Wireless Airborne Data Recovery System

With the advent of miniaturized electronics in airplane avionics and digital cockpits, the type and amount of data that can be recorded during an aircraft flight has increased dramatically. Data could include basic flight data, "weapon system" data (such as radar performance), or aircraft health monitoring and usage data (such as engine data or airframe stress and corrosion data). The ability to download data securely, wirelessly, with automatic or remote download control offers attractive advantages. The primary advantages afforded by radio frequency (RF) signaling are the drastic elimination of wire runs, underground conduits, and disruption of operations during installation, increased efficiency of data download, and reduced labor and safety risk to technical support personnel. This Phase I proposal will build upon the experience and results gained from 3eTI's Phase III shipboard implementations of secure wireless LAN's and secure wireless machinery monitoring and ITCN's Phase III airborne implementations of multiple stream, real-time, data monitoring and correlation to develop a concept design for a wireless data download from a T-45C Airborne Data Recorder (ADR) to a Ground Station. The design concept will be an innovative, integrated, secure wireless solution that is ready for prototyping in a Phase II demonstration.