Form Cobham Avionics And Surveillance Division

Two business units within Cobham's Avionics and Surveillance Division, Chelton Flight Systems (CFS) and S-TEC, are to be merged to create an "avionics center of excellence" based in Mineral Wells, TX. The move is part of Cobham’s drive to develop a fully integrated cockpit and improve its customer focus.

The newly-integrated business unit will operate under a single management team by the end of 2008, according to Cobham officials. Those representatives add the capabilities of CFS and S-TEC are highly complementary, with products from both businesses certified together on more than 500 aircraft types. Combined, the two businesses have certified equipment and systems on some 2,000 makes/models of fixed and rotary wing aircraft for the general and business aviation markets.

S-TEC was acquired by UK-based Cobham at the beginning of 2008. The company employs 180 people and operates out of a 10-acre engineering and production campus at the Mineral Wells Airport. The S-TEC facility currently has a 57,000 square foot administration, engineering and manufacturing plant and a 28,000 square foot hangar, which houses the company’s flight operations.

"We aim to make this move transparent to our customers and dealers," said Richard Tyson, President Cobham Avionics & Surveillance. "The only change we expect anyone to see is the introduction of a number of new and exciting integrated avionics systems."

S-TEC Corporation is a leading avionics manufacturer for the business and general aviation market. Considered the industry leader in autopilot and digital flight control design and innovation, S-TEC has delivered over 35,000 systems around the world. Chelton Flight Systems manufactures the world's first FAA-certified synthetic vision EFIS, which is now STC’d on over 740 airplane and helicopter models.

FMI: www.s-teccom, www.cheltonflightsystems.com