Hydro-Aire Inc. (Crane Aerospace & Electronics)

Hydro-Aire is one of the brands of Crane Aerospace & Electronics, a unit of Crane Co. It designs and builds brake control systems, landing gear controls and hydraulic components for commercial, regional, business and military aircraft. Hydro-Aire and Boeing pioneered aircraft brake control in 1946, and the first system flew on the Boeing B-47 in 1947. Crane Aerospace was formed in 1999 by merging Hydro-Aire with ELDEC, Lear Romec and Interpoint.

Products

• Antiskid systems: Mark III analog, Mark IV digital and Mark V brake-by-wire
• Autobrake systems, standard on all current production Boeing aircraft, and parking brakes
• Integrated brake temperature monitoring and SmartStem wireless tire pressure monitoring
• Landing gear control systems, with ELDEC, covering gear and door actuation, sequencing and nose wheel steering control
• Hydraulic equipment: servo valves, shut-off valves, hydraulic fuses, shuttle valves, brake control manifolds and emergency park brake valves
• Zero Wheel Speed Transducer for wheel speed feedback

Aircraft supported

The Mark IV antiskid is standard on all current production Boeing aircraft. Military applications have included the F-4, F-15, F/A-18, C-135, B-1 and C-17, plus an F-16 brake control redesign. Crane says it supplies most antiskid systems for major regional and business jet makers.

Company facts

• Brake control work dates from 1946
• Part of Crane Aerospace & Electronics since 1999
• Crane A&E headquarters in Lynnwood, Washington, with nine main production sites including Burbank, California
• Parent Crane Co. founded in 1855