Healthcare Solutions Mgmt. Group Inc. (HSMD)

[jolyn86]

9/12/2006 Gunner_0ne Prediction Comments on AVTX

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Elbit Systems holds its shares in EFW through a Delaware holding company Elbit Systems U.S. Corp. (ESC). EFW is incorporated in Delaware and based in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1993, EFW acquired most of the assets of General Dynamics Corporation's (General Dynamics) Electronics Manufacturing Center in Fort Worth, which mainly manufactured and supplied electronic components for F-16 aircraft. Over the last decade EFW has expanded its activities to a number of additional areas involving tactical aircraft, helicopters, land vehicles, UAVs and smart munitions. These include programs for the V-22 Osprey tilt rotorcraft, the Bradley A-3 fighting vehicle, the Multiple Launch Rocket System, JDAM munitions, the AH-64 Apache helicopter, the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter, the A-10 aircraft, the F/A-18 aircraft, the C-130 transport aircraft as well as additional systems for the F-16. EFW is involved in a number of joint projects with Elbit Systems Group companies and with other U.S. defense companies. As described below, EFW and Rockwell Collins Inc. each own 50% of Vision Systems International LLC, which is engaged in the area of helmet mounted systems for fighter aircraft. EFW has expanded significantly through mergers and acquisitions. KOLLSMAN. EFW acquired Kollsman, Inc. (Kollsman), a wholly-owned Delaware subsidiary located in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Kollsman is engaged mainly in developing and manufacturing cockpit instruments and enhanced vision systems for civil and military aircraft and observation and targeting systems for land vehicles and aircraft. Kollsman has also recently begun activities in the U.S. homeland security market. Kollsman through its wholly-owned subsidiary, KMC Systems, Inc., is also involved in manufacturing medical instrumentationENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING. EFW has extensive engineering and manufacturing capabilities at its Fort Worth facilities as does Kollsman at its facilities in New Hampshire. IEI's facilities in Alabama and EFW's facilities in Georgia have significant maintenance and repair capabilities. See below "Manufacturing" and "Customer Satisfaction and Quality Assurance".OPGAL. Opgal - Optronics Industries Ltd. (Opgal) is an Israeli investee company owned 50.1% by Elbit Systems and 49.9% by a subsidiary of Rafael. Located in Karmiel, Israel, Opgal focuses mainly on commercial applications of thermal imaging and electro-optic technologies. Its developments include an enhanced vision sensor designed to assist in landing aircraft under limited visibility and harsh weather conditions. Opgal also designs thermal imaging cameras and FLIR systems for applications, such as surveillance, industrial, medical and fire fighting. It also produces OEM FLIR cameras for defense applications. See below "Current Business Operations - Aircraft and Helicopter Systems - Civil Aviation and - Electro-Optical and Countermeasures SystemsSeptember 2004, Kollsman acquired the product line and assets of Computer Instruments Company (CIC), located in Westbury New York, for approximately $2.3 million. The CIC business line relates to the manufacture of air data computers and modules and air data pressure probes for military and commercial aircraft. Following the acquisition, the CIC business was relocated to Kollsman's facilities in New Hampshire. The acquisition positions Kollsman as a key supplier of air data probes for tactical missile and UAV programs and enhances Kollsman's product line for commercial and military aircraft In October 2004 and January 2005, Kollsman was awarded additional follow-on orders for EVS by Gulfstream for all their large cabin aircraft models. These additional orders bring the total EVS orders from Gulfstream to approximately $70 million. The EVS will be installed on the top of the line Gulfstream G450 and ultra long-range G550 as production standard items. The system will also be available as optional equipment on the Gulfstream G200, G350, G400 AND G500. During 2004, Kollsman was awarded the National Aeronautic Association's 2003 Collier Trophy for aviation safety technological advances as a team member for the Gulfstream G550. Kollsman's EVS was a significant part of the basis for the award and was sited as the G550's greatest safety feature. In October 2003, EVS was selected for installation on FedEx Express' Boeing MD-10, MD-11 and Airbus A300 and A310 aircraft fleet. The contract calls for certification by 2006 and installations on aircraft beginning in 2007. COMMERCIAL HUDS. In 2003, Kollsman entered into a contract with Honeywell International Inc. to develop and supply, together with El-Op, head-up display overhead projection units for the Federal Express (FedEx) fleet. The contract calls for deliveries through 2012. In addition, Kollsman and El-Op are currently working on a cost sharing research and development contract with the Maryland Advanced Design Laboratory awarded in 2002 to develop a low cost solution for head-up displays for the General Aviation market. The project is being performed for the U.S. National Air and Space Agency (NASA) and is scheduled to be completed during 2005. CABIN PRESSURIZATION CONTROL SYSTEM. In December 2004, Kollsman was awarded a contract by Raytheon Aircraft Company to provide the cabin pressurization control system for the Hawker and Beechcraft King Air Series of aircraft. Kollsman's next-generation autoschedule pressurization system, KAPS II, will be incorporated into new production aircraft models, including the Hawker 400XP and 800XP and Beechcraft King Air Models 350, B200 and C90 STRUCTURAL PARTS, Cyclone manufactures structural parts for several types of commercial aircraft.http://sec.edgar-online.com/2005/06/28/0000910680-05-000438/Section6.asp
9/10/2006
Gunner_0ne



The EVS camera was designed by OPGAL, subcontractor to Kollsman Inc The idea is to use the EGPWS database and automatic flight controls to prevent pilots or anybody else from intentionally flying an aircraft into the ground or buildings. According to Jamrogiewicz, assisted recovery would first warn pilots if they were flying too close to the ground, obstacles or even prohibited airspace such as temporary flight restrictions (TFR) or air defense identification zones (ADIZ). If the pilots did nothing to alter their course after receiving a warning, assisted recovery would gently steer the aircraft away from the hazard or TFR/ADIZ area. The airplane’s computer would continue to direct the aircraft away from what it considered to be a threat regardless of the pilot’s control inputs. Such a system would be useful if pilots were to become lost or confused about their position. And it could potentially save lives if terrorists took control of aircraft as they did on 9/11. “Understandably, pilots are not at all convinced about the assisted-recovery concept,” he said, adding that airline pilot unions could be the biggest barrier to seeing such technology on commercial airplanes. Honeywell researchers, meanwhile, will continue refining assisted recovery in the hopes of developing a system that pilots will accept. Less Costly EVS Sensors on the Way? Speaking at an Embry-Riddle seminar on the future of aviation maintenance in late May, an engineer for L-3 Avionics Systems seemed to indicate the company is conducting research into a new type of enhanced-vision system (EVS) that could sell for a fraction of the price of current cooled and uncooled sensor technology. “What’s coming next is called an uncooled BST, or barium strontium titanate, and that technology is very, very inexpensive,” said L-3 field service engineer William Tramper in describing one promising new EVS technology. “We’re expecting to be able to offer an enhanced-vision system for a Lancair or Columbia or Cirrus at a price range somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000. And that’s something that we’re going to jump at because of the lower cost and new technology.” An L-3 Avionics spokeswoman emphasized that Tramper’s comments were meant more to convey a sense of what technologies might be coming to aviation and not to announce a specific program in the works at the company. EVS makers are known to be exploring a number of less costly technologies, although BST has not been widely mentioned. Kollsman produces the EVS for large Gulfstreams and is developing a lighter, less expensive uncooled system for smaller aircraft. Sandel sells cockpit moving maps and TAWS designed to occupy minimal space in the panel. EVS - Case Study Abstract This paper discusses the problems inherent in the design of cameras for A/C landing applications and how these were solved in the Enhanced Vision System (EVS). The EVS camera was designed by OPGAL, subcontractor to Kollsman Inc. The EVS contains a custom camera, a Head Up Display (HUD), an external window mounted in the aircraft, and an electronic control box built by Kollsman Inc. The EVS passed the FAA proof of concept during August and September 2000, and is expected to pass the certification flight in the summer of 2001. The camera-related issues addressed in this paper are: Spectral band, Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), signal receiving in fog conditions, and dynamic range. A/C Landing Visibility - Background The EVS camera is designed to provide day/night improved orientation during taxiing or flying. It allows visual landing in reduced visibility conditions, such as fog, haze, dust, smog etc. The system provides a fused, visual and near-IR picture, and displays a video image, superimposed on the pilot's Field-Of-View. The EVS video image displayed on the HUD coincides with the regular view observed by the pilot through the aircraft window. During regular landing approach, the aircraft's descent is at a 3° angle. At the Decision Height (DH), approximately 200 feet above the ground, the pilot has to recognize the runway's landing lights. If this is impossible at DH, the pilot has to execute a missed approach. The purpose of the EVS camera is to allow the pilot recognition of runway's lights at a distance of about 4,000 feet (a value obtained from the 3° descent and the 200 feet altitude). The atmospheric visibility conditions in landing applications is defined by a parameter named "Runway Visibility Range" (RVR). The RVR is the maximum distance from which runway lights are visible to the naked eye. In other words, RVR is defined as the distance at which light intensity drops to 2% of the value at zero distance. For any additional RVR distance, the runway lights signal decreases by a factor of 50. The EVS camera was designed by OPGAL, subcontractor to Kollsman Inc Technical Issues Involved in A/C Landing Visibility Four main technical issues are involved in A/C landing visibility: 1. Spectral band 2. Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) 3. Fog conditions 4. Dynamic range. http://www.opgal.com/infrared.php?actions=show&id=8

IMO Thank you Jolyn