March 29, 2018 - No. 025 In This Issue SIU aviation taking the skies with new planes GAO: A new Federal Aviation Administration tracking system could endanger missions El Al's Modernization Drive 20 New Avionics Technologies Introduced at AEA 2018 NASA, NIAS Test Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management Tech EasyJet signs Skywise Predictive Maintenance agreement with Airbus Boeing to Use LIDAR for Industry First on EcoDemonstrator Rolls-Royce Teams up with ANSYS to Develop Breakthrough Technology for Jet Engines eAircraft: Siemens Unveils Electric Propulsion Technology for First Time in US SpaceX and Boeing inch closer toward crewed space missions SIU aviation taking the skies with new planes CARBONDALE, Ill. - For Patrick Perillo, the opportunity to fly in planes once piloted by his father is "an honor and humbling." "It's really cool to have that experience and share that with my dad," said Perillo, a senior in SIU Carbondale's aviation management and flight programfrom Geneva. "But now, here in 2018, I would say it's time for a little upgrade for newer students coming into the program." Planes are upgrade to nationally recognized aviation program The upgrade began earlier this month when the first of three Piper Arrow general aviation flight trainer planes flew into Southern Illinois Airport. Bought solely with funds from student flight fees, the planes are replacing five older Cessna 172 and 182 retractable gear planes from the 1970s and early 1980s now in the 36-plane fleet. The three new planes cost $480,000 each. The five older planes were obsolete as far as present training standards and constituted a huge maintenance burden, said Michael Burgener, interim chair in the Department of Aviation Management and Flight. The state-of-the-technology features will help in recruiting potential students. Burgener noted the arrival of the first plane was delayed a few weeks. The Federal Aviation Administration had to complete additional inspections and certifications because this was the first Piper Arrow produced with the upgraded Garmin G500 displays. "We are just excited to have the new airplane. We are happy that we are adding to the fleet," he said. 'A strong investment in our future' With avionics that can resemble a Game Boy screen, the technology includes autopilot and an adjustable pitch propeller built specifically to train students in the complex requirements for commercial and certified flight instructor certificates. The single-engine plane that arrived March 20 was the first Piper Arrow aircraft to feature the leading edge technology Garmin G500 TXi display. "We are not just keeping up with our competitors but we are exceeding them. We have the newest and the best at our program," Ken Bro, an assistant instructor in the Department of Aviation Management and Flight, said. Even with technological advancements, training quality pilots is the key, Bro said. "It's also a good commercial trainer because it maneuvers. The pilot actually has to fly it quite a bit," he said. "You can't just rely on this technology all the time. The aircraft still has to be flown by a pilot." Aviation program's national reputation attracts students Brody Wilson, a senior in aviation management and flight from Elmhurst, is also a 2015 Chancellor's Scholar. The scholarship and success of the nine-time national champion Flying Salukis were key factors in his decision to attend SIU. While on campus he has also become an instrument-rated pilot and received his commercial pilot certification. The new planes will allow students "to become very proficient pilots at flying very technologically advanced aircraft that they will see later on in their careers at airlines," Wilson said. Ownership in advancing the aviation program The flight fees that students pay go toward operating the program, everything from fuel, instructor fees and equipment upgrades. Wilson said it's "pretty cool" to see flight fees invested in the program's future to help students succeed. Being sold on SIU's aviation program Perillo's father, Michael, an American Airlines pilot, graduated with a degree in aviation technologies in 1991. Patrick, meanwhile, flew down in 2014 as part of the SIU aviation career day with American Airlines. In addition to his father, Perillo has two uncles who are pilots. "I flew from Chicago down here. Flying in on the American Airlines plane and seeing the campus from above, I knew, from that moment it was an awesome experience and I knew it was going to be home," Perillo said. Would easily come back "in a heartbeat" "The reason I believe SIU is the truly the best in the country ... our flight program here is smaller," Perillo said. "You get that one-on-one student-instructor relationship which really builds on students' knowledge and truly produces great pilots. I would say that is what differentiates us." http://news.siu.edu/2018/03/032818-siu-aviation-gets-new-plane.php Back to Top GAO: A new Federal Aviation Administration tracking system could endanger missions HURLBURT FIELD - A Federal Aviation Administration plan to make air traffic control more efficient could compromise the security of military aircraft, according to a recent report from the federal Government Accountability Office. The FAA is moving from radar-based tracking of aircraft to satellite-based tracking. In addition to monitoring commercial and private aircraft, the new system also tracks military planes and supplies detailed information - such as velocity and airframe dimensions - that might allow identification, origin and destination of the aircraft. The new tracking equipment can also be purchased by civilians. A dramatic illustration of the problem involves an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship that reportedly was tracked recently from Hurlburt Field, headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command, across the country to Seattle. According to a March 21 report in The War Zone (part of Time Inc.'s The Drive website), the aircraft was tracked on its nearly 2,300-mile flight by a network of civilians with equipment that received signals from the satellite-based tracking system known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out). "This technology is nothing new," Hurlburt's 1st Special Operations Wing's public affairs unit wrote in an email responding to an inquiry about The War Zone report. "Every stateside aircraft uses this technology, including commercial aircraft. All flight plans are filed ahead of time with the FAA." The aircraft tracking change to ADS-B Out is part of the FAA's wide-ranging NextGen initiative to improve the U.S. air traffic system. As part of NextGen, the FAA has set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2020, for all aircraft operating in American airspace to be equipped with ADS-B Out equipment. But according to the GAO report, "individuals - including adversaries - could track military aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out technology, presenting risks to physical security and operations." While it is possible to track aircraft with ADS-B technology overseas, it is not clear whether U.S. military aircraft are being tracked in foreign skies. A cursory check of two tracking websites - FlightAware and ADS-B Exchange - did not reveal any U.S. military planes. And according to a recent report on ADS-B on The Daily Beast website, warplanes on combat missions don't use civilian air traffic control and therefore can't be tracked by ADS-B receiving equipment. Outside of the response from the 1st Special Operations Wing, none of the various Air Force public affairs offices contacted responded immediately to requests for comment on The War Zone story or on any concerns they might have about ADS-B technology. However, the GAO report lends some credence to the account. According to the report, information readily available through ADS-B Out transmissions "allowed GAO to track various kinds of military aircraft." Real-time ADS-B Out tracking data can even be accessed on the Internet. For example, ADS-B Exchange (www.adsbexchange.com), reports data from a wide network of ADS-B tracking equipment and bills itself as "the world's largest co-op of unfiltered flight data." On a recent morning, ADS-B data on ADS-B Exchange was tracking aircraft - including Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps planes - in the skies across Northwest Florida. An email to ADS-B Exchange seeking comment went unanswered. Similarly, neither the FAA nor the DoD had responded to emails and telephone calls placed Monday and Tuesday. A GAO spokesman provided a limited response to an email question on whether the agency had heard from either the DoD or the FAA with regard plans for ADS-B Out. "While we know the agencies are working on the issue, it's too soon for us to have a formal update as of yet," wrote Chuck Young, the GAO's managing director of public affairs. According to the GAO report, the FAA established a multi-organization group to provide solutions "to accommodate sensitive missions" in U.S. airspace. The DoD filed a four-page response to the GAO report last August, stating it had developed a draft memorandum with the FAA "that ensures DoD security concerns, associated with DoD aircraft transmitting ADS-B data, are addressed." Nonetheless, the GAO report notes the FAA and the DoD began in 2008 to identify risks associated with ADS-B technology "that could adversely affect DoD security and missions" but "have not approved any solutions to address these risks." The report also urges both agencies to find a solution, stating, "Unless DOD and FAA focus their efforts on the security aspects of ADS-B on DOD aircraft and produce one or more solutions to these risks, DOD aircraft and missions will be exposed to unmitigated risks that could jeopardize safety, security, and mission success." http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20180327/gao-new-federal-aviation-admiministration- tracking-system-could-endanger-missions Back to Top El Al's Modernization Drive In June 2017, London Heathrow broke with traditional and publicly outed the worst offending airlines of noise and pollution at the airport. Embarrassingly, El Al came in 50 out of 50, behind Kuwait Airways, Middle East Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines. A recent order for 16 Dreamliners has allowed the airline to begin replacing its worst-offending aircraft, such as the 747s and 767s, which will have fully phased out those older model types by 2020. That will take the average age of its widebodies from 18 years, in September 2017, to 6.7. Its narrowbodies have more life in them, with a current average age of 10 years. Those aircraft not immediately due for retirement are being given an internal overhaul of their cabins and IFE. Yosef Barazani, vice president maintenance and engineering at El Al, has been leading that process. Speaking with Aviation Week, he says the work has been "challenging". "Last year was a very significant year for us as we needed to appropriately prepare for the new 787-900 fleet, starting with the first aircraft delivery in August 2017. Currently, we've inducted four, and are scheduled to induct three more by the end of 2018. "Prior to [their delivery]," he explains, "we needed to compete all required maintenance support tooling, plus ground-support equipment modified with customized no-touch policy electronic systems to minimize airframe damage to the composite material of the 787s." That also required the repair station to gain a 787-appropriate rating from the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel and the FAA for both line and heavy maintenance, which meant training 90 qualified technicians and engineers. Fortunately, the division had just completed the transition from its older KETER maintenance software to the newer AMOS system, which Barazani says really helped the process. "That successfully went alive, with no significant discrepancies, at the beginning of March 2017," he says, "We also managed to do that, while doing routine line and heavy maintenance tasks, without a stoppage." Going forward, the division still has to introduce another seven -900s into the fleet by 2020, and it continues to prepare for future 787 heavy maintenance. It also has to receive EASA-components rating for hydraulics and engine accessories to support its component services program agreement with Lufthansa Technik. The upgrades to the cabins of the older aircraft are ongoing, which involve modifying the 777 fleet with Internet access and a streaming IFE system, both from ViaSat, and replacing the passenger seat furnishings. Once those are finished, Barazani explains, the division will then start on doing the same for the 737-900 fleet. One installation most MRO suppliers do not need to worry about is an anti-missile system. El Al is one of the only airlines in the world that installs such technology on commercial aircraft. It first did so after shoulder-mounted surface-to-air rockets narrowly avoided one of its charter aircraft in Mombasa, Kenya, in late 2002, and now all its aircraft have them installed as standard. The latest system, at an estimated cost of $1 million per aircraft, is Elbit Systems' C-Music, the commercial version of its military SkyShield, and this needs to be installed on each new Dreamliner before it enters service. Despite the modernization investment, Barazani recognizes there is always more that can be done. "We'll continue train more technicians to support the growing 787 fleet," he says, "but I'd really like is to increase training in new technologies to allow the division to receive more EASA ratings in components and heavy maintenance." http://www.mro-network.com/airlines/el-al-s-modernization-drive Back to Top 20 New Avionics Technologies Introduced at AEA 2018 Avionics manufacturing innovation is booming for the business and general aviation industry, as demonstrated in the annual opening ceremony at the 2018 Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) convention. The theme of the new product introductions at the event focuses around improving aircraft connectivity and data acquisition, such as simplifying pilot workload and providing new ADS-B upgrade options, among other new capabilities. This list is in no ranking order, and does not feature every new product unveiled. You can watch the full new product ceremony that was live-streamed on Aero News Network Monday on its YouTube page. SmartSky Networks used the opening ceremony at AEA 2018 to unveil its new SmartSky Lite connectivity technology, designed to bring 4G LTE air-to-ground cellular connections to light jets and turboprops with up to 19,000 pounds max takeoff weight. According to SmartSky, the introductory cost to operate SmartSky Lite is $75 per hour for unlimited data. Latitude Technologies President Mark Insley introduced the Canadian manufacturer's new Enode engine data acquisition unit. Insley described the Enode as enabling engine condition trend monitoring (ECTM) and flight data monitoring (FDM). Latitude also notes that the Enode can be installed on its own to capture engine signals and convert to ARINC 429 or can be mechanically coupled with is IONode lightweight flight data recorder. Honeywell Aerospace introduced its new GoDirect Router, which the company says reduces the size, weight and power of aircraft routers for business jets. According to Honeywell, on average, current aircraft routers use two MCU in the avionics bay, weigh around eight pounds and consume about 50 watts of power. Honeywell's new GoDirect Router is 8.2 by 5.6 by 1.75 inches, weighs less than 4.2 pounds and consumes 30 watts of power. Applied Avionics announced the latest addition to its Nexsys product line - an ARINC 429 multi-bit converter with up to four discrete outputs and a multi-bit converter for digital-to-analog signal conversion. The company also announced its new ARINC 429 multi-bit decoder to help simplify WAAS/LPV installations. Send Solutions announced new pilot functionality for its Iridium satellite communications text- messaging system, the Airtext+, which Send Solutions President David Gray said has morphed from being designated to passenger use to featuring more pilot functionality. The FAA has approved its servers for sending digital ATIS to airplanes, as well as ASOS, international METARS and TAFs. The company also added a new functionality called "FBOlink," which allows pilots to directly exchange text messages with the CSRs at their FBO of choice. Universal Avionics unveiled its new external configuration editor (ECE) for its InSight cockpit display system. The ECE is a cloud-based applications that allows installers to import configuration data and export configurations to be loaded into the aircraft through a serial bus. Kuerzi Avionics announced its new Pico Close Loop Controller, which is a Bluetooth controller capable of controlling cabin light control, heating and entertainment systems. The PCLC can also consolidate remote controls, EMS and special mission systems on a single network. Tel-Instrument Electronics Corp. is bringing a "all-in-one" avionics test set to the market. Its SDR Omni, capable of testing everything from low frequency automatic direction finders up to high frequency L-band GPS. Using modern cell phone technology, the tester can transmit or receive all complex avionics signal types as software. Avionics test functions for the SDR Omni can be purchased as applications, downloaded in a way similar to how modern smartphone applications add new functionality to smart phones. The first app release will be available for SDR Omni in September 2018 for ADS-B testing. Helitrak has a new autopilot for the Robinson R44, featuring Level A design assurance and an integrated ADAHARS. Certification for the new autopilot is target for the first quarter of 2019. Carlisle Interconnect Technologies revealed several new products at AEA 2018, including its Octax- Solo connectors, which accommodate data throughput rates ranging from one to 10 Gbps. The manufacturer also introduced its EFB EZ Mount and universal cradle system that works with any smart tablet. The company is also awaiting an STC on a new cockpit power-charging port. Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S) announced ThrustSense, which the company describes as the first and only current turboprop autothrottle system that is certified for use in turboprop aircraft. It provides the pilot with automatic navigation and speed control from rotation to decision height. ThrustSense is currently certified for the PC-12. IS&S is also targeting STCs for the King Air, Piper Meridian and Cessna Caravan aircraft. Rockwell Collins announced new tools designed to help business aviation operators manage the use of airborne connectivity with its ArincDirect Cabin Dashboard. The cabin dashboard analyzes usage and helps manage devices and sends alerts when limits reached, and it can also display usage by application type or device. Aspen Avionics has a new electronic flight instrument, the Evolution E5, which can interface with most autopilots, and is available for just $4,995. PS Engineering Inc. unveiled its new PAC 45 J, an upgraded version of its Multi-Talker processing audio panel designed for business jets. It features three transceivers, seven receivers and bluetooth capability as well. Blue Avionics is currently awaiting certification of its BA-540 adaptable avionics unit, that can be configured to provided complex ARINC 429 functions and remapping, as well as dynamic filtering and high-order math functions. It was first used as a mach overspeed warning computer for a NASA special mission configured Boeing 747. The BA-540 will soon be certified for the Citation V. Blue Avionics also announced its new BA-110 ARINC to CSDB converter unit, capable of converting ARINC 429 to CSDB outputs. Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics introduced its limited lifetime warranty on its USB charging ports and its T12000 series DC-to-AC inverter, capable of delivering 2,000 watts of power to cabin and galley equipment. Additionally, Mid-Continent has a new MD32 magnetometer designed to deliver independent heading reference for its standby attitude module and its TC2000 AC-to-DC voltage converter. The TC2000 is capable of powering up to 112 USB power ports. RDDS Avionics introduced a new mission computer, a new range of sense displays and a ruggedized mission keyboard. Its new RD3003 mission management unit has i7 processors, dual CPUs and up to 32 GB of RAM. Esterline Power Systems unveiled its new modular power distribution system, AeroCots, a standardized box that allows customized configuration of universal programmable sensors, contactors and solid state power controllers, among other components. Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing (AEM) has new audio amplifiers, its LSA150 and LSA300 Class D amps with a smart power supply and fault protection. The company also announced the AWGO8 audio warning generator, which it expects to receive certification on later this year. BendixKing introduced its CNI 5000 ADS-B upgrade for the Cessna Citation 525, 525A and Bravo 500. The Honeywell subsidiary also announced the MST 70B, a slide in ADS-B upgrade for the MST 67A. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2018/03/27/20-new-avionics-technologies-introduced-aea-2018/ Back to Top NASA, NIAS Test Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management Tech NASA and the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems have tested unmanned aircraft systems and airspace management technologies as part of efforts to integrate UAS into the U.S. national airspace system. NIAS said Monday the week-long demonstration occurred at a UAS test site at the Reno-Stead Airport in Nevada and involved UAS ground control systems, communication, navigation, surveillance, human factors, data exchange and network platforms. The test is part of the NASA-led UAS Traffic Management project that involves the Federal Aviation Administration, UAS test sites and industry. The program seeks to develop and demonstrate a UTM prototype with technologies that will be integrated into an operational drone traffic management system. During the test, NASA provided a flight information management system, which will serve as a platform prototype to support the coordination of the FAA with UAS operators across the U.S. The latest demonstration, called the Technology Capability Level 3 campaign, is part of a series of increasingly complex research, development and test activities under the UTM project. TCL 3 is focused on technologies that are designed to maintain safe spacing between responsive and non-responsive UAS over moderately populated environments. http://www.executivegov.com/2018/03/nasa-nias-test-unmanned-aircraft-traffic-management- tech/ Back to Top EasyJet signs Skywise Predictive Maintenance agreement with Airbus EasyJet has signed a five year agreement with Airbus to provide Predictive Maintenance services for its entire fleet approaching 300 aircraft. The technology relies on Airbus' Skywise data platform which will allow easyJet's engineers to intervene early and replace parts before the component's failure, thereby preventing passengers from experiencing delays and cancellations. Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, commented: "easyJet is leading the industry in using data and artificial intelligence to improve our efficiency as well as in other parts of the airline where its use can reduce costs, improve customer satisfaction and increase revenue. Our investment in the Skywise platform can really make a tangible difference for thousands of passengers by harnessing the power of big data to reduce delays. It will transform the way that we maintain and operate our aircraft with the long term aim of eliminating delays due to technical faults." Tom Enders, Airbus Chief Executive, commented: "Our Skywise trial with easyJet over the past three years has been tremendously successful, demonstrating significant gains in operational performance through predictive maintenance. We are delighted to further cement our collaboration by extending this trail-blazing technology to easyJet's entire A320 Family fleet." The new technology builds on extensive trials of the Skywise platform allowing easyJet to remove components before faults occur, thus enabling more flights to operate on schedule. Skywise can now analyse data from other components on easyJet's aircraft thanks to the installation of Airbus' newly released flight operations and maintenance exchanger FOMAX - which collects 60 times more data than existing systems. The new equipment will be fitted on easyJet's fleet by summer 2019. Airbus launched the Skywise aviation data platform at the 2017 Paris Air Show, in collaboration with Palantir Technologies - pioneers in big-data integration and advanced analytics. Building on the announcement in February 2018 that some 1,000 aircraft were to be connected, Skywise aims to become the platform of reference used by all major aviation players to improve their operational performance and business results and to support their own digital transformation. https://www.eturbonews.com/181328/easyjet-signs-skywise-predictive-maintenance-agreement- with-airbus Back to Top Boeing to Use LIDAR for Industry First on EcoDemonstrator Boeing is looking to use light detection and ranging (LIDAR) in an industry first. The latest version of the original equipment manufacturer's ecoDemonstrator aircraft is researching the use of LIDAR to detect clear air turbulence, a capability that Boeing claims has never been achieved before on a commercial airplane. Boeing first launched its ecoDemonstrator program in 2012 on a next-generation 737-800 on a loan from American Airlines. The program takes reconfigured Boeing commercial aircraft types and uses them as testbeds for evaluating new technologies. The ecoDmonstrator has since evaluated more than 55 different technologies on American's 737, a Boeing-owned 787, a 757 in collaboration with NASA and an Embraer E170. Examples of technologies evaluated in the past include variable fan nozzles, a regenerative fuel cell and a NASA-developed algorithm that uses ADS-B In and Out data to enable time-based interval management for flight crews. In 2018, Boeing is using a FedEx 777 air cargo-configured airframe to value an assortment of different technologies, including a synthetic instrument landing system that uses satellite information in the form of GPS signals to create an approach line to the runway. A new video released by Boeing describes a future-facing use of LIDAR on the latest ecoDemonstrator in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA), LIDAR is a remote- sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure variable distances. NOAA uses LIDAR in combination with data recorded by its own airborne systems to generate three dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and surface characteristics. Boeing and JAXA are looking to use LIDAR to capture clear air turbulence up to 10 miles ahead of an airborne aircraft to detect clear air turbulence and provide pilots with a 60-second warning about where the pocket of turbulence is located. The FAA describes clear air turbulence as an "air movement created by atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air around mountains, cold or warm weather fronts or thunderstorms." Data collected by the agency shows that passenger injuries caused by clear air turbulence have ranged from 44 in 2016 to as high as 107 in 2009. According to JAXA, the latest in-service aircraft LIDAR technology can detect small water drops, but the agency's is capable of detecting clear air turbulence. "The latest system can detect a could with small water drops, but cannot find clear air turbulence," Shigeru Machida, a project manager for JAXA, said in the new video from Boeing. "Our system can detect that, so that's why it's a very very important technology, which can reduce aircraft accidents." Boeing is flight testing a total of 35 different technologies on the latest ecoDemonstrator. The flying testbed will continue evaluating new technologies through the end of April, prior to being refurbished and returned to FedEx in June. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2018/03/28/boeing-use-lidar-industry-first-ecodemonstrator/ Back to Top Rolls-Royce Teams up with ANSYS to Develop Breakthrough Technology for Jet Engines Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has teamed up with ANSYS and the University of Nottingham in a five-year collaboration that seeks to develop revolutionary new technologies for gas turbine aero engines. The collaboration will see the trio utilizing the latest simulation technology for the development of engine bearing chambers, internal gearboxes and optimized fluid systems. The project, dubbed AERIS, is part of the Clean Sky 2 initiative, where the university is a Core Partner and Member of the Systems, Airframes and Engines Integrated Technology Demonstrators (ITD). The Clean Sky2 initiative builds on 10 years of research conducted at the University of Nottingham's Gas Turbine and Transmissions Research Centre (G2TRC), headed by Professor Herve Morvan, director of the Institute for Aerospace Technology (IAT). "Clean Sky 2 includes physical demonstrators that integrate several technologies at a larger aircraft level and show how they work under operating conditions," said Morvan. "This helps to determine their potential and enables them to reach a higher level of maturity. The ability to do this virtually is really important-software demonstration is a significant way of delivering innovation and competitiveness to the aerospace sector. However, demonstration is not limited to physical hardware. It is essential to develop and progress designs and computational methods-and this is what AERIS is about. This is an essential task which supports competitiveness through the reduction of design times." AERIS will make use of the expertise of the IAT, which holds a portfolio of 15 other aviation industry projects worth €38 million that are directly tied to meeting the goals of Clean Sky 2. "ANSYS is thrilled to collaborate with Rolls-Royce and the University of Nottingham to achieve the highly challenging goals set by Clean Sky 2," said Paolo Colombo, director, Industry Marketing, Aerospace and Defence at ANSYS. "We will increase the robustness and speed of multiphase technology and introduce the ability to transition between multiphase regimes-key capabilities to design the next generation of cleaner and quieter aero engines." https://www.engineering.com/DesignSoftware/DesignSoftwareArticles/ArticleID/16656/Rolls- Royce-Teams-up-with-ANSYS-to-Develop-Breakthrough-Technology-for-Jet-Engines.aspx Back to Top eAircraft: Siemens Unveils Electric Propulsion Technology for First Time in US Siemens unveiled a prototype of its electric propulsion technology for the first time in the US yesterday, at its Innovation Day held at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute in Chicago. Teri Hamlin, VP eAircraft USA, Siemens, discussed projections for the market, which include scheduled hybrid-electric commercial flights by 2030 and electric propulsion becoming the standard for all aircraft types by 2050, adding that these milestones may be reached even sooner. "Things are moving faster than we thought they would," she said, "faster than the projections we made just a few years ago." The advantages of eAircraft technology are threefold: reductions in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and noise - the last of which has the potential to truly impact the passenger experience. "We can have quieter airports, quieter takeoff and landing spots and perhaps even airports that operate all night long," said Hamlin, herself a former commercial and military pilot, boasting an over-20-year career in aviation. And we aren't just talking about international hubs: "The whole landscape is shifting. When you are able to hybridize something like a regional jet you are opening up the usage of those regional airports a lot more, with a lot more flights, a lot more capacity and people using them a lot more." Use of regional airports could mean shorter wait times at security for commuters and less stress navigating massive terminal complexes. Siemens is already in talks with several small airlines specializing in short-haul, intracity routes, Hamlin says, and the many moving parts are already converging for regional jet routes to begin proliferating under hybrid architectures. Speaking about Siemens' recent E-Fan X partnership with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to develop hybrid- electric propulsion for commercial aircraft - demonstrated using virtual reality at yesterday's event - Hamlin says the partners are each bringing to bare what they are best at. "Siemens isn't planning to be an aircraft OEM," she said. "We are focused on doing what we are best at and that's electrical propulsion units. This is where Siemens shines." While the E-Fan X demonstrator is anticipated to fly in 2020, CityAirbus, a multi-passenger, self-piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle designed for urban air mobility and powered by Siemens' electrical propulsion units, is expected to fly by the end of this year. Siemens' electric propulsion systems are designed using what the company calls a "digital twin," a virtual representation that allows the company to tweak and optimize the design throughout the entire lifecycle until the system takes flight. "No one in the industry can develop a product like we are doing and have the digital software there," said Barry Chapman, VP Aerospace and Defense, Federal and Marine Industries. "We are going to be able to make changes a lot faster. We are going to be able to take in regulatory requirements a lot faster. And we are going to be able to do a lot more in a lot less time with a higher rate of fidelity because we have the platform." https://apex.aero/2018/03/28/eaircraft-siemens-electric-propulsion-technology Back to Top SpaceX and Boeing inch closer toward crewed space missions NASA's Commercial Crew Program is making "significant progress" according to the space agency, which has outlined upcoming missions for both Boeing and SpaceX. The race between the two companies to be the first to provide commercial transportation services in space appears to be neck-and-neck. Boeing has a crewless orbital flight test scheduled for August this year, while SpaceX plans to complete a crewless flight to the International Space Station in the same month. Crewed missions are then slated to take place in November and December, respectively. But while NASA says that both companies are "meeting contractual milestones and maturing their designs" for their spacecraft -- Boeing with its CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX with its Dragon 2 vehicle -- there is a strong chance flight tests could slip into 2019. GAO has already predicteddelays due to flight certification, while Ars Technica's space editor Eric Berger revealed in a tweet that program manager Kathy Lueders appears to have "low confidence" in crew flights this year. As the delay of the James Webb Space Telescope shows, it doesn't matter how much hype there is around a mission, getting it right the first time is always going to be more important than a schedule. https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/28/spacex-and-boeing-inch-closer-toward-manned-space- missions/ Curt Lewis