Birds of a feather Sikorsky's product line is evolving to meet new needs in the United States and around the world. The company has started to modernize the all-purpose Black Hawk helicopter, equipping the new models with digital cockpits and sturdier hardware. The S-92 helicopter achieved FAA type certification in 2002 and is positioned to debut with offshore oil  operators in 2004. The H-92™ helicopter is a military machine capable of a variety of international and U.S. military missions.  And the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter, developed with Boeing, is a stealthy scout and attack aircraft for next-generation warfare. Also, Sikorsky’s new S-92 medium-weight passenger helicopter won Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification in December as complying with stringent U.S. government strength and safety standards. Production is already under way, with final assembly scheduled to begin in 2003 at Sikorsky’s Bridgeport, Connecticut, facility. In February, Embraer noted the successful maiden flight of its ERJ 170 regional jet – a promising milestone for Hamilton Sundstrand, which supplies the aircraft’s air management, actuation, electric and emergency power systems, and auxiliary power unit. Soon after, the U.S. Army certified Hamilton Sundstrand’s new Digital Electronic Sequence Unit as a replacement for the old analog controls that regulate APUs on nearly 3,000 Black Hawk and other helicopters. Considering other potential aero- space applications, the market value for the new unit could exceed $40 million over the next decade. Another form of transportation, the world’s first indoor tram system running above ground, was unveiled by Otis in February. The driverless trams glide on an air cushion as they shuttle passengers along Northwest Airlines’ new mile-long Edward H. McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Otis’ Hovair® technology enables each pollution-free tram to transport silently up to 75,000 passengers per day. Despite the downturn in the electrical power distribution business, a Pratt & Whitney Power Systems’ product also hit the fast track. In October, Bombardier showed off its new JetTrain locomotive, a high-speed passenger train powered by Pratt’s ST40 gas turbine engine. The ST40, a derivative of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW150 aircraft engine, can drive the locomotive at a  sustained speed of 150 miles per hour and offers an attractive alternative to standard diesel train engines of equivalent power because it is one-tenth the size and 38,000 pounds lighter. Pratt & Whitney Power Systems also completed the first installation of a SWIFTPAC™ 50 power plant in 2002, outside San Diego, California. From foundation completion to performance testing, the installation of 50 megawatts of power took less than two months. Within that timeframe, the SWIFTPAC power plant unit was installed and producing power in just 32 days. Pratt & Whitney also marked milestones for several engines. Pratt & Whitney Canada’s new PW306C received Canadian and U.S. type certification in July after successfully powering the first flight of Cessna Aircraft Company’s new Citation Sovereign business jet in February. The jet is scheduled to enter service in early 2004. Another Pratt & Whitney Canada engine, the PT6A-135A, powered the 19-seat, general purpose Y12E aircraft built by Hafei Aviation Industry Company Ltd. and won certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in the same period. Also, the new PW307A engine, which was chosen last year for the Dassault Falcon 7X business jet, marked a major development milestone by completing its first run. The PW600 turbofan engine family also achieved a significant milestone with the first test flight of the demonstrator engine. Other Pratt & Whitney milestones include the successful Pratt-powered inaugural launches of Lockheed Martin’s Atlas IIIB and Atlas V, and Boeing’s Delta IV launch vehicles. Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion also celebrated the first space shuttle launch to include a full suite of the company’s high-pressure liquid oxygen and fuel (hydrogen) turbopumps as standard 2002 year in review 27