For nearly a century, Honeywell and its legacy companies-Sperry, Bendix,
Garret, AiResearch, Pioneer, Lycoming, Grimes, King and AlliedSignal- have been
at the forefront of both military and civilian aviation history.
The first autopilot in 1914, Charles Lindbergh's first successful solo flight
across the Atlantic in 1927, Amelia Earhart's landmark flight in 1932, and the
world's first sonic boom in 1947, were all made possible because of aviation
technology developed by Honeywell and its legacy companies.
During World War II, the groundbreaking cabin pressurization system developed
by Garrett, Honeywell's integrated C-1 autopilot, and the Norden bombsight made
high-altitude bombing first feasible. Sperry instruments and navigation gear,
Bendix electronics, carburetors, wheels, and brakes, and Grimes lighting
systems were widely used on World War II aircraft. These innovations were later
implemented successfully in civilian aircraft, helping the post-war boom in
passenger travel.
In the 1950's, Honeywell Aerospace and its legacy companies changed the face of
flying with the development of the first gas-turbine engines and the ring laser
gyroscope, which dramatically changed guidance and navigation forever. Sperry
brought computer technology to the cockpit with electronic flight instrument
systems, flight management systems and other digital technology, and Bendix
introduced the first commercial weather radar system.
Today, Honeywell Aerospace continues to innovate in the frontier of flight
safety with traffic alert and collision avoidance technologies, the
AlliedSignal Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, and systems that help
pilots avoid severe weather and hazards such as lightning and wind shear. We at
Honeywell Aerospace are proud of our contributions to aviation history, but
we're just as proud of the history we're making today.
We have created the state-of-the-art integrated Aircraft Environment
Surveillance System for the Airbus A380, and our advanced flight management,
power distribution, pneumatic, and landing systems will help A380 operators
reach new heights of performance and efficiency.
We are a leading supplier of products and systems for Boeing commercial
airplanes, and our integrated avionics system for the Boeing 777 sets a new
technology and reliability standard. Today, we are part of the team working to
define technology concepts for the next Boeing airplane, the super-efficient
777.
The general, experimental, and light business aviation industries also turn to
our respected Bendix/King range of communication and navigation avionics,
weather radars, flight controls, flight information services, and other
products and services that help make flying safer, more affordable, and more
enjoyable.
Honeywell Aerospace continues to work to improve the capabilities of military
forces, developing systems that power unmanned vehicles, avionics for jet
fighters, weapon sensors for precision targeting, and upgrades that extend the
lives of proven aircraft and vehicles. We're part of the Lockheed Martin team
working on the Joint Strike Fighter program, and we're proposing a wide range
of systems for the Army's Future Combat System.
For more than 40 years, Honeywell technology has helped with the exploration
and creation of opportunities in space. Our products have been integral to Neil
Armstrong's first step on the moon, and to every manned mission to space since.
Today, the Space Shuttle is equipped with Honeywell's Multifunction Electronic
Display Subsystem, and we're reaching into the future of space technology, with
our work for the anticipated shuttle successor, the Orbital Space Plane, the
International Space Station, and our contributions toward creating a permanent
orbiting scientific laboratory and workspace.
As powered flight begins its second century, Honeywell Aerospace continues to
make history with leading technology, reliable products and systems, superior
service, and dedicated employees. The contributions of Honeywell, its legacy
companies, and five generations of employees, have advanced the science of
aviation to make flying the world's safest form of transportation, while
helping to protect our nation and explore the universe. We look forward to
continuing our long tradition of developing and delivering innovative aviation
systems that meet the current, and anticipate the future, needs of the
customer.
Our History