Crane Aerospace & Electronics (Hall 5 Stand A24) is here at the show providing demonstrations of its SmartStem wireless tire pressure monitor, introduced two years ago on the Boeing 777. The technology replaces existing tire inflation valve stems with a special wireless tire pressure sensor valve that communicates tire pressure, temperature and other information to the cockpit or to a handheld reader.

Eris Haas, Crane’s director of business development, showed off the company’s newest handheld reader here at the show yesterday. The unit can store up to 10,000 readings, downloadable to a PC using a USB memory stick. Unlike battery-powered tire pressure monitors used in automotive applications, SmartStem technology is passive, allowing it to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations, Haas explained.

SmartStem technology is standard aboard the Boeing 777, where tire pressure readings are delivered straight to the cockpit, and is being developed as part of the brake control and monitoring system for the Boeing 787. The monitors are also offered as optional equipment on the Cessna Citation X and Sovereign business jets.