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Industry Firsts
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 Industry Firsts
From our earliest days to our most recent advancements, Honeywell Aerospace
has pushed the limits of technological development. With nearly a century of
aerospace achievements, our lineage includes many of the great names in
aviation - Sperry, Bendix, Garret, AiResearch, Pioneer, Lycoming, Grimes, King
and AlliedSignal. We celebrate our past accomplishments and look forward to
pushing the envelope of aerospace innovation by delivering responsive
high-performance technology that meets the current and future needs of our
customers.
1910s
 | First autopilot flight controller (Sperry Gyro Stabilizer) - 1914 |
1920s
| First navigation system (Pioneer Instruments Earth Inductor Compass) -
1927 |
| First modern instrument-only flight (Sperry Horizon and Directional Gyro) -
1929 |
1930s
| First directional system (Sperry Gyropilot & Sperry Radio Direction
Finder) - 1933 |
| First automatic direction finder (Pioneer ADF) - 1936 |
| First all-aluminum aircraft intercooler (B-17) - 1939 |
1940s
| First surge protection valve for oil coolers (P38) - 1940 |
| First heat exchangers for cooling pressurized cabin air (Stratoliner)
-1940 |
| First volume production of cabin pressure regulators (B-29) - 1941 |
| First elliptical oil cooler -1942 |
| First in the perfection of an air expansion turbine for aircraft cabin
refrigeration (F-80) - 1944 |
| First dual-differential cabin pressure control (F-80) - 1945 |
| First air cycle ECS (Constellation) - 1945 |
| First panel-mounted line of avionics equipment for general aviation
aircraft - 1945 |
| First conception and development of low-pressure pneumatic starting system
for main jet engine (XP5Y/R3Y) - 1946 |
| First production commercial cabin pressure system (Constellation) -
1946 |
| First cabin-pressurization system (G Pressurization System for Bell X-1
Experimental Aircraft) - 1947 |
| First engine-driven cabin air compressor (Constellation and Convair
240/340) - 1947 |
| First aircraft air turbine starter capable of giving unlimited starts
(XP5Y) - 1948 |
| First "push-button" flight across Atlantic (Douglas C-54 with
Bendix Automatic Engine controls) - 1948 |
| First production of air turbine auxiliary drive for aircraft (XP5Y) -
1949 |
1950s
| First solid-propellant electro-hydraulic power system for missiles (CF100)
- 1950 |
| First ram air turbine for aircraft emergency power - 1951 |
| First all-pneumatic temperature control system (F-11F) - 1952 |
| First combined auxiliary power and refrigeration unit - 1953 |
| First airborne operated and started auxiliary gas turbine using main engine
augmented air (C-133) - 1954 |
| First commercial weather radar system (Bendix RDR-1) - 1954 |
| First transistorized autopilot (Eclipse-Pioneer PB20 on USAF C-133) -
1954 |
| First gas turbine engine (T53 & T55 helicopter engines) -
1953/1955 |
| First fully optimized central air data system (F4H (A3J) - 1955 |
| First production turbine accessory power unit for missiles (Nike Hercules)
- 1956 |
| First aircraft-type vapor cycle cooling system (Electra) - 1956 |
| First cabin air turbocompressor (707) - 1957 |
| First stainless steel plate fin heat exchanger (F-101) - 1957 |
| First manned rocket launched vehicle environmental system (X-15) -
1958 |
| First manned space vehicle oxygen system (Project Mercury) - 1959 |
| First combined bleed air and shaft power gas turbine aircraft auxiliary
power units (GTCP85) - 1959 |
1960s
| First multi-contoured surface oil cooler (707) - 1960 |
| First infrared cryogenic cooling system (F-14) - 1960
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| First complete pneumatic air cycle ECS (727) - 1961 |
| First complete ECS for three-man, two-week Apollo spacecraft - 1961 |
| First closed-cycle cryogenic cooling system (OV-1) - 1962 |
| First completed JetStar.(AiResearch) - 1962 |
| First use of gas turbine APU for commercial aircraft (727) - 1963 |
| First development and production of a jet fuel starter for self-start
capability for fighter aircraft (A7D) - 1964 |
| First HS125 to U.S. market (AiResearch) - 1964 |
| First extravehicular life-support chestpack (Project Gemini) - 1965
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| First supercritical cryogenic helium storage system on the moon - 1966 |
| First gas turbine hydrant shipboard system for starting USN aircraft
(CVA66) - 1967 |
| First integrated APU/ECS for commercial aircraft (DC-10) - 1967 |
| First production of full-authority APU electronic control system (747) -
1968 |
| First production helicopter air cycle ECS (Huey Cobra) - 1968 |
| First testing of a practical TCAS system - 1968
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| First Inertial Navigation System (INS) in a business aircraft (AiResearch)
- 1968 |
| First digital air inlet control system (F-14) - 1969 |
| First production application of Air Cycle Machine Foil Bearings (DC-10) -
1969 |
| First production application of fluidic control (DC-10) - 1969 |
| Steering System-Actuator for the Lunar Lander - 1969 |
1970s
| First integrated jet fuel starter/airframe-mounted accessory drive system
(F15) - 1970 |
| First rotary actuator for leading edge system (F-16) - 1971 |
| First flight-weight electron beam gun - 1972 |
| First corporate Boeing 727 (AiResearch) - 1972 |
| First high-bypass turboshaft engine (TFE731) - 1972
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| First application of air bearings in military air cycle air conditioning
(A7E) - 1973 |
| First on-board oxygen generating system - 1973 |
| First mechanical rotary actuator for trailing edge flap system (747-SP) -
1974 |
| First business jet turbofan engine (TFE731) - 1975 |
| First turbofan to fly over 55,000 feet - 1975 |
| First production hydrazine EPU (F-16) - 1976
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| First digital system for General Aviation (BX-2000 VHF NAV/COM system) -
1976 |
| First production of military load compressor APU (F-18) - 1977 |
| First digital electronic cabin pressure control system (Sabreliner 65) -
1977 |
| First production military bootstrap air-condition system using air bearings
(F-18) - 1978 |
| First rotary actuator for primary flight control (F-18) - 1979 |
| First fully automatic, dual channel, micro-processor-based digital cabin
pressure control system using converging nozzle valves for B757/767 - 1979 |
| First sub-freezing high pressure water separation ECS (B767/757) -
1979 |
| First 731 HS125 engine retrofit (AiResearch) - 1979 |
1980s
| First turbine power pack (AGT1500 for M1 Tank) - 1980 |
| First production digital micro-processor-based temperature control system
(757/767) - 1980 |
| First digital micro-processor-based, full-authority APU controller
(767/757/A310) - 1981 |
| First air turbine cartridge starter system for production fighter aircraft
(F-5G) - 1981 |
1990s
| First Integrated Bleed Air/Cabin Pressure Controller (B777) - 1991
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| First Integrated Vapor Cycle/Air Cycle/Thermal Management System (F-22) -
1993 |
| First air bearing motor/blower for space application (ISS CDRA) - 1994 |
| First FAA certification for Forward Looking Wind Shear weather radar system
(RDR-4B) - 1994
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| First direct digital controlled motor for space actuation (ISS IMCA)
-1996
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| First oil less, variable speed vapor cycle (F-22) - 1999
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| First FAA certification for Forward Looking Wind Shear weather radar system
(RDR-4B) - 1994 |
2000s
| First production integration of ECS/APU/thermal management/electric power
into single system (JSF) - 2002 |
| First integrated APU/ECS controller/control (Hawker Horizon) - 2002
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| First titanium heat exchanger (JSF) - 2003 |
| First high accuracy, fuel pump metering, "pump-on-demand", fuel
control (PTMS) -2003 |
| First modular aerospace control (MAC) - 2003 |
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