BELLEVUE, Wash., December 16, 2005—Esterline Corporation (NYSE/ESLwww.esterline.com), a leading specialty manufacturer serving aerospace/defense markets, announced today that it acquired Darchem Holdings Limited for approximately $120 million in cash. Darchem is a global leader in the manufacture of thermally engineered components for critical aerospace and defense applications. Typical components include lightweight thermal insulation for jet exhaust ducting, nacelle and thrust reverser units, environmental control ducting and heat shields. The acquisition adds approximately $70 million in annualized sales to the company’s recently reported fiscal 2005 revenues of $834 million.