
" We recently helped with a retrofit of a King Air panel
in Australia without leaving our facility here, " he stated.
" We couldn't travel there, so we set up our own Zoomstyle virtual network and used video to help them through
the entire installation a half a world away. I think they did
the whole upgrade in three or four days. It was amazing.
" It just brings home to everyone here the need to
fully document every process every step of the way.
Sometimes, we can forget the small details.
" I think the reason we've been so successful with our
variety of projects and customers around the world is we
do what others can't. I'm so proud of our engineers and
everyone on our team. I'm constantly impressed with what
they are able to do. They are the true innovators. " q
To learn more about IS&S, visit innovative-ss.com.

http://innovative-ss.com

Avionics News March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News March 2021