The WINARM, later WinArm32, was originally developed for the investigation of accidents and incidents and was successfully used in civil aviation and the air force. Created by the efforts of investigators - specialists in the field of aerodynamics, flight dynamics and aircraft control, involving experience of airline pilots, test pilots and engineers, the system is constantly in operation since 1995 and continuously improved in the military units, civil aviation structures in different bureaus abroad. The development efforts resulted in a series of software products in use in various parts of the world, designed for the purposes of airliners, MRO, civil aviation agencies, military units, investigative boards, design bureaus and research organizations.
What does the WINARM stands for?
The name WinArm – is the name get from the Russian ARM  (АРМ) – Automated working station, and the Win – means for Windows based computers. The ARM – was a commonly used abbreviation indicating such a systems before.
Objectives and tasks facing the developers.
The main purpose of this software development was a desire to have a modern, versatile, flexible and easy to use tool based on a personal computer to collect and analyse the FDR data, which would be able to replace an obsolete and outdated complex LUCH-84, and at the same time to meet stringent requirements on the accuracy and completeness of the data readout and processing, faced while accident investigation. Unlike obsolete (old-computers-based) systems, the early PC-based computer systems of 90-ies did not satisfy these strong requirements. Created for investigative and research purposes, the high-precision complex WinArm was gradually adapted to the routine tasks of the airliners, military units, design bureaus and etc.
WinArm today.
Currently, the WinArm32 is a package of the automated readout, processing, analysis and presentation software implemented for IBM-compatible PCs running MS Windows – XP/ 7/ 8 /10. Modern microprocessor technologies were applied while developing the readout hardware for tape-based FDRs readout allowing customers to download the data remotely and quickly.
Whom the WinArm is created for?
The complex has a friendly intuitive interface and extensive reference database, making work easy and convenient. This software product is intended for specialists in the processing and analysis of flight information, as well as for pilots and technical staff of airlines, and allows to quickly acquire the necessary skills to employees with varying degrees of training. Bilingual support allows to work with the Russian and English interfaces and to create output documents in two languages. There are detailed operating manuals in Russian and English languages presented.
Versatility.
Unlike all of the previously-built and unlike most of the modern systems, the architecture of the WinArm32 allowed the user to process the information of almost all the FDRs of the eastern and western design without any modification. The hardware versatility enabled the use of readout devices developed before or even to refuse from them – using modern technical solutions. The system provided a flexible way of creating new data-frames of any kind of any common ARINC standard, as well as for old-style soviet-designed recorders data streams, dedicated customer-defined information and etc.
Openness of the system.
Modularity of the WinArm32 architecture allowed the user to create customized lists of patterns, and parameters for processing of the FDR data with any known data-frame structure. The core of the system allowed to create and modify user-defined parameters and to generate express-analysis (FDA/FDM) algorithms within a convenient system of documentation and confirmation of events. Developing of the algorithms, templates, standard tasks and graphical forms became available within the user-friendly GUI.
Flight path calculations
The WinArm became the first software at CIS market implementing the possibility of a rapid airplane flight path calculations and 3-D reconstructions with the integration of the mapping data and later on with the utilisation of the geoinformation satellite data. The synchronization with the text and sound information made the complex the most powerful and effective mean for investigations and for monitoring of flight safety by airlines.
SMS integration
Various degrees of integration of the WinArm to the airliner’s flight safety assurance programs (SMS) while data primary processing and further analysis allowed to work on the identification of hazardous deviations in the flight technique and operation of aviation equipment and to become extremely efficient in risk management and in flight safety predictive measures design. The WinArm32 became the first software available at CIS market to be fully compatible with the ICAO FDA/FDM requirements in early 2000-s.
The effectiveness of the system
The architecture of the complex and it’s mobility made it possible for customers to use the full range of its capabilities in isolation from the main base as well, utilising the ease of data exchange, together with a high degree of protection of information. All this allowed to make processed data accessible from anywhere in the world. WinArm32 system is effective where the real need of accurate and objective information related to the flight safety is existed.
The demand for work
All the advantages of the system developed, paralleled with the constant modification and customer-oriented approach made the WinArm32 to be one of the most demanded instruments among airliners in Russian and CIS market. It was also very much welcomed by design bureaus, MRO and research institutes. The investigative opportunities of the WinArm32 left it without a competition for years.