Company's Re-engining Programs Will Be Delayed

Clifford Development announced an agreement Friday with Innovative Solutions & Support, Inc. (IS&S) to provide a certified Air Data Integration Unit to meet newly defined Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification requirements for all Williams International FJ44-3A engine installations. Combined with the new FAA requirement, the IS&S contract will impact development of the company's Williams re-engining programs for older Cessna Citations.

The company says the newly instituted FAA requirement mandates a higher level of safety and reliability than the current Williams-supplied engine inlet temperature probe can provide. The newly designed Air Data Integration Unit (ADIU) system supplies critical temperature readings to the engine’s Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system for automatic engine power management, as well as other required airframe parameters.

As ANN has reported, Clifford is working to certify its installations of the Williams International FJ44-3A engines on the Cessna Citation II and Citation SII. Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) were anticipated in March 2008, but have been delayed five months pending certification of the IS&S Air Data Integration Unit.

Under the agreement, IS&S will provide a TSO certified Air Data Integration Unit that provides air data, ARINC 429 bus consolidation and triple redundant Total Air Temperature (TAT) management inputs to the engine’s FADEC system.

"We are very pleased to have the full support of IS&S in this important project," said Jim Clifford, chief executive officer of Clifford Development. "In mid 2007, the FAA reviewed and mandated stronger requirements for Williams FJ44-3A installations. Working with the FAA and Williams International, our engineers identified a certifiable solution and began an engineering effort to meet the evolving requirements. In September 2007 when our Citation II first flew, triple redundant temperature probes were installed on the airplane."

IS&S is the second company to contract with Clifford Development for the ADIU development effort. The first company recently withdrew from the project after losing a long-running intellectual property lawsuit.

Clifford notes its Citation II certification airplane has been flown extensively. Initial flight test results suggest that the modified Citation II and Citation SII will likely exceed their initial performance projections.

"The remaining key item in completing our STCs for the Citation II and SII is the IS&S unit’s certification. We believe our solution will be the first one certified for Williams FJ44-3A installations on any airplane," Clifford noted. "I am pleased that we were fully engaged with FAA on our programs as these new requirements emerged. While we regret the delay and the impact on customers, the end result will be a better, safer airplane."

The Citation II and SII engine conversions are priced at $2,185,000 and $2,275,000.

FMI: www.clifforddevelopmentgroup.com, www.innovative-ss.com