Since our founding as Collins Radio Company, Rockwell Collins and its products have been recognized for distinctive quality and state-of-the-art technology. Collins Radio Company, founded by Arthur Collins, initially designed and produced short wave radio equipment. Our company steadily grew, and captured the world's attention when Collins supplied the equipment to establish a communications link with the South Pole expedition of Rear Admiral Richard Byrd in 1933.

Our company continued to expand its work in all phases of the communications field while broadening its technology thrust into numerous other disciplines. Collins Radio Company provided communications in America's space program, including equipment for astronauts to communicate with earth stations and equipment to track and communicate with spacecraft. Collins communications equipment was used for the Apollo, Gemini and Mercury programs, providing voice communication for every American astronaut traveling through space.

Today, Rockwell Collins designs, produces, markets and supports electronic communications, avionics and in-flight entertainment systems for commercial, military and government customers worldwide.

Learn how our longstanding commitment to innovation and operational excellence allows us to continue to produce rock-solid avionics and communications systems for customers across the globe.

1932 - 75 years ago

In 1932, aspiring engineer Walter Wirkler received his bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Two years later, he joined the 22-person team at Collins Radio Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he grew into one of the most prolific engineers and scientists our company has ever seen.

After spending one year at Collins Radio Company, Wirkler moved on to The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where he later received his post-graduate degree. In 1937, he rejoined Collins Radio Company where he spent the next 13 years. Throughout his tenure at our company, Wirkler received 18 U.S. Patents.

An early invention – Walter Wirker led the design and development of the High Frequency Radio direction finder, which is pictured here in one of the restricted areas at Main Plant in Cedar Rapids in 1946. Wirkler was one of the most prolific engineers and scientists our company has seen. 
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During World War II, Wirkler led the design and development of the High Frequency Radio direction finders. Eventually deployed along the East Coast and Gulf Coast of the United States, the Collins Direction Finders (DF) significantly affected the United States military's success in the war. In fact, the direction finders were credited with breaking the Nazi U-boat attacks.

Following the war, Wirkler filed and received seven patents for radio direction finders. Wirkler later invented the early auto-pilots, aircraft navigation computers, and instrument landing systems. He and Arthur Collins, our company's founder, went on to patent the first horizontal situation indicator for aircraft.

A bound collection of technical papers titled, The Works of Walter Wirkler, which were written between November 1945 and May 1953, now resides in our company's history museum in Cedar Rapids. Seemingly intended as the foundation for development work by other Collins Radio Company engineers, these papers were collected and bound sometime in 1967.

1957 - 50 years ago

Employees from North American Aviation and Collins Radio Company worked together in 1957 on cutting-edge aviation and space technology. North American Aviation went on to become part of Rockwell International. Collins designed and built the communication and navigation systems for the X-15 Rocket Plane. This equipment, which derived from our company's standard Communication Navigation Identification (CNI) package for military jets, was delivered in August 1958.

Unlike any other experimental aircraft, the X-15 was carried aloft by a B-52 bomber and was launched from 40,000 feet. The airplane reached speeds of nearly 4,000 mph and altitudes of more than 120,000 feet - carrying mankind to the very edge of space for the first time in history. The knowledge and experience gained from these flights were critical for future space program success and development of high performing fighter aircraft.

1982 - 25 years ago

In March 1982, Ed Gabryszewski of Sterling Heights, Mich., experienced a near-fatal mid-air collision over Detroit. The helicopter pilot was knocked unconscious and claims it was a Collins Autopilot System that saved his life.

"There's no doubt about it; none whatsoever in my mind," said Gabryszewski, who was knocked unconscious when a 5-pound duck crashed through the helicopter windscreen with explosive force. "Without the Collins autopilot, I'd probably be dead right now."

A pilot for WJBK-TV (CBS) in Detroit, Gabryszewski had just dropped off a news crew and was returning to Berz-Macomb Airport in Utica, Mich. After clearing the city skyline, he turned on the Collins APS-841H autopilot in the Bell JetRanger III helicopter.

"(The duck) took out two-thirds of the windscreen on the pilot's side and struck me square in the face," said Gabryszewski. "The force of the impact broke my nose. But the duck, from the instant it was on my face, shielded my eyes from the flying Plexiglas that followed through the hole."

Revived by the cold air 90 seconds later, Gabryszewski found himself still cruising at 700 feet and 110 knots over Detroit. He was slumped over the co-pilot's seat, and as he tried to pull himself up, he grabbed the cyclic and disengaged the autopilot.

"The chopper started to climb immediately and began to do an inverted roll to the right," said Gabryszewski. "I was only semi-conscious, but I could feel what was going on, so I fought to regain control. Then, I realized I could get some help. I punched up the autopilot again and let go of the cyclic. The chopper came back around."

Gabryszewski landed the helicopter safely at Big Beaver Airport in Big Beaver, Mich. He made a full recovery and considered himself "very fortunate, very lucky."

The president of Storer Broadcasting Co. in Miami, Ohio, which owned WJBK, had authorized the installation of the Collins APS-841H at Gabryszewski's request.

1997 - 10 years ago

Rockwell International, Inc., was a company experiencing a wealth of new ideas a decade ago. From acquiring Airshow in Tustin, Calif., to equipping revolutionary new aircraft with avionics systems, the company continued to evolve.

Leading the way in the aviation industry, Airshow was the first company to license airborne TV content in 1997. The Collins Airshow Network, launched that same year, was in service on hundreds of aircraft by 2003.

One of the aviation industry's newest and most versatile inventions also was introduced in 1997 - the Bell Boeing 609 civil tiltrotor. This civilian aircraft was the first to have the ability to fly like an airplane and hover like a helicopter. The aircraft was built to perform at-sea rescues, medical emergencies and other missions with great ease. On board this innovative aircraft was the Collins Pro Line 21 avionics system, which offered pilots critical flight information during these special missions.

Strategically placed to continue its evolution, Rockwell International was a forward-thinking company prepared to foster new ideas well into the future.

2002 - 5 years ago

Rockwell Collins forged ahead with new, innovative ideas in 2002, which was proof there was indeed life in the aerospace and defense market despite the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001.

Our company was the first in our industry to successfully demonstrate worldwide high frequency (HF) email capability into the Defense Department's (DoD) Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SPIRNET), Unclassified Information Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) and Internet. This marked the first time the U.S. Air Force was able to send secure emails worldwide using HF communication without needing to know the aircraft location.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Rockwell Collins the industry's first FAA Technical Standard Order approval for Multi-Mode Receivers (MMR) equipped with Microwave Landing System (MLS) functionality that can work in both commercial and military aircraft.

In addition, our company continued to lead the way with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in 2002. Rockwell Collins was the first in the aerospace and defense industry to receive Baseline Design Review (BDR) approval for our Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) operational software with no platform restrictions. Our company also was the first in the industry to produce GPS products equipped with SAASM and the operational software.

- The information in this article was compiled and written by Marielle Rodeheffer and Rod Blocksome. Rodeheffer was an intern in Enterprise Communications at Rockwell Collins. Blocksome is a longtime Rockwell Collins employee and principal electrical engineer in Government Systems.