News & Updates

Hummingbird Aero International Unveils Innovative Primary Flight Control Actuation Technology at TRA Dublin Conference, RDS, Dublin

Shannon based company, Hummingbird Aero International Ltd (HBAI) showcased a prototype of their new line of electro-mechanical high-integrity primary flight control actuators at the Transport Research Arena (TRA) conference in Dublin, Ireland between April 15th and April 18th. These actuators, developed using HBAI’s RCOTS (Rapidly Configurable Off The Shelf) approach, are designed for advanced air mobility and general aviation applications.
John Kennedy, General Manager of HBAI, emphasized the significance of HBAI’s RCOTS model-based technology in accelerating the development of certifiable flight control actuators. The collaboration with manufacturing partners in Ireland ensures the production of high-integrity actuation solutions at scale.
The Hummingbird RCOTS flight control actuators offer customizable redundancy options and jam tolerance for enhanced safety in air mobility applications. Leveraging existing designs and industry expertise, the actuators accelerate the path to prototype availability, certification and optimal aircraft performance.
“We are excited to introduce a game-changing solution for primary flight control actuation,” said Kennedy. The electro-mechanical primary flight control actuator on display at TRA Dublin showcases HBAI’s commitment to innovation and sustainable aviation.

“We are excited to provide an attractive alternative for primary flight control actuation in this highly competitive space,” Barker said. “The industry has been served to date by actuation companies that are configured to serve the needs of large commercial transport or military aircraft.Using their COTS offerings typically compromises the fullest realization of what’s achievable by these new aircraft. HBAI’s RCOTS approach is configured to serve the agile, rapid prototyping aircraft developer with optimal solutions for their aircraft being developed on aggressive schedules – this will achieve the best result for these aircraft.” Brian Barker, President and CEO of HBAI partner company Hummingbird Aero LLC

Brian Barker, President and CEO of HBAI partner company Hummingbird Aero LLC

“Our new primary flight control actuator was produced in Ireland by HBAI and represents an important advance in HBAI’s entry into manufacturing advanced flight control products for both the EU and global aviation community,” said David Manzanares, Director for HBAI. “Our manufacturing partners in HBAI have long been producing high-quality precision-engineered mechanical and electronic aerospace products – their experience and pedigree offer a perfect solution for manufacturing high integrity actuation solutions at scale.” David Manzanares, Director for HBAI

Brian Barker, President and CEO of HBAI partner company Hummingbird Aero LLC

Backround Information

Hummingbird International was formed as a partnership between US-based Hummingbird Aero LLC and Shannon Precision Engineering (SPE) of Shannon, Ireland, DPF Engineering of Carlow, Ireland, and Realtime Technologies of Dublin, Ireland. HBAI was formed to directly source aerospace motion control products to global customers, and to better serve the engineering and manufacturing needs of customers in the European Union.
The new Hummingbird RCOTS flight control actuators can be produced in either rotary or linear configurations, with simplex, duplex or triplex redundancy and dissimilarity, single or dual load path, and jam tolerant when required to afford the highest levels of safety required by the emerging air mobility market. The framework for this actuation line includes existing requirements sets, circuit and component designs, development plans, analyses, and trade studies that shorten the path to bespoke test units and to certifiable actuators.
Because the Hummingbird team consists not only of industry-recognized actuation experts but also subject matter experts in complex system and electronics development according to aviation standards, the Hummingbird team can help its customers develop flight solutions that best optimize the whole aircraft. Hummingbird’s approach accelerates first flight without compromising the path to certification.

For more information, please contact John Kennedy at [email protected]. 

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