Honeywell’s 36-150 auxiliary power unit (APU) and Honeywell Attune™ have been selected by Bell Textron, a Textron Inc. company, for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).
The selection of these Honeywell technologies reflects the company’s focus on long-term industry trends, including advancements in the future of aviation.
The 36-150 APU enhances mission readiness and operational flexibility by providing a secondary source of electrical and hydraulic power. Honeywell Attune™ is a lightweight, low-maintenance, and energy-efficient thermal management system that uses advanced technology to generate cold air or liquid to cool cabins and electronic components. The system has been selected to meet the mission needs of the FLRAA aircraft.
Honeywell’s FLRAA APU is a derivative of the highly successful 36-150 APU model series, which has demonstrated industry-leading reliability and fuel efficiency. Honeywell has delivered more than 10,000 36-150 APUs for over 20 commercial and military applications since its initial entry into service. Versions of the 36-150 APU are currently in active service on the U.S. Army’s enduring fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache helicopters.
Honeywell Attune™ is the company’s latest innovation in high-density cooling technologies. Building on decades of experience producing industry-leading air cycle systems, Honeywell developed Honeywell Attune™ with advantages in weight, size, and power over traditional systems. It is up to 35 percent lighter and 20 percent more efficient than conventional systems with comparable cooling capacity.
Rich DeGraff, president, Control Systems, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, commented, “FLRAA will deliver new long-range high speed transport capabilities to the U.S. Army helping to ensure force readiness against emerging threats. We are confident that our proven 36-150 APU and Honeywell Attune™ system will exceed the expectations of the Army throughout the FLRAA contract and subsequent active-duty service that will last beyond 2050. Honeywell looks forward to continuing to serve the Army on their future vertical lift fleet.”
Honeywell Attune™ provides Bell with a lower-risk technical solution, having already been successfully introduced into commercial aircraft for both cabin and aircraft systems cooling. The system also features Honeywell’s Solstice® zd refrigerant, making it a more environmentally friendly vapor cycle system.
