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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First direct digital controlled motor for space actuation (ISS IMCA) -1996

First oil less, variable speed vapor cycle (F-22) – 1999

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

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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