Understanding the Role of Aircraft Data Printers: Spotlight on Part 8055515-4501
Aircraft data printers are rugged, compact thermal printers installed in commercial aircraft. These narrow-format printers, typically around 4.25–4.4 inches wide, meet global avionics standards and connect to onboard digital data buses to produce hard-copy output. In practice, an aircraft data printer like the Honeywell/BendixKing PTA-45B part 8055515-4501 is a stationary thermal line printer designed for cockpit use.
It combines a high-reliability stepper-motor power supply with a thermal printhead, yielding quiet operation and sharp text output. In short, these printers convert digital flight and maintenance data into paper output for use by pilots and ground crews.
Data printers typically interface with multiple ARINC-429 channels and adhere to ARINC-740 mounting/interface requirements. It prints in standard text formats, up to 80 characters per line on roll-fed thermal paper and runs off aircraft electrical power. The narrow footprint of these printers allows installation in cockpits, often alongside flight deck ACARS terminals or other avionics. In summary, aircraft data printers are specialized onboard printers that turn digital avionics messages into physical paper records for the crew and maintenance teams.
Importance of Data Printing in Aviation
Aircraft data printing is essential for operational efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance. Physical printouts provide an immediate, reliable reference for pilots and technicians without relying on complex menu navigation on screens. Pilots often prefer hard copies of critical information to avoid transcription errors. For example, ATIS weather and altimeter settings received via ACARS are routinely printed out so the crew can quickly glance at a paper copy when needed. Likewise, if a flight plan is significantly rerouted en route, company procedures may require annotating a printed flight plan rather than manually copying the changes. Having these documents on paper serves as a “backup” in case onboard computers fail or need to be rebooted.
Key reasons aircraft data printers are vital include:
Flight Deck Documents
They output navigation charts, weather updates, ATIS, PDC clearances, and revised flight plans. Pilots can tap “PRINT” and avoid re-entering lengthy data, like clearance or ATIS, by hand. This is often faster and more accurate in scenarios where time is of the essence.
Maintenance Logs and Reports
Modern aircraft generate maintenance status messages and fault reports via ARINC-429. Printers produce hard copies of these system health messages for mechanics and engineers. Maintenance crews rely on printed system reports and status summaries at the gate to diagnose issues.
Communication Records
Systems like ACARS or Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System send two-way messages between air and ground. Although these messages could be displayed on electronic flight bags or screens, many operators choose to print them so there is a tangible, chronologically-ordered record in the cockpit. A hard copy helps ensure nothing is missed and provides an audit trail of messages.
Regulatory and Company Procedures
Some rules and airline SOPs explicitly require paper backups. For instance, on transoceanic flights, crews may be mandated to have a printed copy of the flight plan and oceanic clearance. Additionally, printouts make it simple to sign ATC clearance documents or load sheets.
Overview: Part 8055515-4501
Part 8055515-4501 is a specific model of cockpit data printer produced by Honeywell. This part is more or less a variant of the PTA-45B series thermal printer and is a narrow-format, high-reliability thermal line printer designed for commercial aircraft.
Interfaces/Connectivity: Supports up to 12 ARINC-429 input channels with a single ARINC-429 output for control/status.
Printing Specs: It has the capability to print up to 80 characters per line and 7 lines per inch, and uses 4.375-inch wide thermal paper rolls.
Standards Compliance: Certified to ARINC 740, the part 8055515-4501 is used as the factory-standard cockpit printer on many airliners, including Airbus A319/A320/A321 and older Boeing/MD-class jets.
Reliability: Designed for a long service life of around 10,000 hours or more. It frequently surpasses military and commercial airborne dependability standards and is designed to withstand the environmental demands of the aviation industry.
These features make 8055515-4501 an ideal part to be used in most aircraft. It is essentially the same hardware that has been vetted on hundreds of transport-category aircraft for decades. In practice, the 8055515-4501 prints exactly the kinds of outputs pilots need: flight plans, ATIS/weather, ACARS messages and clearance documents, and any maintenance or status pages generated by the aircraft’s systems.
Conclusion
Aircraft data printers play a crucial support role in aviation by bridging digital avionics and physical paper records. They ensure that flight crews always have access to accurate, up-to-date information on demand and provide ground teams with much-needed maintenance reports. Part 8055515-4501 exemplifies this and is built to meet ARINC standards and used on many commercial airliners.
Because these printers are vital for both safety and efficiency, sourcing them through a reputable aircraft parts supplier such as GFA is important. A qualified supplier will ensure the component is genuine, certified, and properly supported. In the end, having a reliable printer like 8055515-4501 and keeping it well-maintained means that crews and technicians can depend on clear, legible data whenever they need it, without worrying about transcription errors or equipment failure.
