October 26, 2017 - No. 084 In This Issue FAA Hosts Fifth General Aviation Summit. IATA WPS: China to overtake US as world's largest aviation market by 2022 HAZON Solutions Incorporates LATAS Technology Into Fleet Management Software TPS announces new Aerospace and Natural Science Academy of Toledo Emirates announces plans for aviation 'X-Lab' UTC Aerospace Systems Honored by Aviation Week for Groundbreaking Work in Aviation Safety Exclusive: Canada pushed for Airbus deal as Bombardier courted China NASA Taps Aurora for Electric Airliner Design Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Norsk Titanium AS with the European Technology Innovation Award Liebherr Aerospace achieves 35% weight reduction of aviation component with EOS metal 3D printing SPACEX KEEPS LINING UP COVERT MILITARY LAUNCHES. FAA Hosts Fifth General Aviation Summit October 24- We're pleased with where general aviation safety is headed. The numbers aren't final, but it looks like 2017 will end up being our safest year yet. Working together with industry to meaningfully address safety is making a difference and we're going to continue our collaboration to make GA even safer. It's an issue that needs to be approached from many angles - some regulatory, some technological, some educational. And that's the driving force behind the fifth annual General Aviation Safety Summit we held with our government and industry partners today. We've made substantial progress since last year's gathering. The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) continues to implement targeted safety enhancements. We finalized the Part 23 rule that will help decrease the time to get safety-enhancing technologies for small airplanes to the marketplace. The Fly Safe educational campaign has reached millions of our social media followers with information on how to avoid loss of control accidents. And in collaboration with aviation training community experts, last summer we updated key elements of the airman certification system to include an enhanced focus on risk management. There's no silver bullet when it comes to making GA safer. We have to remain vigilant and keep finding new ways to advance our shared safety mission. The GA community has been willing to roll up their sleeves and ask, "How can we fix this - together?" With that kind of attitude, I know we can tackle anything that comes our way - and get ever closer to the day when general aviation fatalities are a thing of the past. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12376511/faa-hosts-fifth-general-aviation-summit Back to Top IATA WPS: China to overtake US as world's largest aviation market by 2022 IATA revised its annual 20-year air passenger forecast upward by over a half-billion passengers Oct. 24, and indicated China will overtake the US as the world's largest aviation market "around 2022," several years faster than previously predicted. In its new 20-year Air Passenger Forecast, IATA now predicts 7.8 billion passengers will travel by air in 2036, nearly doubling the 4 billion air passengers expected in 2017. IATA highlighted the Asia-Pacific region as the primary source of over half the new passengers expected by the next two decades. China's overtaking of the US as the world's largest aviation market will come as a result of slightly faster Chinese growth combined with slightly reduced US growth. In its aviation market forecast (defined as traffic to, from and within a country), IATA foresees the UK will fall to fifth place on the global scale by 2036, being surpassed by India in 2025 and Indonesia in 2030. Rounding out the top 10 markets in 20 years, in order, will be Japan, Spain, Germany, Turkey and Thailand. France and Italy will be out of the top 10 by about 2032. "Increasing demand will bring a significant infrastructure challenge," IATA DG and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said. "The solution does not lie in more complex processes or ... bigger airports, but in harnessing the power of new technology to move activity off-airport, streamline processes and improve efficiency." China will be the world's fastest-growing market, IATA forecasts, with the country adding 921 million passengers for a total of 1.5 billion passengers by 2036. The US will be the second-fastest- growing market, with 401 million new passengers for a total of 1.1 billion passengers, followed by India (337 million new passengers for a total of 478 million passengers by 2036), Indonesia (up 235 million new passengers, totaling 355 million) and Turkey (growing by 119 million new passengers to reach 196 million by 2036). Looking at regional route growth, the Asia-Pacific will be the leader by 2036 with an overall passenger market size of 3.5 billion. Passengers are expected to increase at an annual growth rate (AGR) of 4.6% over the next 20 years, accounting for 2.1 billion extra annual passengers by 2036. The European market will have 1.5 billion annual passengers by 2036, up 550 million at a 2.3% AGR. By 2036, the North American market will carry 1.2 billion passengers, adding 452 million passengers at a 2.3% AGR. The Latin American market will total 757 million passengers, up 421 million from today at a 4.2% AGR. The Middle East will carry 517 million passengers annually by 2036, adding 322 million compared to day, at a 5% AGR, IATA said. The Africa region will serve 400 million annual passengers by 2036, up 274 million from today, representing a 5.9% AGR. Additional information on IATA's annual 20-year Air Passenger Forecast can be found here. http://atwonline.com/airline-traffic/iata-wps-china-overtake-us-world-s-largest-aviation-market- 2022 Back to Top HAZON Solutions Incorporates LATAS Technology Into Fleet Management Software VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Oct. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HAZON Solutions ("HAZON"), the national leader in drone inspection services, and PrecisionHawk, a provider of advanced commercial drone technologies, announced a partnership today to integrate their technologies to provide better drone safety for commercial drone operations. Starting in early November PrecisionHawk's Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety ("LATAS") platform will be accessible within the HAZON drone fleet management software, HAZON Drone Management System ("DMS"). LATAS is the only platform to link drones, 3D ground data and live manned aircraft data from global aviation authorities into a single system that tells commercial or hobbyist drone operators when and where it's safe to fly. "HAZON DMS represents the highest level of professional grade drone fleet management software in the industry," said HAZON CEO and co-founder David A. Culler, Jr. CAPT USN (ret). "We are extremely excited to partner with PrecisionHawk and bring LATAS to our customers. The platform represents a fantastic capability for safety of flight and operations management, and I have no doubt that this partnership will help our customers maintain extremely high margins in both regards." HAZON DMS was launched as a fleet management software in May of this year with features such as operations planning, flight logging, maintenance tracking and field team reporting. HAZON leveraged decades of manned aviation experience to build the system from the ground up as a commercial operator focused program on a software as a service model. Operating over worldwide cellular networks and satellites, the LATAS platform connects leading airspace management technologies, such as sense and avoid, geofencing and aircraft tracking, into a service package for commercial and recreational drone operators, as well as regulators and air traffic controllers. LATAS allows users to request, track and verify all flight operations from a central location and automatically report flight paths back to aviation authorities. "Hazon DMS provides a comprehensive platform for businesses to easily manage operations as they begin building out fleets of drones," said Tyler Collins, VP Airspace solutions for PrecisionHawk. "By adding the capabilities of LATAS, DMS users can now deliver the level of visibility and safety that commercial clients expect when deploying drone technology." "HAZON remains focused on adding features that will help our users increase their safety margins or their operating efficiencies, hopefully both," said Culler. "A partnership with PrecisionHawk was a natural next step, we believe LATAS adds value today and will add outsized value as beyond line of sight flying transitions out of research and into production." About HAZON Solutions Based in Virginia Beach, HAZON Solutions is the leading U.S. developer of small unmanned systems operations, capability development, training, safety and testing programs. The mission of HAZON Solutions is to conduct, support, develop and validate small unmanned systems operations. Our goal is to provide unmatched quality, safety and value to our customers. HAZON has deep roots in naval carrier aviation and intelligence systems. The company's leadership team has more than 100 years of cumulative command and operations experience in the most challenging and hostile aerial environments in the world. Its members share a common background of flying fighter jets from aircraft carriers. HAZON CEO David Culler, Jr., spent 26 years flying for the United States Navy, capping off his career as the Commanding Officer of Norfolk Naval Station, the world's largest naval base. For more information visit www.hazonsolutions.com. About PrecisionHawk PrecisionHawk is a leading provider of advanced commercial drone technologies. The company, founded in 2010, is privately held and located in Raleigh, NC. PrecisionHawk's client list of Fortune 500 companies and market-leading innovators spans 150 countries and the company has existing operations across six continents. PrecisionHawk is funded by leading venture capital firms and global technology investors including Intel Capital, Millennium Technology Value Partners, Verizon Ventures, a subsidiary of USAA, NTT Docomo Ventures, Yamaha Motor, DuPont and Indiana University. More information about PrecisionHawk can be found at www.precisionhawk.com or on Twitter @PrecisionHawk. http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/HAZON-Solutions-Incorporates-LATAS- Technology-Into-Fleet-Management-Software-1002123823 Back to Top TPS announces new Aerospace and Natural Science Academy of Toledo Start High School sophomore Faith Brown knew she was interested in studying mechanics even before high school, but a field trip three years ago to Toledo Public Schools Aviation Center inspired her to make it a career. "I didn't know I could be working on airplanes," she said. "When I came here in eighth grade I was like, 'Oh my god, this is what I want to do.'" Faith, now 15 and taking courses at the TPS Aviation Center, is one of roughly 300 high school students who will enroll in the district's new Aerospace and Natural Science Academy of Toledo when it opens in the fall of 2018. It's aimed at students across the region interested in aviation, environmental science, sustainability, and wildlife management, and will help them work toward employment or advanced degrees in those fields. Officials from TPS announced the new academy on Wednesday, flanked by planes at the Toledo Express Airport. Representatives from Owens Community College, Bowling Green State University, and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority - all partners in the new initiative - also spoke. Students currently enrolled at TPS' Aviation Center and the Natural Science Technology Center have a split schedule. Part of their day is spent at their home high school, and the remainder is spent at their respective centers, where their specialty classes are offered. The new academy will allow students to take all their classes on one campus, rather than busing back and forth. Aviation maintenance technology instructor Brad McDonald, who also is a candidate for the Washington Local school board, said creating a high school with an aviation focus makes sense because of the industry need. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts overall employment for aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians will grow 5 percent from 2016 to 2026. But Mr. McDonald said the need for certified technicians will grow even faster as baby boomers retire. About 35 percent of licensed technicians are 61 or older. 45 percent are age 50-60, and less than two percent are between the ages of 18 and 30, he said. "The industry is growing. We need the people to fill those gaps, and that's why this makes perfect sense," he said. TPS Superintendent Romules Durant said students studying natural sciences are also filling a need, particularly if they stay in northwest Ohio after they graduate. They'll learn about small animal management, urban agriculture, natural resources, and environmental sustainability. "Every year in August and September we talk about the algae bloom," he said. "The kids in this school will become the solution to that issue." Students who enroll in the College Credit Plus program while at the academy can earn an associate degree through Owens and then have the opportunity to transfer to BGSU to earn a bachelor's degree two years out of high school. Mr. Durant said his goal is for 90 percent or more of the district's career technology students to secure a job, military assignment, or higher education when they graduate from TPS. Right now that number is about 75 percent. The academy will be located at Toledo Express Airport in the building that used to house the Flight Safety International pilot training program. The Port Authority owns the building and will lease the building to TPS, Port Authority board chairman Jim Tuschman said. The lease's terms have yet to be finalized, but the current proposal includes a 10-year lease with zero rent for TPS for the first six years. TPS has budgeted about $4.6 million in capital funds to remodel and equip the building for use as the new academy. Districts officials as of Wednesday did not have an operating cost for the new academy because they are still finalizing staffing needs. http://www.toledoblade.com/Education/2017/10/25/TPS-announces-new-Aerospace-and-Natural- Science-Academy-of-Toledo.html Back to Top Emirates announces plans for aviation 'X-Lab' Emirates Airline and a number of industry partners have announced a partnership to build the world's first sector-wide Experimental (X) Lab that will solicit pitches to build a new generation of ultra-modern transport systems. According to Emirates, the X-Lab at Area 2071 will bring together airlines, manufacturers, ground logistics experts, regulators, engineers, academic and start-ups to "envision a new transportation paradigm and seek solutions that no single organisation or programme has had the resources to deliver on their own." Beginning later this year, the Aviation X Lab at Area 2071 will host industry summits to co-create industry shaping challenges, and will the solicit applications from internal and independent engineering teams, academics and startups to address those challenges by working - for a full year - with industry and regulators to ideate new technologies and business theories, conduct experiments and develop prototypes. Finalists teams from around the world will gather for an annual event each April to pitch their concepts. Winners of the pitch event will then relocate to Dubai the following month along with their government and corporate counterparts to begin a "rigorous curriculum" created in conjunction with the academic and innovation institutions. Area 2071 was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to become the experimental nucleus of the UAE's Centennial Plan 2071. "We look forward to the Aviation X-Lab initiative, which will enable Emirates to co-create high impact solutions with our industry partners that will propel the UAE's aviation sector to new heights, and unlock the possibilities of an interconnected world," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO, Emirates airline and Group. Mohammad Abdulla Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs & the Future and chairman of The Executive Office of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said that with the Aviation X-Lab "Dubai is further proving itself as the largest X-Lab in the world. We are proud to share our experience with aviation, as home to the world's international largest airline, with the aviation community." Applications for the inaugural Aviation X-Lab will open in November with the first pitches to be presented to the public in April of 2018. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/technology/382038-emirates-announces-plans-for- aviation-x-lab Back to Top UTC Aerospace Systems Honored by Aviation Week for Groundbreaking Work in Aviation Safety CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- At Aviation Week Network's 16th Annual Program Excellence Awards banquet last night, a team from UTC Aerospace Systems' Sensors & Integrated Systems business was honored for the company's groundbreaking achievements in improving aviation safety in severe icing conditions. The team won in the Supplier Research and Development/System Design and Development category. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). The adverse effects of high altitude icing on aircraft propulsion and air data sensors have been a growing concern of the aerospace industry and airworthiness authorities. The combination of modern aircraft reliance on air data sensing systems for primary flight controls and increased air traffic in inter-tropical regions has increased exposure to high altitude icing conditions. These conditions can affect multiple or all pitot probes installed on an aircraft and can lead to unreliable airspeed measurements. As a result, actions were taken across the industry to improve safety, including new regulations embodied in Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 33, Appendix D, "Mixed Phase and Ice Crystal Icing Envelope." UTC Aerospace Systems responded by addressing both short- and long-term industry needs. A lean production system was developed utilizing the United Technologies ACE (Achieving Competive Excellence) operating system to streamline the production of a pitot probe that had increased robustness to Appendix D conditions. This allowed operators to retrofit their aircraft with the improved probes more quickly than would otherwise have been possible. At the same time, UTC Aerospace Systems launched a 5-year effort to develop a new facility capable of creating and testing extreme icing conditions, and a new generation of air data sensors capable of operating in the expanded certification envelope. In 2015, the company completed construction of its advanced icing wind tunnel and soon after successfully qualified the industry's first air data sensor, a pitot probe, to the full Appendix D envelope. "From a technical perspective, creating an environment in which to study, design and test air data sensors in new and extreme icing conditions represented a significant undertaking," said Mauro Atalla, vice president of engineering and technology for Sensors & Integrated Systems. "Our advanced icing wind tunnel is generally recognized in the aerospace industry as the most capable air data icing tunnel when considering its unique combination of airspeed, altitude, temperature and ability to deliver coverage of Appendix D conditions." The Aviation Week Program Excellence Award the company received for its work was given in recognition of both the performance and execution of this complex project and its parallel development efforts. This parallel development allowed for faster project execution and ensured that each aspect of the project met its objectives. UTC Aerospace Systems is continuing to use the results from the project to develop Appendix D-capable versions of more air data probe models. "At UTC Aerospace Systems, we're committed to leading the aerospace industry in solving its most pressing challenges through operational excellence and development of new technology, and that is exactly what our team did here," said Sensors & Integrated Systems President Justin Keppy. "We're honored to receive this prestigious award from Aviation Week, which is a testament to the hard work, dedication and ingenuity of our team." The Aviation Week Program Excellence Awards honor global aerospace and defense programs and projects, their leaders and their teams for going beyond meeting requirements to exemplify the best in value creation, leadership, adapting to complexity and executing with excellence. Developed in 2004, the awards were created in response to repeated concerns about the complexity and difficulty associated with managing and leading the aerospace and defense programs that are the foundation of the industry. During the evaluation process, more than 300 program management representatives from across industry and government score each application, resulting in the widespread sharing of innovative practices and processes. About UTC Aerospace Systems UTC Aerospace Systems is one of the world's largest suppliers of technologically advanced aerospace and defense products. UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries, supporting a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities. For more information about the company, visit our website at www.utcaerospacesystems.com or follow us on Twitter: @utcaerosystems About United Technologies Corporation United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. By combining a passion for science with precision engineering, the company is creating smart, sustainable solutions the world needs. For more information about the company, visit our website at www.utc.com or follow us on Twitter: @UTC https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/utc-aerospace-systems-honored-by-aviation-week- for-groundbreaking-work-in-aviation-safety-300542184.html Back to Top Exclusive: Canada pushed for Airbus deal as Bombardier courted China MONTREAL/PARIS (Reuters) - The Canadian government encouraged Bombardier to make a deal with Airbus SE for its CSeries planes to thwart a potential venture with Chinese investors, according to five sources familiar with the matter. It signaled its preference for Airbus after Bombardier failed to reach an agreement with Boeing Co earlier this year that would have given the U.S. company a stake in the CSeries jetliners, according to the sources. The Canadian government's role has not been previously reported. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration took a calculated risk in steering Bombardier toward Airbus, according to the sources. It helped save a key product for Bombardier and likely resolved a brewing trade dispute with the United States, but potentially set back efforts to improve trade and economic ties with China. The deal with Airbus came at a critical time for Bombardier. Its $6 billion CSeries program, already losing money, had become the subject of a trade dispute in which Boeing charged in a complaint to U.S. authorities that the jetliners benefited from Canadian government subsidies and unfair pricing. Bombardier had considered a Chinese partnership as early as 2015, after talks about a possible merger with Airbus became public and fell apart. This year, as negotiations with Boeing over a CSeries partnership faltered and concerns about the future of the program mounted, Bombardier's interest in a deal with China intensified, two sources said. The prospect of such a deal raised concern within the Canadian government, two of the sources said, where officials believed jobs or technology could be "siphoned away" to China. They also expressed uneasiness about what some saw as inadequate Chinese safeguards against intellectual property theft. In a series of calls with Bombardier in August and September, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains and Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, as well as senior officials in Trudeau's office, urged Bombardier to contact the European company, the two sources said. "From the federal government's point of view, anything was better than a link-up with China," according to an Ottawa source. The source said the government suggested to Bombardier that Chief Executive Alain Bellmare reach out to his counterpart at Airbus, Tom Enders. The government's efforts eventually helped pave the way for an Oct. 16 agreement in which Airbus took a majority stake in the narrow-body, medium-range CSeries jets for one dollar. But they also came at a time when Ottawa is pushing for closer economic ties with Beijing. Canada, concerned about Washington's threats to scrap the NAFTA trade deal, wants to bolster relations with China in order to cut its heavy dependence on exports to the United States. Talks between Ottawa and Beijing are ongoing. Bombardier declined to discuss its CSeries negotiations. Representatives of Bains, Champagne and Trudeau declined to comment. Beijing officials declined to comment. Boeing also declined to comment. Asked whether Airbus had stepped in because of concerns about China obtaining a stake in the CSeries, Airbus CEO Enders said: "We were obviously not privy to these discussions." AN IMPERFECT PARTNER Bombardier's most recent discussions about a Chinese tie-up centered on Comac, a Chinese state- owned firm developing passenger jets, according to a source familiar with the Canadian company's thinking. Financial terms of any potential deal were not known. Comac did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Sources said Comac was also among the companies Bombardier held talks with in 2015, along with national aerospace conglomerate AVIC and possibly a state-owned investment fund. For Bombardier, a tie-up with the Chinese would have offered access to the world's fastest-growing aviation market, providing a boost to its struggling CSeries program. Bombardier has not a secured CSeries sale in 18 months. Inside Bombardier, however, executives worried that talks with potential Chinese partners were not moving quickly enough, according to sources. With discussions stalled, Bombardier approached Boeing last spring, three of the sources said. Bombardier offered Boeing a stake in the CSeries under similar terms to those later offered to Airbus, two of the sources said. The U.S. company agreed to study the proposal, but eventually decided against it based on its experience with a troubled purchase of Canadian aerospace assets in the late 1980s. That once again Bombardier's focus back on a deal with the Chinese - until Ottawa pressed the case for discussions with Airbus over the summer. Asked why senior Canadian federal officials suggested to Bombardier that it talk to Airbus, the Ottawa source said: "People felt that Bombardier might not have thought of this option, given the collapse of the earlier talks." Officials from Airbus and Bombardier soon began what would be a series of meetings at restaurants in Paris, London and Munich. The meetings involved only four people - the two CEOs along with another executive from each company. A representative of the Canadian government did not attend. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bombardier-airbus-china-exclusive/exclusive-canada-pushed- for-airbus-deal-as-bombardier-courted-china-idUSKBN1CU0DG Back to Top NASA Taps Aurora for Electric Airliner Design MANASSAS, Va., Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded a contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the Single-aisle Turboelectric Aircraft with Aft Boundary Layer propulsion (STARC-ABL) aircraft concept. Designed to yield substantial fuel efficiency benefits, the NASA STARC-ABL aircraft is a subsonic commercial aircraft concept with conventional underwing gas-turbine engines and a ducted, Boundary Layer Ingesting (BLI) tailcone propulsor driven by a turboelectric propulsion system. Aurora is a leader in both innovative electric aircraft designs and in high-performance aircraft for commercial applications. The company is currently leading the development of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) XV-24A LightningStrike, a 12,000-pound hybrid- electric aircraft with 3 MW of electric power driving 24 electric fans. Aurora recently flew a fully autonomous, battery-powered subscale version of the XV-24A, which also serves as the basis for Aurora's work on urban mobility platforms. In April 2017 Aurora was selected as one of Uber's industrial partners for the UBER ELEVATE program. Aurora is also developing the D8, a commercial airliner design for the 150-180 seat market. Using composite structures, boundary layer ingestion, and high levels of autonomy, the D8 can provide up to 50 percent reductions in fleet-wide fuel burn over designs currently in use. The D8 is being developed through the FAA CLEEN II program, the NASA New Aviation Horizons program, and Aurora internal funding. The award will leverage Aurora's lessons-learned across this diverse electric aircraft portfolio to assist NASA in validating the system level performance of the STARC-ABL aircraft. About Aurora Flight Sciences: Aurora Flight Sciences is an innovative technology company which strives to create smarter aircraft through the development of versatile and intuitive autonomous systems. Operating at the intersection of technology and robotic aviation, Aurora leverages the power of autonomy to make manned and unmanned flight safer and more efficient. Headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, Aurora operates production plants in Bridgeport, West Virginia and Columbus, Mississippi, has Research and Development Centers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dayton, Ohio and Mountain View, California, and a European office, Aurora Swiss Aerospace, located in Luzern, Switzerland. To view recent press releases and more about Aurora please visit our website at www.aurora.aero. http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12376496/nasa-taps-aurora-for-electric-airliner-design Back to Top Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Norsk Titanium AS with the European Technology Innovation Award for Its Novel RPD™ Additive Manufacturing Technique SANTA CLARA, Calif, Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the titanium alloy additive manufacturing industry, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Norsk Titanium AS (Norsk) with the 2017 Europe Technology Innovation Award for its novel Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) technology that allows applications in numerous industries for the production of complex and high- strength products with high material property requirements. As a result of the Norsk-developed RPD™ technology, Norsk is a qualified aerospace supplier of structural titanium 3-D manufactured parts. Many scientists believe that titanium is the metal of the future. Due to its high strength, light weight, and compatibility with carbon fiber, titanium alloys have found applications in aircraft construction by offering energy efficiency, safety, and rigidity. "The conventional manufacturing techniques of titanium result in output with reduced tool life, increased material spring back, and large amounts of metal scrap. A technology that could improve the existing situation is welcome and would make a great mark in the industry," said Ranjana Lakshmi, Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. To address the aforementioned challenges faced by conventional titanium alloy manufacturing technologies, Norsk, a Norway-based additive manufacturing company, developed the novel titanium alloy additive manufacturing technique termed RPD™ technology. The RPD™ additive manufacturing technology can fabricate titanium alloy structural components with high material and metallurgical integrity. In addition, this technology has the following advantages: It has very high deposition rates It reduces the use of titanium by 40% to 80%, significantly reducing scrap rate and overall cost It can print both small-scale and large-scale components The Norsk developed additive manufacturing Merke-IV™ RPD™ machine, or 3-D printer, represents a revolutionary change in the additive manufacturing industry because it addresses the challenges currently associated with additive manufacturing of structural titanium alloys parts. While the RPD™ technology produces a homogenous titanium structure using wire and plasma torches in an Argon environment, the Merke-IV™ RPD™ machine, aided by tight process control, rapidly and precisely builds up near-net-shape parts by depositing layers of molten titanium. Due to the improvement in near-net-shape, minimal machining is required. Each machine is estimated to have an annual fabricating capacity of more than 20 metric tons. "Norsk's RPD™ additive manufacturing technology serves the growing demands of customization and complexity offering a distinct advantage over conventional competitors by providing market participants with increased freedom of design and rapid prototyping capability in addition to cost and lead time advantage," said Lakshmi. Norsk's RPD™ technology is a modular manufacturing capability that can be integrated into any production line that manufactures titanium alloy parts. The flexibility offered by RPD™, allows for lean manufacturing infrastructure and overall efficiency improvements from a producer's perspective. The titanium alloy manufacturing market increasingly requires manufacturing technologies with the ability to manufacture complex designs at fast speeds and with short lead times to reduce cost, and with overall improved environmental footprint, all while maintaining the mechanical properties of the alloy. Norsk's RPD™ additive manufacturing technique meets these needs and offers advantages over conventional and additive manufacturing competitors. For these reasons, Norsk has earned Frost & Sullivan's 2017 Europe Technology Innovation Award. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with innovative features and functionality that is gaining rapid acceptance in the market. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer value enhancements it enables. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Norsk Titanium AS Norsk Titanium AS is the world's pioneering supplier of aerospace-grade, additive manufactured, structural titanium components. The company is distinguished in the aviation industry by its patented Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) process that transforms titanium wire into complex components suitable for structural and safety-critical applications. Norsk Titanium is a tier-1 supplier to Boeing and is committed to cost-reducing aerostructures and jet engines for the world's premier aerospace manufacturers. RPD™ is the world's first FAA-approved, 3D-printed, structural titanium, delivering substantial lead-time and cost savings for aerospace, defense, and commercial customers. www.norsktitanium.com About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12376327/frost-sullivan-recognizes-norsk-titanium-as-with- the-european-technology-innovation-award-for-its-novel-rpdtm-additive-manufacturing-technique Back to Top Liebherr Aerospace achieves 35% weight reduction of aviation component with EOS metal 3D printing technology Liebherr Aerospace, a supplier of aviation systems, has harnessed EOS metal 3D printing technology to develop a flight control hydraulic component. The company, whose additive manufacturing program was launched six years ago, wanted to substitute a conventional primary flight component, in particular a high-pressure hydraulic valve block, with an additively manufactured one. Amid increasing ecological awareness, and rising fuel prices, there's an growing call for lightweighting in the aviation sector. Liebherr Aerospace wanted to utilise additive manufacturing to deliver a lighter component, while meeting safety and efficiency regulations. Traditionally, the manufacture of a valve block starts from forged materials, which is machined, trimmed, drilled and then assembled. It's a time-consuming process, complex too, and leaves little room for optimisation, and even smaller margin for error. But this only strengthened the argument for a simpler process. Liebherr led a project, which had contributions from Airbus and a research team from the Chemnitz University of Technology and was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), to find a solution. After analysing the conventional part, the hydraulic structures were identified and auxiliary sections removed. Some of the main components were re-positioned according to the new-found space, and due to interface requirements which sought to optimise intelligent and short connection lines. "With industrial 3D printing, complexity is no longer an issue," said Alexander Altmann, Lead Engineer Additive Manufacturing, Research & Technology at Liebherr Aerospace. "On the EOS M 290 system, components are built up from a large number of thin layers, each 30 to 60 ?m thick, which enables us to build complex geometries. The functional elements were directly connected to one another using curved pipes. This avoided the need for a complex system of pipes with lots of transverse bores, saving time in production." The part was printed in titanium alloy, suitable for aviation applications because of its lightness, mechanical properties, and resistance to corrosion. Having been successfully trialled in a test flight on the Airbus A380 aircraft, the 3D printed valve block has proved functional and safe. It also offers the same performance as the conventionally made part, and is 35% lighter and made from fewer parts. Liebherr was also able to integrate ten functional elements into the new valve block, eliminating the complex system of pipework with multiple transverse bores. "That might as well be the tagline for additive manufacturing - making the same things but with less mass and fewer parts," Altmann summarised. "Today, it takes about a day to manufacture a valve block and we see the potential to decrease building time by more than 75% with the EOS M 400-4. This is a significant step for us at Liebherr Aerospace." Since the demands placed on aircraft components are so high, Liebherr has a firm focus on additive manufacturing processes to ensure parts made with these methods are reliable. EOS, while providing the technology for Liebherr to 3D print the valve block, also lends a hand in the quality assurance of the components made with its 3D printing systems. The partnership between the two companies saw Liebherr participate in a pilot phase of the EOSTATE Exposure OT, a new module of the EOS monitoring suite for real-time component inspection. "In the future, this will speed up the identification of material defects during the industrial 3D printing process and will help to reduce the need for downstream quality assurance processes, such as computer tomography," Altmann said. https://www.tctmagazine.com/3d-printing-news/liebherr-aerospace-aviation-eos-3d-printing/ Back to Top SPACEX KEEPS LINING UP COVERT MILITARY LAUNCHES Last September, SpaceX was fueling its Falcon 9 for a routine test fire before launch when a composite liner inside the upper-stage fuel tank failed, letting oxygen seep in. Friction between the tank's aluminum liner and carbon overwrap ignited a towering inferno that engulfed the rocket, the launch pad, and a $200 million satellite owned by Israeli firm Spacecom. It was SpaceX's second disaster in 14 months-preceded by the explosion of a Falcon 9 heading to the International Space Station in June of 2015. But far be it from Spacecom to get scared off by a little fire and brimstone. According to a Hebrew- language press release published last week, the company will attempt to launch another satellite atop a reusable Falcon 9 rocket in 2019-a freebie to make up for the first kablooie. And after that, they've signed up for another SpaceX launch in 2020. Somehow, it seems, SpaceX has restored confidence in its customers after its failures in 2015 and 2016. This year, it has launched 15 missions, reusing three of its boosters. On that string of successes, Spacecom is returning to SpaceX's launch manifest along with an array of customers lining up for dramatically low prices-and the opportunity to sign up for an even cheaper recycled booster launch. The value proposition is even appealing to that most cagey of customers: the United States military. SpaceX owes a great deal of its reputation-and its $21 billion valuation-to its repeat customers. In 2013, Luxembourg-based communications provider SES took a risk to fly atop the first Falcon 9 rocket to geostationary orbit. In return, SpaceX offered SES the first reusable orbital rocket launch in aerospace history and all the free publicity that came along with it. The historic mission launched on March 30, and on October 11, SpaceX fired off its third reusable rocket, carrying another SES payload. Another loyal customer, Iridium, indicated last week that its next two SpaceX launches would fly on reusable boosters. "I think you're already seeing the commercial satellite industry realize the impact 'flight proven' boosters could have on the market," says former White House space advisor and former SpaceX official Phil Larson. "Some are contributing to the overall push for this new capability." The main advantage for SpaceX is obvious: price. Going on just the advertised prices from both SpaceX and competitor United Launch Alliance for the cheapest mission, the difference in costs before taxes and insurance is about $47 million. Elon Musk claims that cost difference for certain launches could exceed $300 million--which is the average cost of a satellite. "So flying with SpaceX means satellite is basically free," the billionaire tweeted. Which is how SpaceX finally broke into the public sector. In May of 2015, SpaceX won a lawsuit to end the monopoly on Air Force missions held by United Launch Alliance-and today, the Air Force is a satisfied and enthusiastic customer. The head of US Space Command, John W. Raymond, told Bloomberg that it would be "absolutely foolish" not to be utilizing recycled rockets in the future. And SpaceX would be foolish not to fight for those military contracts, which are the biggest it gets. So far, it's done well: SpaceX launched its first national security mission earlier this year for the National Reconnaissance Office and followed that clandestine mission with another. In early September, as Hurricane Irma approached Florida's coast, SpaceX launched the secretive Boeing- built X-37B spaceplane for the Air Force. And just last week, SpaceX slated another top-secret mission-code-named Zuma-in between already planned launches in November. Documents obtained by WIRED point to a classified payload built by Northrop Grumman for the military. The details of the launch are heavily under wraps. Next door to the Air Force at Cape Canaveral is NASA, another customer burned by SpaceX. In June of 2015, SpaceX lost an agency resupply haul bound for the International Space Station when the Falcon 9 exploded minutes after liftoff. But like Spacecom, the agency bounced back. Since the explosion, SpaceX has completed five successful resupply missions for NASA-and it's making progress toward flying NASA astronauts to the space station in late 2018. NASA's interest in SpaceX's reusable technology seems to be growing as well. Sources at Kennedy Space Center tell WIRED that NASA and SpaceX have preliminarily agreed to launch the next two cargo resupply missions to ISS atop reusable rockets. The agency also announced last week that it has contracted SpaceX to launch the collaborative Sentinel-6A mission in 2020 to gather ocean topography data. Today, SpaceX's mission cadence puts them in a dead heat with the Russians for 2017 launches. Vice President Mike Pence didn't seem to notice, though, as he held the first National Space Council meeting on October 5. "America seems to have lost our edge in space," Pence said. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell sat on the panel, perplexed. https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-keeps-lining-up-covert-military-launches/ Curt Lewis