Search results

TEXTRON Lycoming's increasing commitment to offer the best engine support to its customers was underlined recently with the formal dedication ceremony for its new Engine Support Centre (ESC) at London Luton Airport.

BRITISH Aerospace Commercial Aircraft is enjoying world wide success with the highly acclaimed Airbus series of aircraft. Recognised and accepted worldwide as a quality aircraft producer, British Aerospace (BAe) has been very selective when appointing sub‐contractors with whom it will work on the prestigious and technology driver Airbus Programme.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. unveiled its Huey II demonstrator in ceremonies held at the company's Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters on August 26, 1992. The Huey II is a modernisation programme for the legendary UH‐1H Huey. Some 60 representatives from nations operating the Huey as well as representatives of the U.S. Army attended the rollout and briefing on the Huey II. A joint programme between Bell and Textron Lycoming, the Huey II will extend the life of the UH‐1 Huey helicopter fleet into the 21st century.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, industry engineer-turned entrepreneur regarding his pioneering efforts in bringing a robotic invention to market. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

The interviewee is Geoff Howe, Senior Vice President of Howe & Howe, Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Systems and a leader in advanced robotic platform solutions and applications built and proven for the most extreme conditions in the world. Geoff and Michael Howe founded Howe & Howe Technologies in 2001 and was acquired by Textron Systems in 2018. In 2010, Howe and Howe developed one of the world’s first robotic fire-fighting solutions. Geoff Howe describes the evolution of the Thermite robotic firefighter’s commercial development, along with the challenges of breaking ground in this new industry.

Geoff and his identical twin brother, Michael Howe, are inventors, military contractors, actors and entrepreneurial businessmen famous for their philanthropic drive to give back to their community. When Geoff and Mike were just six years old, they were known as “Howe and Howe Construction.” At the age of eight, Mike and Geoff built their own one room log cabin with the power tools their mom had given them for their birthday. At 16 years old, they started tinkering with vehicles before they even had their drivers’ licenses. They both graduated from Maine high school and colleges with honors. The company’s portfolio includes the RIPSAW® , Thermite, the Badger, Subterranean Rover and other extreme vehicles used for numerous applications. In 2010, Howe and Howe completed three new vehicles. First was the Thermite™ which entered the unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) market as the USA’s first firefighting UGV. The second vehicle was Ripchair™, the development of an off-road wheelchair for those that have become disabled and are unable to walk. The third vehicle was Riptide, the amphibious version of the RIPSAW. Year 2015 saw the commercial development of the Big Dog Extreme 4x4 fire truck and the Thermite RS1 and RS3 firefighting robots. The Big Dog is an off-road truck and also serves as an all-terrain multi-use firetruck. The Thermite provides firefighters and first responders immediate eyes inside the fire as well the ability to safely attack industrial, chemical and HAZMAT fires from their core. The Thermite robot provides safety and inside access on containing and defeating fires of any magnitude.

Howe & Howe Technologies first gained notoriety in 2001, with the development of the world’s fastest tank, the RIPSAW. Successful demonstrations soon followed, which eventually allowed the Howes, at the age of 31, to be named among the youngest in history to ever receive a multi-million dollar military contract from the USA. Soon after, in 2010, Howe & Howe received a Guinness World Record for developing the world’s smallest armored vehicle, the Badger. By the time the Howes were 36, they had one world record, multiple patents pending for their product developments, as well as military contracts. The Howes also had their own reality television show on a major US network. In 2010, they completed the Thermite, Fire Fighting Unmanned Ground Vehicle. In 2012, the Howes founded “Outdoors Again,” a nonprofit 501c3 organization that holds outdoor events and social activities for those who require the use of a wheelchair.

NL Industries, Inc. and Textron Inc. signed a definite agreement for the acquisition of the Spencer‐Kellogg Division of Textron Inc. by NL Industries, Inc. for an undisclosed sum.

THE Model 230 helicopter, produced by Bell Helicopter Textron, made its first flight (August 12, 1991) at the company's commercial manufacturing facility in Quebec, Canada. The new intermediate twin‐engined helicopter was developed at the Bell plant in Mirabel. Co‐test pilots for the first flight of the Model 230 were Leo Meslin and Dwayne Williams. Also on board for the first flight was Bell engineer Steve Schmidt. Certification of the Model 230 is scheduled for the first quarter of 1992.

Describes the application of high‐velocity machining by Bell Helicopter Textron in order to produce parts below a certain wall thickness.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb037378. When citing the article, please cite: (1993), “Textron Lycoming Dedicates new Engine Support Centre”, Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 65 Iss: 5, pp. 14 - 15.