Meggitt PLC is optimistic about future prospects

Citation

(2002), "Meggitt PLC is optimistic about future prospects", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 74 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2002.12774faf.004

Meggitt PLC is optimistic about future prospects

Meggitt PLC is optimistic about future prospects

Keywords: Meggitt PLC, Aerospace, Business development

Meggitt PLC, at the recent Farnborough 2002, reported that it was in a confident mood. Its strong position in the civil and defence market and its breadth of skills in aerospace and high value sensors has meant that it has been able to mitigate the downturn in civil markets following the tragic events of September 11, whilst still maintaining a product development budget of over £25 million, or 6 per cent of turnover. It took immediate steps to cut costs in response to changing market conditions (Plate 1).

New aerospace programmes this year have include a new bleed air leak detection sensor (BALD) system for a major US defence contractor, thus opening up a new market for Meggitt Safety Systems. This new sensor not only provides an alarm signal to the cockpit, but also allows airline maintenance personnel to rapidly and accurately locate failed components within the structure of an aircraft.

Plate 1 Terry Twigger, Chief Executive Meggitt PLC

Meggitt S-TEC in the US has completed development work on a new advanced digital autopilot, the 2100, aimed at higher performance general aviation aircraft. It is the first of a family of advanced autopilots designed to be mounted on the cockpit panel or pedestal to interface with flight information sources, including Meggitt’s MAGIC@, its new generation integrated flightdeck and Electronic Flight Instrument System. The first MAGIC 2100 was certificated and ready for delivery on the Twin Commander 690A by early July. Twin Commander dealers were then authorised to sell these systems to the fleet.

Endevco, another Meggitt company based in California, together with Boeing, has developed a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) based belt to measure pressure at multiple points on an aircraft’s skin during development.

Meggitt’s defence business, which accounts for 23 per cent of its total sales, is said to be buoyant, recently bolstered by a launch order of its new 350 kt free flying Voodoo target from AIDC Taiwan. Voodoo made its UK debut at Farnborough 2002. Deliveries of an initial six units to Taiwan, a long established customer of Meggitt’s popular Banshee target, will take place at the end of this year.

A further significant civil contract was secured early this month when Meggitt’s Aerospace Systems’ Vibro-Meter won a $100 million order, spread over 10 years, from Rolls-Royce for engine health monitoring for the Trent 900 engine aboard the Airbus A380. Earlier this year Meggitt won a sensor package for the Trent 900 – including temperature sensors from Safety Systems, oil level sensors from

We were also informed that avionics and vibration sensors from Vibro-Meter. Meggitt’s Vibro-Meter engine monitoring systems will also feature on the all new Embraer 170 and 190 regional jets. The 170 will enter service in early 2003 with SWISS.

In other new developments, Meggitt tells us that it is to provide avionics aboard the new single-engine Pilatus PC-21 trainer. The new flat screen avionics displays take the technology from its secondary flight displays (SFDs) which have now been selected for over 30 aircraft types. The PC-21 flew for the first time at the end of July, following the aircraft’s successful roll-out on 30 April. Pilatus is targeting 500 units for this programme.

“Not being dependent on any single segment of aerospace has served us well post September 11. We have a strong business with high value proprietary products and continue to invest in engineering development, so we are well placed to take advantage of new business opportunities, commented Meggitt PLC chief executive Terry Twigger, who marked his first year as CEO early this year. ‘It has been an interesting and challenging year’, he observed, noting that Meggitt’s principal ingredient to success has been to keep close to its customers. If they have a problem, we will look to provide a solution”, he noted.

One example of this is the work Aerospace Equipment has been pioneering in fire and smoke alarm detection aboard aircraft. “For every genuine alarm on scheduled airliner flights, there are 200 false alarms”, said Twigger. “In our detection tests for fire and smoke and other gases, we are able to reduce this to ten.”

“On the defence side, the ageing fleet of military aircraft is seeing much higher utilisation, leading to an increased need for spares and repair support. In addition, aircraft continue to be upgraded with modern avionics. The US especially is procuring more commercial off the shelf (COTS) equipment where possible, which will benefit us. We also anticipate demand among air forces worldwide to update their weapon systems and see strong prospects for more Banshee 500 sales”, he noted.

In the general aviation market, business dipped following September 11 with the subsequent restrictions on flying within the USA. While this has led to a reduction in build rates on new programmes, Meggitt’s S-TEC, which leads the company’s MAGIC system of flight deck displays and other flightdeck avionics, continues to extend its range of Supplementary Type Certificates on existing aircraft types, and is actively targeting sales of MAGIC in the aftermarket.

Details available from: Meggitt PLC, Tel: +44 (0) 1202 847847; Fax: +44 (0) 1202 842478.