Prescott, Ariz., March 6, 2002, Avionics industry pioneer Paul Wulfsberg, founder of Wulfsberg Electronics, died Feb. 18 in Prairie Village, Kan. He was 83.

      Wulfsberg, an avionics engineer, launched the company that still bears his name in 1970. Working from two rented rooms in Overland Park, Kan., he began developing the products that would evolve into a distinguished family of air-to ground communications systems for rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft.

      Today, Wulfsberg Electronics is a world leader in the design and manufacture of tactical airborne FM/AM radio communications and Nav/Com systems and boasts annual sales of more than $20 million.

      "Paul was a strong, compassionate leader," said Ron Montgomery, vice president and general manager of Wulfsberg Electronics. "We have lost a great friend and mentor to many in our industry."

      "No matter where he went or what he did, Paul was on the leading edge of technology development," said Walter Crawford, Wulfsberg Electronics vice president of marketing. "He was a pioneer, an innovator and an inspirational leader."

      By the time Wulfsberg started his own company, he had already completed a career at Collins Radio Co. (1940-1965), where he developed a line of air transport navigation and communications equipment. At King Radio (1965-1970), he was instrumental in development of the Gold Crown® line of solid state radios, which is still popular today.

      But working for himself, Wulfsberg quickly developed a unique air-to-ground radio telephone known as the Flitefone® and unveiled it at the National Business Aircraft Association convention in 1971.

      He then applied Flitefone technology to his next breakthrough product ­ a six channel, crystal-controlled, two-way FM radio for police and fire personnel ­ the forerunner to today's synthesized Flexcomm® system.

      In 1977, Business and Commercial Aviation Magazine profiled Wulfsberg in an article entitled, "Wulfsberg Electronics Invents a New Kind of Radio Before Anyone Else Knows it is Needed." In 1980, Wulfsberg Electronics was named Manufacturer of the Year by the Aviation Electronics Association and Paul Wulfsberg was named "Kansas Small Businessman of the Year."

      Under Wulfsberg's leadership, the company's sales increased from $300,000 in 1972 to more than $6 million in 1980. He retired after selling the company to Sundstrand Corp. in 1984, and the business continued to prosper. The business was sold to AlliedSignal Aerospace in 1994 and then to Chelton Avionics in 1997.

      Based in Prescott, Ariz., Wulfsberg Electronics, a division of Chelton Avionics, today employs more than 100 people in a 60,000 square-foot facility located near the city's municipal airport.

      Based in the U.K., Chelton Avionics, Inc. is a wholly owned business unit of Cobham plc, and has sales in excess of £690 million ($1 billion). Cobham designs and manufactures equipment, specialized systems and components for the aerospace, defense, industrial and communications markets, and operates, maintains and modifies aircraft, particularly in support of special mission flight operations. Wulfsberg is one of six Chelton Avionics companies, including Comant Industries, Northern Airborne Technology, Artex Aircraft Supplies, ACR Electronics, and Chelton Antennas.

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Photo: Paul Wulfsberg.jpg

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