Gulfstream Aerospace selects Collins Airshow 21 for G500 and G550 aircraft; Advanced cabin electronics system to feature new, all-digital CMS

ORLANDO, Fla. (October 06, 2003) - Rockwell Collins' Airshow 21 cabin electronics system has been selected by Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), for its large-cabin, ultra-long-range G500 and G550 business jet aircraft.

Collins Airshow 21 is designed with the flexibility to allow Gulfstream owners to personalize the cabin during completion. The system features an advanced new cabin management system (CMS) based on IEEE 1394 FireWire technology, and forms the “backbone” for a wide range of equipment used to control amenities in the cabin such as lighting and temperature along with state-of-the-art audio and video distribution of cabin entertainment content.

Initial flight of a G550 equipped with the new cabin system took place in July. Additional installations are underway in aircraft production and at completion centers in Long Beach, Calif., and Savannah, Ga.

"Airshow 21 provides Gulfstream customers with a cabin infrastructure of unprecedented operational flexibility and operability, with enhanced features and reliability a generation beyond anything else on the market," said Pres Henne, senior vice president, engineering and test.

The system features a fully digital backbone running at 400Mb per second, which is ideal for distributing multi-media information. The CMS is designed to enable users to control the lights, temperature and data communication as well as digital audio and video to in-seat monitors, headsets, cabin speakers and bulkhead monitors throughout the cabin.

The advanced design is based on a ring topology, with no point-to-point wiring required. The system is self-healing, intelligently rerouting data in case of a failure. The plug-and-play feature allows for installation flexibility practically anywhere in the cabin, while the system automatically detects and installs new components in a matter of minutes.

"This new cabin system was truly a collaborative effort with Gulfstream," said Denny Helgeson, vice president and general manager, Business and Regional Systems for Rockwell Collins. "We worked closely with Gulfstream engineering and program teams to ensure design, production, and delivery requirements were totally in-line with their requirements for new aircraft delivery. The new system has the added benefit of allowing easy retrofits and upgrades –such as changing A-V equipment, or adding new displays or switch panels post-delivery to meet the on-going needs of the Gulfstream user."

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