Robust Automated Platform for Information Download (RAPID) for Wireless Airborne Data Recovery

Mayflower's RAPID (Robust Automated Platform for Information Download) proposal capitalizes on emerging wireless technologies to reduce the cost of downloading airborne recorder flight data. RAPID builds on our work for the Army on the MINT (Mobile Infostation Network Technology) program, and modifies it to address the Navy requirements of coverage up to 2000 ft at high data rates to support the 1553 data interface as well as the very high speed interfaces, such as IEEE 1394, on future military aircraft. An important Navy objective is low-cost, flight-worthy hardware that can be easily integrated with the onboard flight data recorder. RAPID proposes to enhance the IEEE 802.11a physical layer with smart antenna technologies and an optimized MAC layer to increase the range, robustness, and effective data rates, while retaining the cost advantage. RAPID is anticipated to sustain multiple high data rate links in the presence of high-powered jamming, over distances greater than possible with the baseline commercial technology. The Phase I feasibility study will demonstrate meeting the Navy objectives of low cost, low power consumption, non-interference with aircraft functionality, and an economy of rewiring. In the Phase II program, we will build a prototype RAPID and demonstrate its functionality.