Two test units will be ready for installation and evaluation in early 2001. BFGoodrich already is under contract to provide HUMS systems for the Navy. TRW's recently acquired subsidiary, Lucas Aerospace, will design and manufacture the hoists. Powered by a 270-volt DC motor, the hoist has a capacity of 600 pounds and a speed of up to 325 feet per minute. Other features include night vision capability and a cable length indicator display.
Deliveries begin next summer.
TRW also signed a contract to provide 75 hoists to the U.S. Marine Corps for the UH-1N. The Marine Corps deliveries are scheduled to begin in January. Cypher II can hover like a helicopter or be flown as a fixed-wing aircraft up to 125 knots at a range of more than 100 nautical miles. When operating as a rotary-wing vehicle, Cypher II can operate autonomously in confined areas to support urban operations. The safety of the shrouded rotor is particularly important for UAVs designed for urban warfare reconnaissance, where ground troops may be working in close proximity to the vehicle. People Schweizer Appoints Alfred Staufer Schweizer Aircraft has hired Alfred Staufer to become the company's marketing director for Latin America and the Middle East.