Travels in Italy

Italy was a launch customer for the new J model, or Hercules II, and part of that deal was to join the Italians in a similar venture; upgrading the ancient Italian G-222 by Alenia Aerospazio. Designated the C-27J, it is "half a Herk" with two engines rather than four. From the C-130J the C-27J gets the same engines, same avionics, and just delete the 2 extra engines from the software. What could be more simple, eh ?

MARIETTA, GEORGIA TO TURIN, ITALY

In addition to being Responsible Engineer for V/UHF Communications, I was also selected to represent all software and avionics on the flight line in Turin, Italy. This was a rotation duty shared among Tilson, Pappu and myself.

Waiting is the hardest part. I was told to finish my tasks in the USA and be ready to go within the week. I heard this for so many weeks it became a joke. Finally in December 1999, Mr Tilson and I flew our first trip to Turin via Zurich. We found the Spartan prototype filled with unterminated wires, hanging like jungle vines. Apart from the airframe itself, most of the Spartan appeared to still be in pieces. However we managed to get one avionics system powered up and working before the end of December 1999, so our management was happy to say the program had begun avionics testing before the millenium.

Several time I went to Turin to live and work. Most American engineers and visiting bosses worked in Alenia Aerospazio's Flight Test Centre, a glass monolith with a slick control room, a grandstand view of the runway and the civil airport on the other side. But we three always stayed with the protptype airplanes, usually at an ancient desk in the back of the hangar where most of the integration and testing was done. Its sweaty in the summer, frozen in the winter, and always dirty. But we love it, because that's where the airplane lives. To make a copy or receive a fax you have to steal that many sheets of blank paper and bring them with you to the machine. Telephoning Alenia's main plant 12 km away is like calling Africa. Everyone in town has a cell phone (GSM system) because the land lines are so horrible.

TURIN, ITALY

Whats the differnce between USA and Europe ? In Europe 100 mi is a long distance, but in USA 100 years is a long time !

Turin is steeped in antiquity, monuments are everywhere. Busses and cars cross the Po river over stone bridges that have been in constant use for centuries. Outside town, modern roads run through carefully tended farms and vineyards.

Turin is also home to the Shroud of Turin, an ancient linen cloth bearing stains in the shape of a crucified man, believed to be the burial shroud of Christ. Normally it is kept in a climate controlled vault under the Cathedral of Turin and a replica is on display, but once or twice each century the actual Shroud of Turin is displayed in the Cathedral for public viewing. In 2000 I saw it in the Cathedral of Turin.

THE SPARTAN PROJECT

My assignment was to integrate and test Avionics and Software for the Spartan. Three prototype aircraft were built. The C-27J Spartanis derived from the Alenia G-222 in a joint venture between Lockheed and Alenia Aerospazio in Italy.

First Flight of a C-27J Spartan protptype with its new propulsion system was in Turin, Italy, on September 27, 1999, at 09:21 EST, with Gianluca Evangelisti, Alenia Aerospazio Chief Test Pilot for Transport Aircraft, and Agostino Frediani, co-pilot, at the controls. The Spartan flew to 15000 ft for flutter and assymetric thrust tests, and landed at 10:50 EST, no major aircraft squawks were reported.

Avionics for the Spartan were developed in three stages: Block 1 was for development, Block 2 for civil certification, and Block 3 for Military Qualification. Software for the Comm Nav Ident Managment System (CNI-MS) from Honeywell could not include communications in time for Block 1, so I modified my systems for stand-alone operation in Block 1.

First Flight of a Spartan with Block 1 avionics was in Turin, Italy, on MMM DD, 2000, no major aircraft squawks were reported. Nate Tilson was the flight line duty engineer in Italy leading up to Block 1 first flight.

First Flight of a Spartan with Block 2 avionics was in Turin, Italy, on MMM DD, 2000. Since Honeywell missed having COMM software for Block 1, Block 2 became both my "development" and my "certification" which worried me a bit. I was the flight line duty engineer in Italy, representing all of Avionics IPT (Integrated Product Team) and Software IPT for the final integration and testing in the months leading up to Block 2 first flight, which allowed me to personally supervise the conversion of COMM from stand-alone to integrated, and to conduct through ground tests. Furthermore, this particular prototype had not flown in Block 1, and our plan was to skip ahead directly to the unproven Block 2 for first flight, thereby recovering some schedule. The last night before the aircraft was taken away for first flight prep, three avionics systems still had failures and tests were incomplete. I went to Mr Russo, Alenia Flight Line Boss, and explained. Mr Russo has absolute authority on the Flight Line, and everything I needed began to appear miraculously. Block 2 avionics flew on schedule, the flight went well, and I returned to the USA for some R&R.

Civil Certification of Spartan with Block 2 avionics was granted at the Paris Air Show, on MMM DD, 2001.

Military Qualification of Spartan with Block 3 avionics was complete by the end of 2001.

FRIENDS

From this web site many people contact me who have interest in electromagnetics or who conduct investigations in all parts of the spectrum. I emailed one correspondent that I was preparing for duty in Turin, Italy and he replied "Come see me, I'm only 30 km away !" Arriving in Italy I already had a native friend, Renato Romero.

My experience in Italy was much richer by the friendship of Renato Romero and Marco Bruno who invited me to their homes and made me feel as family on outings in the counrtyside. Renato Romero is a telecom engineer and serious technical hobbyist who is keen to improve his English. Marco Bruno has a business in electronic test equipment, but I'm sure he could open a successful restaurant, and his wife could be a great travel agent !

Many new Italian friends came my way as colleagues on the Spartan program, cafeteria workers, people at the hotel, in shops, in cafes, on the street, in the park, everywhere. Italians appear to be cynical, quarrelsome and they drive like demons, but inside they have a great spirit, humor and enduring love for family, friends and food.

NATURAL RADIO

Renato Romero is keen to improve his English and has established a remarkable collection in English of technical works concerning electromagnetic signals below 22 kHz, visit Renato Romero's OpenLab at www.vlf.it to learn more. If you have an interest in VLF, OpenLab is a great place to start.

THE COUNTRYSIDE

I commend my team mates, the Italian flight line workers, and the people of Turin.

CIAO, BABY !

 

Altair Home trv_turin.html, Copyright © July 2001 Altair. EMail altair@altair.org