Since launching the Zing engine data-gathering service at last year’s NBAA Convention, Honeywell has been testing the system in a select group of customer airplanes in preparation for its official rollout. Zing eliminates the need for a mechanic to plug a laptop computer into an airplane to download engine operating data. It instead allows wireless transmission of engine information by tapping into the existing GSM/GPRS cellphone network. After landing, the pilot presses a button and Zing latches onto the network and automatically transmits the data from that flight to Honeywell’s technical operations center (TOC) in Phoenix.
In the first implementation of Zing, data from Honeywell TFE731-5BR engines is recorded from the digital electronic engine controllers (DEEC) and sent back to the manufacturer. The data is used for engine condition trend monitoring, to issue exception alerts for problems that are detected, for automated diagnostics checks and to share information with Honeywell engine experts and service centers.
