Sagem carries out first flight test of HRG-based navigation system for commercial aircraft

Sagem (Safran), the European leader in navigation systems, has carried out the first flight test on an Airbus A320 of the prototype of a new inertial navigation system based on hemispherical resonator gyros (HRG).

The flight on May 29 used Safran’s own Airbus flying testbed (F-HGNT), and lasted one hour between Toulouse and Paris. The system’s navigation precision as measured during this flight was significantly better than that stipulated by the international Arinc 704 standard1.

This patented HRG navigation technology will enable Sagem to offer a navigation system in the near future that will meet the future requirements of commercial air transport, while helping to ensure flight safety.

The hemispherical resonator gyro has a very different design from the other technologies used in current navigation systems. It reduces weight, size and power consumption, while offering very competitive operating costs because it is virtually maintenance-free.

This first test validated Sagem’s strategy for the development of HRG-based navigation systems. Sagem’s HRG products are already in production for space applications, as well as the new BlueNaute system for ships, and the Epsilon 20 land navigation system. Based on this growing range of applications, HRG technology has largely demonstrated its growth potential in the commercial aviation market.

Sagem has over 60 years of experience in advanced navigation systems, with acknowledged expertise in the full range of inertial technologies: laser gyros, mechanical gyros, vibrating gyros, hemispherical resonator gyros (HRG), fiber optic gyros (FOG) and MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems).