Rockwell Collins

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Aerospace industry,Defense
Founded	2001(2001)
Defunct	November 27, 2018(2018-11-27)
Fate	Acquired byUnited Technologies Corporationand merged withUTC Aerospace Systemsto formCollins Aerospace
Successor	Collins Aerospace
Headquarters	Cedar Rapids, Iowa,United States
Products	Avionics,Radios
Revenue	US$6.822 billion(2017)
Operating income	US$1.102 billion (2017)
Net income	US$705 million (2017)
Number of employees	31,200(2018)

Rockwell Collinswas amultinational corporationheadquartered inCedar Rapids,Iowa,providingavionicsandinformation technologysystems and services togovernment agenciesandaircraft manufacturers.It was formed when theCollins Radio Company,facing financial difficulties, was purchased byRockwell Internationalin 1973. In 2001, the avionics division of Rockwell International was spun off to form the current Rockwell Collins, Inc., retaining its name.

The company was acquired byUnited Technologies Corporationon November 27, 2018, and now operates as part ofCollins Aerospace,a subsidiary of theRTX Corporation(formerly Raytheon Technologies).

History

Arthur A. Collinsfounded Collins Radio Company in 1933 inCedar Rapids, Iowa.It designed and produced bothshortwave radioequipment and equipment for the AM radio broadcast industry. Collins supplied the military, the scientific community, and the larger AM radio stations with equipment. Collins provided the equipment to establish a communications link with theSouth Poleexpedition ofRear AdmiralRichard E. Byrdin 1933.

In 1936, Collins had begun production of the 12H audio console, 12X portable field announcers box, and the 300E and 300F broadcast transmitters. ThroughoutWorld War II,the 212A1 and 212B1 replaced the 12H design. Collins became the principal supplier of radio and navigation equipment used in the military.

In the postwar years, the Collins Radio Company expanded its work in the communications field, while broadening its technology into flight-control instruments, radio-communication devices, and satellite voice transmissions. Collins Radio Company provided communications for the United States' role in theSpace Race,including equipment for astronauts to communicate with earth stations and equipment to track and communicate with spacecraft. Collins communications equipment was used for ProjectsMercury,GeminiandApollo.In 1973, the U.S.Skylabprogram used Collins equipment to provide communication from the astronauts to earth.

Rockwell Collins

Rockwell Collins avionics demonstrator aircraft

After facing financial difficulties, the Collins Radio Company was purchased by Rockwell International in 1973. In 2001, the avionics division of Rockwell International was spun off to form Rockwell Collins, Inc, retaining its name. Rockwell Collins was highly concentrated in the defense and commercial avionics markets, and no longer marketed receivers to the public.

On April 28, 2000, Rockwell International Corp and its Rockwell Collins unit agreed to acquire Sony Corp's Sony Trans Com (Irvine, California) for undisclosed terms.Sony had purchased the business fromSundstrand Corporationin 1989.On December 20, 2000, Rockwell Collins expanded its services to commercial and executive aviation inMercosurcountries.

The company had acquired several companies, including Hughes-Avicom's in-flight entertainment business (1998), Sony Trans Com (2000), Intertrade Ltd., Flight Dynamics, K Systems, Inc. (Kaiser companies), Communication Solutions, Inc., Airshow, Inc. (2002), NLX (Simulation Business) in 2003,portions ofEvans & Sutherland,TELDIX GmbH,IP Unwired, Anzus Inc. in 2006, Information Technology and Applications Corp in 2007,Athena Technologies,Datapath Inc. (divested in 2014), SEOS Displays Ltd.,Air Routing Internationalin 2010,Computing Technologies for Aviation (CTA) in 2011,ARINCin 2014,andBE Aerospacein 2017.

The company was among the major suppliers ofin-flight entertainment(IFE). Rockwell Collins' key competitors in this industry includedPanasonic Avionics Corporation,Thales Group,andJetBlue's IFE subsidiaryLiveTV,which was later purchased by Thales in 2014 for $400 million.

In 2010, the company employed over 20,000 peopleand had an annual turnover ofUS$4.665 billion. Its nonexecutive chairman was Anthony Carbone following the retirement ofClayton M. Jones. In September 2012, Kelly Ortberg was appointed as president of the company.In August 2013, Kelly Ortberg was appointed CEO of Rockwell Collins.

Acquisition by United Technologies

On September 4, 2017,United TechnologiesofFarmington, Connecticut,agreed to acquire the company for $30 billion.The transaction closed on November 26, 2018.

Past products

Broadcast transmitters

Starting in the mid-1930s, the Collins Radio Company constructed and soldtransmittersand audio mi xing consoles to thebroadcastindustry.

In 1939, the model 12 Speech Input Console, in addition to the 26C limiter amplifier, was licensed to Canadian Marconi Co. for both sales in Canada and His Majesty's Service for the war effort.Collins' success in constructing broadcast transmitters continued to grow, selling well over a thousand up to the start of World War II. DuringWorld War II,Collins' expertise grew in high-power transmitters, producing designs that ran well over 15 kilowatts (kW) of RF power on a continuous basis. After the war, some AM transmitters were produced, called the 300G, and remain the finest in low-power AM transmitters (300W) ever produced.

Collins remained an important manufacturer of AM and FM broadcast radio transmitters for the commercial market surviving the drastic cost-cutting market of the 1960s and 1970s.The transmitter line was later sold toContinental Electronics,which continued to produce a number of Collins designs under its own nameplate before phasing them out in the 1980s.

Shortwave transmitters

Collins produced several shortwave transmitters to the commercial market. A "30" Series production catered to the growing need of state highway patrol agencies and Department of Commerce aviation needs. During World War II, Collins produced high-power transmitters for aircraft, notably theART-13equipped with automatic tuning circuits, which represented an important enhancement for airborne radio communications.

After World War II, Collins supported both broadcast and the growing postwar amateur radio market. TheUnited States Coast Guard CutterUSCGCCourierwas employed as seagoing relay station forVoice of Americaprogramming using twoCollins 207B-1 transmitters.

Amateur radiotransmitters included the 32V-1, -2, and -3, the KWS-1, and the rack-mounted KW-1.

Receivers

Around 1947, the company introduced their first amateur radio receiver, the 75A-1 (called the 75A). This set achieved excellent stability for the time due to high build quality and the use of a permeability tuned oscillator in its second conversion stage. It was one of the few double-conversionsuperheterodyneson the market, and covered only the amateur bands.

With the experience gained in the design of the 75A-1, Collins released the 51J-1 receiver, a general-coverage HF set covering500kHzto30MHz.It was produced in somewhat updated versions (51J-2, 51J-3, 51J-4) for about a decade. It was known as the R-388 and was used in multiple receiver diversityradioteletypeinstallations.

The 75A amateur line was updated throughout the early 1950s, finishing with the75A-4,which was released in 1955. The Collins mechanical filter was introduced to consumers in the 75A-3, and the 75A-4 was one of the first receivers marketed specifically as asingle sidebandreceiver.

CollinsR-390Aradio receiver

Around 1950, Collins began designing the R-390 (500kHz—30MHz) for the US military. This was intended to be a receiver of the highest performance available, with the ruggedness and serviceability required for military duty. It featured direct mechanical digital frequency readout. The set is composed of several modules for easy field repair—a bad module could simply be swapped out and repaired later, or junked. Sets built during the original 1951 contract cost the government aboutUS$2,500(equivalent to $29,346 in 2023) each, and around 16,000 were produced.

Concurrently, Collins developed the R-389, a long-wave version with fewer than 1,000 made. The R-391, another variant of the R-390, allowed choice of eight different autotuned channels.

Three years later, Collins delivered theR-390Ato the military. About 54,000 were produced and the set was a military workhorse until the 1970s. Like the R-390, it can outperform many modern radios, to the point that it was designatedtop secretuntil the late 1960s.

In 1958, Collins replaced the 75A series with the much smaller 75S series, part of the S/Line. These featured mechanical filters, very accurate frequency readout, and excellent stability. At the request of the US government, Collins designed the 51S-1 general-coverage set, which was essentially (in intended use) a physically smaller replacement for the 51J series. It was not intended as a replacement for the higher-performance R-390A, and unlike the R-390A, it was extensively marketed for commercial use.

Collins produced a few high-performancesolid-statereceivers in the 1970s, such as the 651S-1. Like theirtubepredecessors, these are coveted by collectors today.

Transceivers and systems

With the introduction of the S/Line in 1958, Collins moved from designing individual products that could be used together, to ones that were designed to integrate and operate together, in various combinations, as a system. They were the first equipment maker to take this approach. Collins was also the first to introduce a compactHFtransceiver,the KWM-1, the year before. Together, these two innovations put Collins temporarily ahead of its competition, and set the stage for other manufacturers and the next generation of amateur (and military) HF radio equipment.

The 75S-1 receiver and 32S-1 transmitter, comprising the heart of the S/Line, operated separately or together to transceive. The units included crystalband-pass filtersand a new compact design that provided stable, highly linear tuning across 200 kHzband segments.The S/Line tuning-dial mechanism was unique when introduced. It used concentric dials and a gear mechanism that provided precise dial resolution, better than 1 kHz.

Collins S/Line – 516F-2 power supply, 75S-3B receiver, 32S-3 transmitter, 312B-4 console, SM-1 microphone,circa1969

Within a few years, Collins had introduced additional S/Line components, including the 30S-1 kilowatt power amplifier, the 30L-1 desktop power amplifier, and the 62S-1transverter,which provided coverage of the 6-m (50 MHz) and 2-m (144 MHz) amateur bands. The KWM-2 transceiver replaced the KWM-1 using many of the S/Line's design features and matching its styling. Other accessories included speakers, microphones, and control consoles.

Illustrating the uniqueness of their new, smaller units in the market, Collins advertisements in the 1950s and early 1960s emphasized the S/Line's physical styling and size, as often as they did its performance.

Collins continued to improve the S/Line, first introducing the S-2, then the S-3 units, the 75S-3 (and -3A, -3B and -3C) receiver, and the 32S-3 and -3A transmitters. The -3A and -3C units were identical to the -3 and -3B units, respectively, except they provided an extra set ofheterodyneoscillator crystals, enabling them to cover extra bands – useful for military, amateur andMARSoperation, where operation just outside the regular amateur bands was necessary.

Collins 30L-1 Amplifiercirca1970

Among amateur radio operators, the S/Line established its reputation as perhaps the most solidly engineered equipment available, and the most costly. As a result, S/Line equipment, and the A-Line and other predecessors, are restored, prized, and operated on the air by collectors today.

Collins continued to produce the S/Line well into the late 1970s, and after its acquisition by Rockwell.

In 1978, with the move to solid-state design, the S/Line came to an end after a two-decade production run. The KWM-380 transceiver was introduced the next year, a break with the past both in its use of transistors and digital technology, and its styling. It was Collins' final entry in the amateur radio market until it was discontinued in the mid-1980s.

Computers

In the 1960s, the company designed and sold C-System computerized message-switching equipment, built an intranet, and began implementing computer storage of design data for circuit boards and assemblies. They had a goal of automating all functions from parts ordering and inventory to factory scheduling to generation of maintenance provisioning. With products technically successful and far ahead of their time in many respects, Mr. Collins continued to invest in development at a rate that could not be supported by sales when a downturn occurred, and began to have financial problems.

Network Transmission Systems

In 1991, Rockwell sold its Richardson, Texas-based Network Transmission Systems division toAlcatel.

Acquisitions

In 2008, Rockwell Collins acquired Athena Technologies forUS$107million (equivalent to $151.42million in 2023).

ARINC Acquisition

In August 2013, Rockwell Collins announced the agreement to purchaseARINC.On December 23, 2013, Rockwell Collins announced it had completed its acquisition of ARINC forUS$1.4billion (equivalent to $1.83billion in 2023).The purchase of ARINC allowed Rockwell Collins to shift their balance in commercial aviation.

B/E Aerospace Acquisition

In April 2017, Rockwell Collins entered theaircraft cabininteriors market through the acquisition ofB/E AerospaceforUS$8.3billion (equivalent to $10.32billion in 2023).Based inWellington, Florida,B/E products included seating, food and beverage preparation and storage equipment, lighting and oxygen systems, and modular galley and lavatory systems for commercial airliners and business jets. B/E benefits from rivalZodiac Aerospace's delivery troubles. Retrofit opportunities are provided by its $12 billion installed base. B/E shareholders received 20% of the new Rockwell, which then had $8.1 billion in revenues and $1.9 billion in pretax earnings with nearly 30,000 employees.

Rockwell Collins filed for regulatory approval for its intended acquisition of B/E Aerospace, before thePhilippine Competition Commission,since the latter has a branch in the Philippines operating a manufacturing plant in Tanauan, Batangas.

As a result of the acquisition, a newly created direct or indirect subsidiary of Rockwell, Quarterback Merger Sub Corp., merged with and into B/E Aerospace, with the latter surviving the merger as a direct or indirect subsidiary of Rockwell Collins.

Organizational structure

Rockwell Collins has five main divisions:

• Commercial Systems (CS)
• Government Systems (GS)
• International and Service Solutions (I&SS)
• Information Management Services (IMS)
• Interior Systems (IS)

The CS division services the commercial airline industry and business aircraft, providing navigation, communication,synthetic vision,other cockpit products such asautolandautopilots,and cabin products such as in-flight entertainment. The GS division services primarily the US government and military, but also provides some products and services to foreign governments with close ties to the United States. Notable government-related projects that Rockwell Collins has involvement with areCommon Avionics Architecture System(CAAS),Joint Tactical Radio System(JTRS),Tactical Targeting Network Technology(TTNT),Defense Advanced GPS Receiver(DAGR), andFuture Combat Systems.The I&SS division is an amalgamation of International Business organization, whose responsibility is sales, engineering, and human resources of personnel outside of North America, and Service Solutions, which provides support services such as customer support, simulation and training, and technical publications. I&SS provides a common service to both CS and GS divisions, and its formation was announced on the Rockwell Collins press release web page on February 19, 2010.

Donald R. Beall Advanced Technology Center

The Donald R. Beall Advanced Technology Center is a research and development center within Rockwell Collins that focuses on creating, identifying, and maturing technologies targeted at driving business growth. It maintains a portfolio that balances short-term deliverables focused on core and adjacent markets, with technologies for long-term growth. It has three departments: Advanced Radio Systems, Communications and Navigation Systems, and Embedded Information Systems.

Collector community

As with several other brands ofvintage radioequipment, an active community of Collins radio enthusiasts exists, with clubs, web sites, andon-line discussionsdedicated to restoring and operating the equipment. The Collins Collectors Associationand the Collins Radio Associationare two examples of such organizations.

Groups of Collins users also organize meetings, gatherings athamfests,and regularly scheduled on-air discussions callednets.

Tax avoidance

See also:tax avoidance

In December 2019,CNBClisted Rockwell Collins along with 91 additionalFortune500companies that "paid an effective federal tax rate of 0% or less" as a result of theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

See also

• E. F. Johnson Company
• Future Air Navigation System
• Hallicrafters
• Hammarlund
• National Radio Company
• R. L. Drake Company
• Rockwell Automation
• Signal/One
• Vintage amateur radio
• United Technologies Corporation

Further reading

• Braband, Ken.The First 50 Years, A History of Collins Radio Company and the Collins Divisions of Rockwell International,Stamats Communications, 1983.
• Russ Sutton, W3MY (March 2020). "The History of Collins Radio".QST.104(3).American Radio Relay League:100–101.ISSN0033-4812.{{cite journal}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

• Official website
• Business data for Rockwell Collins:
  • Google
  • SEC filings
  • Yahoo!
• TheCollins Radio Company recordsArchived2012-11-30 at theWayback Machineare housed at the University of Iowa Special Collections & University Archives.
• Rockwell Collins Museum
• Collins equipment catalogs and manuals
• Collins SignalArchived2018-11-14 at theWayback Machineproduct bulletin publications
• Collins PulseArchived2019-05-08 at theWayback Machinearchived company newsletters