Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

UTC Aerospace Systems (Chalet 338 Static C2) has won contracts covering 12 systems on the Boeing 777X, including the big twin’s electric power generating system. Designed to provide 25-percent more power than the UTC system now on the current generation 777, the system consists of two 150-kVA integrated drive generators, an auxiliary generator, three generator control units and a bus power control unit. 
The U.S.-based group also announced that it will supply the new Boeing twinjet’s cabin air conditioning and temperature control system, airfoil and cowl ice protection system and the entire ventilation system’s suite of fans. According to UTC, the three systems increase performance, enhance reliability and improve passenger comfort.
Other UTC Systems on the 777X include the fire/overheat protection system, power door opening system actuation and a new, lighter-weight cargo loading system with enhanced power drive units and controls. 
UTC also won the contracts for cabin attendant seating, brakes, main wheels and nose wheels. The 777X brakes use UTC’s Duracarb carbon material, which it claims provides 35-percent more brake life than competing models. Finally, UTC will supply a suite of sensors for various 777X functions, including specialty heating, waste and water management and various air data systems. 
Here in Paris, UTC is highlighting its proficiency in integrating so-called “more electric” technologies across a variety of platforms, including the Boeing 787’s electric system, electrically driven environmental controls, high-power motor controls and auxiliary power and electric braking system. Aircraft that use UTC electric system aircraft on display here include those from Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream and Mitsubishi. 
According to Dave Carter, UTC’s senior vice president for engineering and quality, reducing weight, heat and cost in electric motors and their controllers has been a major focus of research and development effort, as has been the pushed for more integrated aircraft systems. At its newly opened electrical systems development center in the UK, engineers are working on new high power motor controllers with around twice the power density of today’s units. “We’re looking at architecture with which we can run multiple devices off ganged motor controllers at the same time,” he explained.
The company is also exploring possibilities for high-voltage DC and AC systems to power peripheral devices around the aircraft, while reducing weight, cost and the amount of wiring and bracketing required. Its sensors group is working on wireless and self-powered sensors that could collect the data needed for more effective health monitoring of aircraft systems.
UTC is also highlighting its use of data from systems onboard aircraft to monitor operating conditions and track aircraft position while en route. The company’s aircraft data management (ADM) system uses “big data” that new aircraft generate for crew awareness in flight and allows ground-based teams maintained by the operator to share it. Combining aircraft health information with positioning information allows operators to maintain a clear view of the entire fleet that’s in flight at any given time, according to UTC. 
UTC To Establish Regional Distribution Centers
UTC Aerospace Systems has announced plans to establish regional material distribution sites around the world this year. Plans call for the sites to provide operators with critical aircraft on ground (AOG) and reliability hardware for programs including the Boeing 787, Airbus A350 and A320neo. The regional distribution centers will serve customers in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East with material to supplement inventories of operators that have fully provisioned their fleets. UTC plans to open the first site this summer in the Netherlands.

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