June 12, 2017 - No. 047 In This Issue SpaceX could send its biggest rocket to space in three months Airbus could move aircraft production away from Britain unless Brexit demands are met Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Achieves FAA Certification DLR and Lufthansa Technik investigate aviation biofuels Advanced Vertical Takeoff and Landing Solutions Mature Aviation Fleet Honda Aircraft Company receives Transport Canada type certification for HondaJet Air Force grounds F-35A operations at training base after pilots suffered hypoxia First Flight of Airbus A330neo Expected By End of Summer AMRDEC Collaboration With Auburn To Develop Training For FAA SpaceX could send its biggest rocket to space in three months SpaceX is preparing a used booster for relaunch on June 17th, but it's apparently getting its heavy lift rocket ready for lift off sometime this year, as well. According to company chief Elon Musk's response to one of his Twitter followers, all three of the Falcon Heavy cores should be at Cape Canaveral in two to three months. If everything goes well, the rocket could make its way to space a month after that. That means the Falcon Heavy's first journey could take place as early as September, which is consistent with what the company has been planning for a while now. The 3-million-pound Falcon Heavy can carry as much as 140,000 pounds to low-earth orbit, almost thrice the payload the Falcon 9 can. It's able to fly such a big amount to space, since it was designed with manned missions to the moon and to Mars in mind. According to previous info from the private space corp, it might try to reland the rocket's upper stage during the demo flight. It'll be extremely tough due to the vehicle's weight -- Musk even admitted that the odds of success are low, but it's still worth a shot. While it'll be great to see the Falcon Heavy leave for its first journey soon, don't forget that SpaceX and other space companies are known for pushing back timelines. Sometimes, it's to give their personnel more time to perfect their work, other times it's due to unfortunate accidents. In SpaceX's case, it had to push back several planned launches after its rockets exploded. If the Falcon Heavy's demo flight does push through, make sure to keep an eye out for a live stream of the historic event. https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/11/spacex-falcon-heavy-demo-flight-september- october/ Back to Top Airbus could move aircraft production away from Britain unless Brexit demands are met Airbus could shift the production of new aircraft models out of the UK, if its demands over the free movement of people and zero trade tariffs are not met at the conclusion of Brexit talks, according to media reports. Speaking to The Sunday Times, Fabrice Bregier, chief operating officer of Airbus, said: "We want to stay in the UK - provided the conditions to work in an integrated organisation are met." The COO said any potential deal between London and Brussels must allow its staff from all over the world to enter the UK easily as well as ensure that aircraft components and parts are exempt from trade tariffs. Otherwise, Bregier said: "For new productions, it's very easy to have a new plant somewhere in the world. We would have plenty of offers to do that." Separately, newswire Reuters reported that Airbus chief executive Tom Enders has said "hard Brexit", resulting in trade tariffs between the UK and European Union, could potentially impact the competitiveness of the aircraft maker's activities in Britain. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/airbus-could-move-aircraft-production-away-britain-unless- brexit-demands-met-1625770 Back to Top Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Achieves FAA Certification Bell Helicopter announced that its Bell 505 Jet Ranger X has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Bell 505 continues to surpass significant milestones, achieving type certification in December 2016 from Transport Canada Civil Aviation, then gaining production certification, and recently celebrating the first customer delivery. "This is another significant milestone in our journey to market entry for the Bell 505," said Mitch Snyder, Bell Helicopter's president and CEO. "This aircraft incorporates the latest advancements in safety and aviation technology and we are extremely proud of our return to the short light single class of helicopters." Bell Helicopter will continue to work with other certification authorities around the globe. Through the flight test program, the Bell 505 underwent rigorous certification activities and achieved more than 1,000 flight test hours. The Bell Helicopter Training Academy is also prepared for entry into service with customer training, and the flight training device and coursework are all on track. "Customer response for the Bell 505 has been outstanding, and we look forward to seeing the aircraft perform all the various missions it's equipped for around the world," added Snyder. The Bell 505 offers operators many advantages including the Safran Helicopter Engines (HE) Arrius 2R engine that incorporates the dual channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) that delivers exceptional performance and reduces pilot workload. A first- in-class fully integrated Garmin G1000H flight deck features dual 10.4-inch (26.4 cm) displays, which provide critical flight information for crews at a glance. Through Bell Helicopter's high inertia rotor system, Bell Helicopter has demonstrated throughout the flight test program exceptional autorotation capability that is part of the Jet Ranger legacy. With a speed of 125 knots (232 km/h) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kg), the Bell 505 is designed to be safe and easy to fly while providing significant value to the operator. The customer-driven design of the aircraft places safety, performance and affordability at the forefront, blending proven systems with advanced technology and a sleek, modern design. http://aviationtribune.com/executive-helicopters/bell-505-jet-ranger-x-achieves-faa- certification/ Back to Top DLR and Lufthansa Technik investigate aviation biofuels Biofuels have the potential to make air transport more climate-friendly and reduce dependency on fossil raw materials, since they are produced using renewable raw materials, such as oil plants, grain, algae and wood. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), together with Lufthansa Technik and the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Materials, Fuels and Lubricants, investigated the chemical and physical properties of particularly promising biofuels. The European Union-funded "High Biofuel Blends in Aviation" study focused on blends, i.e. mixtures of conventional kerosene with biofuels. The study analyzed particularly promising biofuels, according to source, production process and approval status. Real engine testing An airliner turbine can cost up to several million euro. Should it be operated using non- certified fuel for research purposes, for example, it may not be reinstalled in an aircraft. This means that bridging the gap between tests on a laboratory scale to actual implementation in an aircraft represents a huge challenge for researchers. For the first time, scientists at the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology now have the opportunity to investigate biofuels on a special test rig at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, where a dismounted aero-engine is available especially for research purposes. Using this engine, the scientists examined and compared three different fuels: pure biofuel, a blend consisting of 50 percent biofuel and 50 percent conventional fuel, as well as conventional kerosene as a reference. Over a period of several days, a four-person DLR team first set up the measuring infrastructure required for the tests and then carried out the measurements. And the experience was impressive not only from a scientific point of view."The test engine-a CFM56, used in Airbus and Boeing medium-haul aircraft, for example-is suspended from the ceiling in a hangar. The exhaust gas stream enters a large tunnel behind the engine, where we installed our measuring probes to take samples. A significant challenge here is stability of the probes under these extreme conditions so that they do not simply snap or bend, says DLR researcher Markus Köhler describing the procedure. "The laboratory analyses already showed that biofuels are well suited for use in aero-engines. Testing this under real-life test conditions, however, takes on an entirely different dimension," continues Köhler. Improved carbon footprint with biofuel blends "This large-scale test showed that the use of blends can improve the carbon footprint in the field of aviation without causing any problems in the engine," summarizes Köhler. "Furthermore, with biofuels, we see the potential to reduce the emissions of pollutants in the future." For this reason, the subject is increasingly attracting interest from airlines, aircraft manufacturers, airport operators and local residents. The certification of a completely new fuel is an extremely elaborate and lengthy process. Blends of biofuels and conventional kerosene represent an important intermediate stage- some of their properties correspond to those of normal kerosene, which means that not all parameters required for the combustion process have to be completely re-examined. They are also an important step toward so-called designer fuels. Such fuels are composed in such a way that their properties are as optimal as possible in terms of environmental friendliness and technical characteristics. Research in this field is a major focus for the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology. On the path toward designer fuels The fewer individual components a fuel has, the better and faster the chemical and physical processes that occur during its combustion can be defined. Several hundred substances are present in the Jet-A type kerosene used predominantly in the field of civil aviation. The combustion analyses are correspondingly complicated. The aim with designer fuels is therefore to work within a precise range of substances with as few components as possible. In this way, combustion properties can be optimized and polluting emissions reduced. In this context, so-called aromatic compounds are of particular interest. When the proportion of these is reduced or completely eliminated, considerably fewer soot particles arise during combustion. At higher layers of the atmosphere, these soot particles largely enhance the formation of ice crystals, which are visible as contrails, and can persist over several hours and contribute to climate change. http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/14440/dlr-and-lufthansa-technik-investigate- aviation-biofuels Back to Top Advanced Vertical Takeoff and Landing Solutions Mature Aviation Fleet Advanced Vertical Takeoff and Landing was a topic of discussion at the recent American Helicopter Society International's Annual Forum & Technology Display in Houston, Texas. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center's Dr. William Lewis and Dr. Dana Taylor led a special panel session titled "Advanced VTOL Air Vehicle Design" at the forum to discuss potential solutions for the future. VTOL refers to an aircraft's ability to takeoff, hover and land vertically. There are numerous advantages to advancing VTOL capabilities, particularly maneuverability in a combat situation. "It is the Aviation Development Directorate's charter to look at long-term technology solutions that will shape and drive Army aviation," said Taylor, a senior research scientist at AMRDEC. "It is our responsibility to understanding technology and identify technology have will have positive impact on Army for the next 20 to 30 years." The special session highlighted presentations by representatives of four manufacturers who each discussed aircraft development programs in progress including Aurora Flight Sciences' LightningStike aircraft, Bell Helicopters' V-280 Valor, Lockheed-Piasecki's Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System and Sikorsky-Boeing's SB>1 Defiant. "The LightningStrike and ARES aircraft are unmanned aircraft whose purpose is to demonstrate novel concepts and capabilities, while the V-280 and SB>1 are part of the AMRDEC ADD's Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator program," Taylor said. "The purpose of the JMR-TD program is to mature the critical technologies and reduce the risk toward replacing the military's current vertical lift fleet with a new family of aircraft as well as inform the requirements for the Future Vertical Lift program." "Different services have different needs, but the Army is trying to find the 'sweet spot' between low and high speed configurations," said JMR-TD Program Director, Dan Bailey. "Low speed maneuverability at the objective area is still a core Army capability requirement, but the future operational environments dictate a lead-ahead capability in the area of speed, range, and payload." Advanced rotary-wing configurations and enabling technologies are needed to achieve the combination of performance for range, speed, payload, as well as survivability, reliability and affordability for emerging Future Vertical Lift requirements and missions. Advancing these enabling technologies include examining areas like rotor control, blade control and vibration control. JMR-TD aircraft demonstrators are near completion for assembly and will fly from late 2017- 2019. The second iteration of architecture demonstrations will complete in mid- 2017, with a final major demo in 2018-2020. The first Future Vertical Lift acquisition program of record has passed the Material Development Decision and is using the JMR-TD knowledge base robustly in decisions and analysis for that first and subsequent programs. https://www.ecnmag.com/news/2017/06/advanced-vertical-takeoff-and-landing- solutions-mature-aviation-fleet Back to Top Honda Aircraft Company receives Transport Canada type certification for HondaJet Honda Aircraft Company has secured a type certification from Transport Canada for its HondaJet airplane. The certification has enabled the manufacturer to deliver the aircraft to its Canadian registration customers. Honda Aircraft Company has already partnered with Skyservice to offer sales, service and support to its customers in Canada, where it currently operates facilities in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Ottawa. Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO Michimasa Fujino said: "With multiple orders in the pipeline, achieving this important milestone will now allow us to begin HondaJet deliveries to our Canadian registration customers." Before receiving the Transport Canada approval, HondaJet has secured type certification approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and Mexico's Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Capable of flying of up to 422k, HondaJet is the fastest jet in its class and has so far ascended to a maximum altitude of 43,000ft. The fuel-efficient jet features various advanced technologies such as over-the-wing engine mount (OTWEM) configuration, which is designed to improve performance and fuel- efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The OTWEM design also helps reduce cabin sound and ground-detected noise, as well as offers more cabin space, a fully serviceable private aft lavatory and other facilities. Last month, Honda Aircraft Company announced that it has started the sale of HondaJet to customers in South-East Asia. http://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/newshonda-aircraft-company-receives- transport-canada-type-certification-for-hondajet-5838436 Back to Top Air Force grounds F-35A operations at training base after pilots suffered hypoxia The US Air Force's 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona today cancelled "local flying operations" for F-35A fighters after five incidents in which pilots "experienced hypoxia-like symptoms," an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement. Hypoxia is a deficiency in oxygen reaching the body through the circulatory system. "In order to synchronize operations and maintenance efforts toward safe flying operations we have cancelled local F-35A flying," said 56th Fighter Wing commander Brigadier General Brook Leonard. "The Air Force takes these physiological incidents seriously, and our focus is on the safety and well-being of our pilots. We are taking the necessary steps to find the root cause of these incidents." The cancellation of F-35A operations is currently restricted to Luke Air Force Base, the primary pilot training base for the F-35A. The Air Force also trains F-35A pilots at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The 56th Fighter Wing's squadrons at Luke train pilots from the US Air Force as well as from other nations buying the F-35A, including Norway, Italy, and Australia. All the pilots training at Luke will be briefed on the incidents and on the procedures the pilots affected used to successfully restore oxygen and land the aircraft safely, a 56th Fighter Wing spokesperson said. The 56th's Air Operations Group will also hold a forum with pilots to discuss their concerns. According to an Air Force spokesperson, the F-35 Joint Program Office has "stood up a formal action team of engineers, maintainers, and aeromedical specialists to examine the incidents to better understand the issue. These subject matter experts will share the data across the F-35 enterprise and with partner nations." There have been no previous groundings of the F-35 for life support issues, though there are other safety issues that have placed restrictions on pilots that have already been addressed. In May, the Air Force lifted weight restrictions on F-35 pilots that had been put in place because of a risk posed to lighter pilots by the aircraft's ejector seat system-it was shown in testing that the helmet F-35 pilots wore might break the necks of pilots under 136 pounds. Hypoxia was previously a concern for the Air Force's F-22 Raptor. In July of 2012, the Air Force acknowledged that the F-22 was not delivering sufficient oxygen to pilots due to a collection of problems with pilots' life support gear. The Air Force Chief of Staff at the time, General Norton Schwartz, explained in a briefing in 2012 that the F-22's problem was partially due to the "upper pressure garment of the g-suit assembly"-the gear worn by the pilot to increase blood flow in the upper body and prevent blackouts. Another part of the problem "has to do with hose and valve and connection hardware in the cockpit," Schwartz had explained. It's not as if this could be fixed by switching to President Trump's favorite fighter jet, either. The Navy and Marine Corps have also had pilot hypoxia problems with the F/A-18 Hornet and all its variants. There have been numerous and increasing issues with "physiological episodes," according to testimony submitted by the Navy to Congress in March. Bloomberg reported that a staff memo prepared for a March House Armed Services Committee hearing stated, "Since May 1, 2010, all models [of the F-18] show steady, yearly increases in the number of physiological episodes," such as hypoxia and cabin decompression. And Navy officials told the committee that the problem was Navy aviation's "No.1 safety issue." https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/06/air-force-grounds-f-35a- operations-at-training-base-after-pilots-suffered-hypoxia/ Back to Top First Flight of Airbus A330neo Expected By End of Summer Airbus has now scheduled the delayed first flight of the A330-900neo for the end of the summer as the company awaits delivery of the first example's Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. Speaking during the company's June 9 media day in Toulouse, Airbus Commercial Aircraft head of programs Didier Evrard noted the company has fully assembled two prototypes, engines for one of which Airbus expects to arrive during the third week of June. "Rolls Royce is a bit late, but their bench test results are good," added Airbus Commercial Aircraft president Fabrice Bregier. Earlier this week, Evrard told Bloomberg that the problem with the Trent 7000 involved its bleed air system for wing de-icing, and that the British engine-maker had suffered from a lack of testing capacity. Airbus now plans to make the first A330neo delivery from Toulouse in mid-2018. The company expects first delivery of a current generation A330 from its new Completion and Delivery Center in Tianjin, China, this September. Airbus delivered 66 A330s last year and maintains a rate of about six per month. Although Airbus claims a marked improvement in aerodynamic efficiency with a 3.7-meter wingspan addition resulting from incorporation of sharklets, most of the airplane's advertized fuel burn reduction comes from the Trent 7000s. Rolls-Royce cites "significant" performance benefits in the 68,000- to 72,000-pound-thrust Trent 7000 compared with the Trent 700, improving specific fuel consumption by 10 percent, doubling the bypass ratio and reducing noise by half. To meet A330neo requirements, Rolls-Royce has adapted the Trent 1000-10 to incorporate a new electronic engine control unit, new gearbox, air-start capability, and related changes. Before beginning series production, the manufacturer planed to assemble four development examples of the engine, which also features a new nacelle and electronic bleed-air system that uses A350 technology. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2017-06-09/first-flight-airbus- a330neo-expected-end-summer Back to Top AMRDEC Collaboration With Auburn To Develop Training For FAA U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center is collaborating with Auburn University and the Federal Aviation Administration to develop innovative aviation learning and training modules using virtual, interactive and multimedia technology. Rapid prototyping of gaming technology tools will ensure that the computer- generated training environments are user-friendly and customizable. On June 6, AMRDEC Acting Director Jeff Langhout signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Auburn University. AMRDEC's Software Engineering Directorate, Army Game Studio will partner with Auburn University to develop gaming modules that can be implemented into the FAA's current curriculum for air traffic controllers. The project is through the FAA's Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Technical Training and Human Performance. The FAA's Center of Excellence program is a long-term, cost-sharing partnership between academia, industry and government. The FAA works with center members and affiliates to conduct research in airspace and airport planning and design, environment and aviation safety. The team will develop air traffic controller training technology using research and science- based knowledge on training adult learners and the use of gaming to improve learning and retention. The modules will demonstrate team capabilities to provide realistic, engaging and effective training. The Army Game Studio has established unmatched capabilities in the development of virtual, interactive and multimedia technology used for outreach, recruiting, education and training. The studio brings together artists, Soldiers and gaming experts to create virtual environments for Soldiers to train in without putting them at risk in combat. AGS manages the development and deployment of the Official Video Game of the U.S. Army, America's Army, and the GoArmy Edge Sports Applications. "The Army Game Studio is my go-to place for any training, animation, augmented learning or virtual environment that I need," said JoEllen Sefton, director of Auburn University's Warrior Research Center and associate professor in the School of Kinesiology. "I know that the talented team there can take anything we develop, or anything I can imagine, and make it real." The Warrior Research Center is led by Auburn's School of Kinesiology in the College of Education and includes research from engineering, industrial design, psychology, business, veterinary medicine and human sciences. Studies also include Auburn's ROTC program, MRI Research Center, Center for Disability Research and Service Assistive Technology and Innovation Gastrointestinal Research Center, as well as the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine on Auburn's campus. "This CRADA provides the opportunity for AMRDEC's Army Games Studio to use game- based and virtual reality technologies to enhance Army aviation training and readiness," said Frank Blackwell, program manager, Army Game Studio. "We believe Auburn University will be a strong partner." "This is the first CRADA that AMRDEC has entered into with Auburn and we are excited about the research opportunities that will result from this partnership," said Kelly McGuire, chief of the Science and Technology Support Division. https://www.ecnmag.com/news/2017/06/amrdec-collaboration-auburn-develop-training- faa Curt Lewis