Message from the chairman

Hispano-Suiza, a major player in the airborne applications of electrical power.

We aim to position Hispano-Suiza as a major player in electrical power applications on aircraft. We have refocused our business on three primary areas: the transmission of power; the management of electrical power in a network; and its conversion into energy for local use based on power electronics components.

Our general objective is to supply a complete electrical power management solution for aircraft. Starting with a primary energy source, namely the aircraft engine, we offer optimized electrical power generation including a mechanical power transmission system. By calling on the other areas of excellence within the Safran group, we can supply smart solutions for the optimized management and distribution of electrical power. We will also continue to offer power electronics solutions that convert this electrical power into energy that can be directly used by the aircraft’s equipment.

We have all the assets needed to meet this challenge. Hispano-Suiza is the world’s leading supplier of engine power transmissions, with a market share of nearly 60% of all mainline jets (over 100 seats). We further consolidated our leadership in July 2008 with a major contract award from Rolls-Royce to provide the complete power transmission system for the Trent XWB, which will power the Airbus A350 XWB. Development work on this program is proceeding full speed ahead. We also passed several historic milestones in 2009: the 4,000th power transmission delivered to Rolls-Royce in February, then the delivery of the 20,000th CFM56 engine with its Hispano-Suiza power transmission in October.

Hispano-Suiza already has a large installed base of power electronics equipment, including several applications on leading aircraft programs using “more electric” technology: ETRAS®, the electrical thrust reverser actuation system for the Airbus A380, developed in conjunction with fellow Safran company Aircelle; EBAC, the electrical brake actuation controller for the electric brakes on the Boeing 787, developed by Messier-Bugatti, also a Safran group company; and the electrical backup mechanical actuator (EBMA), also by Messier-Bugatti, that controls the electro-mechanical opening and closing of the A400M’s landing gear doors in backup mode, for which we developed the electrical drivetrain.

We are now well on our way to achieving our objectives. Building on our world leadership in our legacy business of power transmissions, and drawing on very promising results in initial power electronics applications, Hispano-Suiza has made an excellent start in the current trend towards “more electric” aircraft, with our division Safran Power leading the way for the entire Safran group.

Olivier Horaist
Chairman and CEO