Cockpit Instruments & Displays
We've evolved together with instruments
Yoshihira Wada
When various modern industrial products were introduced to Japan from abroad in the late 19th century, a man invented a new Japanese word "keiki" as a translation of "instrument." He developed the first pressure instrument in Japan all by himself, without the help of instructions or licenses from engineers of then-advanced countries. The man is our founder, Yoshihira Wada. He is the father not only of Tokyo Aircraft Instrument (or Tokyo Koku Keiki in Japanese, where the abbreviation TKK comes from) but also of Japan's instrument industry.
From the very start in 1937, TKK developed and manufactured gyro instruments (directional gyros, gyro horizons, and rate gyros) and magnetic compasses for aircraft. Since then, we have produced a variety of cockpit instruments and displays. We are the sole Japanese manufacturer of diaphragm instruments i.e. barometric altimeters, airspeed indicators, and vertical speed indicators.
In 1967, TKK established a fully-owned American subsidiary United Instruments Inc. in Wichita, Kansas as a foothold for overeseas market.
Through United Instruments, we supply mechanical instruments for general aviation such as Cessna, Beechcraft and Piper Aircraft.
TKK is also a tier-1 supplier to The Boeing Company. We started supplying our LK-35 series Standby Altimeters to the great airframer in the early 1980's. Over 3,000 units have been delivered for 737, 747, 757 and 767 airliners.
As a long-time partner of Boeing, we provide product support for the LK-35 that is still used by airlines around the world.
LK-35 Standby Altimeter on Boeing 757
