Collins launches advanced flight computer

21st July 2021 - 09:47 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Perigon will deliver 20 times the processing power of existing flight control computers, claims Collins Aerospace. (Photo: Collins Aerospace)

The Perigon computer has been under development for three years and developer Collins Aerospace targets qualification tests in 2022.

Collins Aerospace on 20 July unveiled a new flight control and vehicle management computer called Perigon.

Based on open architecture and flexible configurability, Perigon is designed to support autonomous flight. Since 2018, when work the computer was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, Collins built a working prototype and is now performing detailed development and integration testing, with an eye on qualification testing in 2022.

Kim Kinsley, VP and GM of Environmental and Airframe Control Systems at Collins Aerospace, described ‘broad opportunities’ for Perigon in defence programmes such as sixth-generation fighter aircraft and the US Army Future Vertical Lift programme.

She added: ‘From autonomy to cybersecurity, customers want their platforms to do more than ever before. Yet more capabilities require a commensurate increase in processing power.’

The company believes Perigon will deliver 20 times the processing power of its existing flight control computers, allowing customers to load various complex software applications including autonomous and fly-by-wire flight control, cybersecurity, vehicle management and predictive health maintenance.

In addition, Collins argued, Perigon will be capable of replacing functions previously performed by multiple onboard computers, thereby delivering space, weight and cost savings.