Crossbow Technology Powers Two Revolutionary One-Man Aircraft; Inertial Products Essential to the Success of the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer and Springtail Personal Air Vehicle.

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Crossbow Technology, Inc. (www.xbow.com), the leading manufacturer of MEMS-based sensor systems for both the inertial guidance and wireless mesh networking markets, is playing a key role in two of the world's most ambitious manned flight applications. Crossbow inertial guidance systems are at the heart of the record-breaking Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer from Scaled Composites, LLC, and the Springtail one-man air vehicle from Trek Aerospace, Inc. Both the Global Flyer and the Springtail use off-the-shelf intelligent sensing solutions from Crossbow, products designed to save time and money for Crossbow's aviation customers.

In March of this year, pilot Steve Fossett successfully guided the Global Flyer to the first solo round-the-world flight, completing the non-stop voyage in just over 67 hours. The Global Flyer, billed as the world's most fuel-efficient jet airplane, relied on Crossbow's Altitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) for primary flight attitude and heading guidance. The AHRS500GA is the world's first stand-alone MEMS-based AHRS to receive FAA certification.

"The Global Flyer placed demands on the Crossbow AHRS that were unlike any other airborne application. After nearly three days of non-stop operation, our product performed perfectly and gave the pilot reliable, accurate information all the way around the world," said Crossbow President and CEO Mike Horton. "When we designed this AHRS, we never imagined that it would be used to guide a solo pilot in a world-record flight. The Global Flyer's success makes us very proud."

The Springtail, recently featured on the CBS News program "60 Minutes," is a single operator powered-lift vehicle developed by Trek Aerospace (www.trekaerospace.com). Reminiscent of the "jet packs" of the 1960's, Springtail can take-off and land almost anywhere. The operator steps onto the vehicle and rides in a standing position just beneath a pair of ducts, each of which contains a fan. These "ducted fans" generate the thrust which allows the vehicle to get airborne. Trek's unique design allows their ducted fans to achieve an amazing eight pounds of thrust per horsepower -- twice the nearest competitor.

Springtail is operated by an advanced fly-by-wire computer control system. The fans are counter-rotating, eliminating the torque that is normally associated with a single rotor, making the vehicle easier to fly. The ducts and fans tilt, individually, to increase forward speed and provide directional control. Vanes mounted in the ducts, just below the fans, are also used for directional control. The gasoline engine is mounted just behind the operator for easy access.

At the heart of the Springtail's control system is Crossbow's IMU400 6DOF, an Inertial Measurement Unit that provides full six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) motion sensing for navigation and control systems. Angular rate and acceleration are measured about three orthogonal axes. The Crossbow IMU400 6DOF is a solid-state IMU utilizing the latest MEMS micro-machined sensing technology combined with digital signal processing to provide reliable, easy-to-use inertial systems in a small, lightweight package.

"Without the Crossbow IMU, the Springtail would be unflyable," says Trek Aerospace Vice President Timothy Worley, Jr. "The flight computer and the Crossbow IMU do the flying. The pilot just tells the Springtail where to go."

Horton sees a broad range of uses and applications for the Springtail. "Imagine being able to fly above the traffic on the way to work, at nearly 100 miles per hour. You've got to have complete confidence in your guidance and control systems, and that's what Crossbow brings to the Springtail."

About Crossbow Technology

Founded in 1995, Crossbow Technology, Inc. is the leading supplier of MEMS-based inertial systems and wireless sensor networks. Crossbow has for years been at the forefront of creating and deploying inertial sensors and inertial systems based on the latest MEMS sensor technology. Crossbow's product line of Dynamic Measurement Units (DMUs) leads the industry in MEMS-based inertial systems including IMUs, vertical gyros, and complete AHRS systems. Crossbow's AHRS500GA is the first unaided MEMS-based AHRS to receive FAA certification. Softsense sensor compensation technology and unique patented inertial algorithms have made Crossbow the leader in MEMS-based inertial systems in land, marine, and aviation markets.

Crossbow is also a leading supplier of inertial sensor systems for aviation, land and marine applications, and other instrumentation sensors. The company has shipped more than 500,000 of its advanced sensors to more than 1,000 customers, including select Fortune 100 and other leading industrial, defense, technology, civil engineering and manufacturing companies. The company's strategic partners include Intel Corporation.

Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Crossbow has distributors in 24 countries worldwide. The company received its ISO 9001/2000 Certification in May 2002, its FAA Certification for the AHRS500GA in January 2003 and its FCC Certification for the MICAz in October 2004. Contact Crossbow at [phone], e-mail [e-mail] or visit Crossbow on the Web at www.xbow.com.

Crossbow Technology is a registered trademark of Crossbow Technology, Inc. All other corporate names or trademarks stated herein are the property of their respective companies. (C)2005 Crossbow Technology, Inc.