November 18, 2019 - No. 090 In This Issue Airbus-Backed Tournament Unveils First Electric Racing Aircraft Fast 5: Rebooting Rosie the Riveter NTRA radar delayed: Site plans for nationwide technology transition Making it Work: Nevada's Institute for Autonomous Systems Forms Drone Technology and Funding Matchmaker Turning the Upgrade Biz Inside Out Rolls-Royce Underlines Middle East Importance All-electric X-57 debuts at NASA Armstrong Etihad Celebrates First Middle East 3D-printed Parts Facility The TSA is planning to shoot down drones near airports. GOP congressmen say that's dangerous and probably illegal Honeywell sees Regional Growth Despite Muted Bizav Demand New Audit Reveals NASA Paid Boeing $2 Billion More Than SpaceX for Same ISS Mission Airbus-Backed Tournament Unveils First Electric Racing Aircraft (REUTERS) - AN Airbus-backed air racing tournament unveiled an electric-powered sports aircraft on Sunday, billed as the world's first, as the European planemaker seeks to boost its green aerospace technology. Several companies, including U.S. ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc , are working on electric-powered flying cars, amid increasing concerns about the environmental impact of fossil-fuel intensive air travel. Last month, Airbus rival Boeing announced a partnership with automaker Volkswagen's sports car brand, Porsche, to develop a concept electric flying vehicle capable of transporting people in urban environments. Air Race E said the aircraft, called White Lightning and unveiled at the Dubai Air Show, will be manufactured by UK-based Condor Aviation. The aircraft will use an electric motor that will carry it at flight speeds of around 482 kilometers (300 miles) per hour on a tight 5 kilometer (about 3 miles) circuit, just 10 meters above the ground. "The racing series will provide a test bed for innovation and accelerate the journey towards electric commercial travel," Air Race E Chief Executive Jeff Walkman said. Lithium batteries installed under the fuselage of the plane will provide power for five minutes of high intensity racing and around 10 minutes of reserve flying at reduced power, the firm said. Air Race E is aiming to be the world's first all-electric airplane competition when it launches its inaugural series of international races in 2020. It expects to this week name eight teams for its first race. https://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2019-11-17/airbus-backed-tournament-unveils-first-electric-racing-aircraft Back to Top Fast 5: Rebooting Rosie the Riveter Patti Clark, associate professor for the College of Aeronautics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and program chair of the university's master in aviation maintenance degree, began her career as an engine mechanic and provides insight into how to remove some of the barriers to workforce diversity. She also shares tips about engaging with youth around sustainability. You began your career as an aircraft engine mechanic in the U.S. Air Force. What attracted you to aircraft maintenance and what are the biggest changes you've seen the industry experience since you first entered it? It is hard to point to one thing that attracted me to aircraft maintenance. Growing up I did not have a lot of exposure to aviation beyond a couple of pilots with old bi-planes that held mock dog fights on Sunday afternoons over our neighbor's cow pasture. But I found the whole idea of large things flying around in the sky fascinating! In high school I talked with a U.S. Air Force military recruiter quite often who was a family friend. I think it was when I heard the term 'aircraft maintainers are the backbone of the U.S. Air Force' from another recruiter that it clicked with me. I said that's it, sign me up! The biggest changes I have seen are certainly in technology and the pace of change. Aviation has always been a leader in innovation and to think today we have turbofan engines that produce 100,000-plus lbs. of thrust, composites in aircraft bodies and engine fan blades and that the industry is implementing additive manufacturing technology are all just amazing innovations. For reference, the first engine I worked on produced less than 10,000 lbs. of thrust. The other aspect of change that is worthy noting is the increasing use of data analytics in all sectors of the aviation industry. I think we have only begun to understand the power and interpretation of the data. What is the biggest factor that you think holds women back from pursuing careers within aviation maintenance? In a word, unaware. Along with some ERAU Worldwide colleagues, I conducted some research a few years ago to try to understand this very question. What we found is that most women are completely uninformed about the aviation maintenance career field. In our study, the few who were acquainted with the field knew about it only because they had a friend or relative working in aviation maintenance. So it is not really a matter of being held back but simply a lack of knowledge. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers proved they could do the work decades ago during WWII. We need to rekindle Rosie! What can the industry do to better attract women to roles within aviation maintenance? To start, industry should look at more creative partnerships with academia and particularly work with K-12 education systems. We cannot talk within our silos about the problem and hire consultants to fix it. The 'rubber meets the road' in the classroom and until girls know about aviation maintenance as a career,we will continue to have the dismal percentages of women in aviation maintenance. Our educators must be more prepared to provide information on aviation careers as well. We cannot expect them to teach children about careers they are also unaware exist. Some suggestions are role models, mentors from industry and with the advent of AR/VR, industry should partner with companies to create modules or short courses that provide a realistic look at aviation maintenance. There are some excellent AR/VR resources for aviation maintenance training out there. Why not adapt some of the information or concepts for children? It is easy to say we have a problem and we certainly do, but it is much harder to identify solutions. We need an industry and academia wide Rosie Reboot! One way in which Embry-Riddle is working to help fill the future workforce pipeline is with the Aviation is Your Future online course that was held in conjunction with Girls in Aviation Day. What did the course entail and how successful was it? The Aviation is Your Future course was offered as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and developed by our ERAU Worldwide Women in Aviation (WAI) Chapter for Girls in Aviation Day. We have offered the course for the last three years and to date have reached approximately 2,100 students across the world. While the course was designed for girls 8-12 years of age, we have had many boys take the course too. This year the MOOC really took off with WAI publishing it on its webpage--and we had live classes in South Africa. I think we ended the course with just over 250 enrollments in the online course. The course is comprised of six short modules that are focused on aviation topics--aviation terms, basic parts of an airplane, the four forces of flight (one module on Weight & Lift and one module on Thrust & Drag), helicopters and Space & NASA. The estimated time to the complete the course is around six hours. To receive the certificate of completion, participants had to view all the module pages and complete the concept-related quizzes or word puzzles. It is a small initiative and we are working on the next version for next year. Little steps all add up! As evidenced by Greta Thunberg and all the climate protests going on lately, younger generations are clearly passionate about and interested in environmental sustainability. In that vein, you are teaching a couple courses at Embry-Riddle related to sustainability. Are you seeing this same level of interest from younger generations in the courses you're teaching, and do you think this is a good area in which the industry can better connect with youth? It is true that environmental sustainability is more of a concern for our younger GenZ generation. I say concern but it is more of a demand or a call for accountability in how the aviation industry is addressing environmental issues. In my sustainability courses, I have definitely seen younger students and more women interested in sustainability. The GenZers are constantly connected and the messages they receive are often one sided or incomplete. The aviation industry is one sector of transportation that dared to paint a target on their back by committing to large scale CO2 emissions reductions over the next few decades. Shouldn't that be a good news message? Did any other industry sector take on such ambitious goals? No. My point is that this increased awareness and dedication to companies that 'do the right thing over doing things right' is forefront to our younger generations. In turn, the aviation industry must do more to inform them of the progress to date in efficiencies realized through technological innovation, the reach of aviation to countries around the world to provide travel, food, medicine, etc. and how the industry adds to prosperity of many nations. Finally, the aviation industry must fulfill that accountability role and step up to the plate in terms of corporate social responsibility. I am not saying that the industry is not socially responsible--there are many, many examples of how companies are doing the right things.Tell this generation in ways they understand--through social media channels, in small bites, with real world examples and deliver the message with integrity. Business as usual and traditional messages through customary channels is a doomed model of communication with the younger generations. Modernize the message medium and deliver it in a transparent way. https://www.mro-network.com/workforce/fast-5-rebooting-rosie-riveter Back to Top NTRA radar delayed: Site plans for nationwide technology transition North Texas Regional Airport - Perrin Field will need to wait a little longer for radar services. Airport officials said Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration will not be moving forward with infrastructure upgrades that could bring radar service to the regional airport. With the initial efforts to bring radar to NTRA, county officials pledged $400,000 for improvements with the mindset that these funds would be reimbursable in the future. With this project no longer viable, these funds will remain with the county, Grayson County Judge Bill Magers said. The decision by the FAA to not extend infrastructure comes as the agency plans for the next generation of radar technology to roll into major service in 2020. Local officials learned of the decision following a meeting with FAA representatives last month. "The radar is not going to be an option for us," Interim Airport Director Mike Livezey said Thursday. Starting on Jan. 1, all aircraft will be required by the FAA to be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance -Broadcast technology. While the FAA plans to upkeep existing radar technology, future infrastructure spending will be focused on ADS-B capacity and coverage, Livezey said. Whereas traditional radar is ground-based, ASD-B will utilize equipment on aircraft that will broadcast location information to satellites, who then beam that data to ground repeater stations. "Instead of being based on ground radar, it is based on a satellite's ability to pinpoint where those aircraft are," Livezey said. Following the inclusion of NTRA into the FAA's contract tower program last year, airport and county officials turned their attention to getting radar service for the control tower. At the time, officials said the inclusion of radar at NTRA was both an economic boon and a safety issue. While initially officials contemplated having radar services transmitted from stations closer to Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, it was determined that these sites could only provide limited coverage. The stations could provide readings from high altitudes, but did not cover lower areas, including those where most NTRA traffic flies in. "There isn't enough infrastructure that reaches up here to give positioning of the different aircraft low enough down to the ground," Livezey said. In order for service to reach the area, new infrastructure would need to be constructed, but the FAA declined to pursue this, citing the upcoming transition to ADS-B. "That is so close that it would not be a good use of taxpayer money to develop that," Livezey said. Much like traditional radar services, Livezey said current ADS-B coverage in Texoma is limited, and is primarily focused to the south near the Metroplex. "There are already ground stations in place," he said. "My understanding based on the meeting that I had is, currently if they are coming in from the south to land north, the coverage kinda hits the airport. Most of the of the time traffic is coming from the north for a south landing, and it doesn't quite reach far enough." Currently, the FAA is focusing its roll out of the new technology on major metropolitan airports, including Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Once that wave is completed, the FAA is expected to move on to a secondary group of airports, and this will be the region's best chance to get the new radar service, officials said. "I agree that it (radar) is not in the cards right now and this is a much longer process than we originally thought," Magers said, describing the project as a three to five-year goal. "This isn't going to be tomorrow; this is the long play." Magers said he plans to work with representatives in Washington to see what can be done to include NTRA and Texoma in this second phase of roll out. Meanwhile, Livezey said he plans to work alongside Durant, Oklahoma and Gainesville to increase the region's odds for getting included. Even with approval by the FAA, Magers said the airport will still need to finance the improvements, which are estimated to cost about $800,000. However, costs for the new ADS-B improvements would not be reimbursable, making the investment a harder investment for county leaders in the long term. "We as county commissioners will still have to justify that expense," Magers said. Despite the initial estimates, Magers said he expects the cost to go down over time, making the prospect of being in the second phase more financially plausible. https://www.heralddemocrat.com/news/20191115/ntra-radar-delayed-site-plans-for-nationwide-technology-transition Back to Top Making it Work: Nevada's Institute for Autonomous Systems Forms Drone Technology and Funding Matchmaker The Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) has been a leader in supporting new drone technology since its inception. NIAS is more than an FAA test site: they're an accelerator for new systems and applications. Now, NIAS announces a new membership platform designed to bring businesses, customers, and investors together, helping to get new drone solutions to market. As the industry hype cycle dies down globally, investors are still interested in the sector - but are making fewer, if more significant, investments. The new platform fills a need for investors looking for good opportunities, customers looking for new solutions, and new startups with game changing technology. NIAS launches World's Premier B2B Trade and Investment Matchmaking Platform for Commercialization of Autonomous Systems: Nevada-Global Drone Trade Alliance 12 November 2019. Following an immensely successful week at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas 28-30 October 2019, the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site announced the official launch of its world premier business-to-business (B2B) trade and investment matchmaking platform for autonomous systems: the Nevada-Global Drone Trade Alliance (NV-GDTA). This membership-based platform focuses on delivering a series of annual marquee events to bring end-users, technology proponents and service providers, and investors together to identify the needs for novel technology solutions and the capability of autonomous systems to support commercialization, promote investment, and drive the autonomous systems industry forward. "There is a significant gap and global need for the Nevada Global Drone Trade Alliance. Our resilient team has been building invaluable international partnerships for the past two years and this latest 'in demand initiative' solidifies what we have already been doing extremely well. The NV-GDTA brings together an international synergy of the best entrepreneurs to create and advance innovation. When you bring in this type of synergy to the global drone marketplace, the strength of the NV-GDTA is unmatched by any other drone association and there is no better way to lead the global drone industry, " said Dr. Chris Walach, Executive Director of the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS), FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site, and the NIAS Unmanned Aviation Safety Center of Excellence. "NIAS is a unique UAS test site, in that it specializes in not only solving the problems that face operators who are looking for safe integration of UAVs into the national airspace, but they do so in a way that is commercially viable and scalable. So, there is really no better test site to showcase true UAV commercial technology to the global marketplace," said J.B. Bernstein, CEO of AviSight, Inc. The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology's Center for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS) is pleased to be the first official Canadian member of the Nevada-Global Drone Trade Alliance (NV-GDTA). This incredible initiative is sure to be the world's premier B2B Trade and Investment matchmaking platform for autonomous systems, bringing industry and academia together across borders and beyond to realize commercial opportunities for our international drone partners. Through the recently announced MOU between SAIT and NIAS, we are proud to be advancing extreme weather testing and applications in key industry sectors, such as oil and gas, and mining - join us and the NV-GDTA today!" said Rick Tofani, Director of Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Following the success of its recent International Desert Drone Detection (ID3) event in August 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, NIAS will continue to pave the way for the advancement of commercial applications across broad industries."Events like the Desert Drone Detection (D3) Challenge are invaluable opportunities to share industry capabilities and tackle the growing challenge of keeping our National Airspace safe. Liteye technology is deployed and operational at Airports around the world giving us a unique perspective to share. Our experienced professionals understand the risks and threats to the nation's airports and are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners and the aviation community alike," said Thomas Williamson, Program Manager of Liteye Systems, Inc. The NV-GDTA will focus on four key marque areas to include: Commercial UAV Seminar and Technology Demonstration; International Investment Forum; Federal Advocacy Fly-in (Regulatory/Legislative focused); and Outbound Trade and Investment Attraction Mission(s) to select key international trade shows/conferences. NV-GDTA will bring together the top industry stakeholders in March 2020 for its first commercial technology demonstration event in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada. "The NIAS launch of NV-GDTA will provide an important vehicle to accelerate the interest of international drone/UAS technology companies in working more actively in the State. Nevada Innovation Center LLC's (NIC) ongoing efforts to attract Israeli technology to Nevada have already resulted in important visits by Israeli companies to NIAS to explore collaboration models in the UAS space and NV-GDTA will provide the ideal partnership opportunity. NIC has also established a global collaboration between Israeli and Vegas-based companies that has resulted in sophisticated testing of UAVs for the infrastructure market here in Nevada. The demonstration event in Las Vegas/Henderson in March 2020 will serve as the perfect occasion to invite leading UAS tech companies from Israel to establish an active presence in Nevada" saidNissim Ezekiel, Co-Founder of Nevada Innovation Center LLC. "NIAS aims to build a broad international platform. It is a great opportunity to participate in interesting projects and for transferring technology and knowledge between institutions. Our experience from joint tests of autonomous systems shows that NIAS has extensive competences to build relationships between various entities. The new NV-GDTA initiative is a chance to create important global technological developments. I am glad that we are part of this great project together with our NIAS partners," said Sylvester Wyka, Director for the Center of Space Technologies, Warsaw Institute of Aviation (ILOT). About the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS): As Nevada's designated agency to manage the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site, the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) positions Nevada as the global leader in Autonomous Systems (AS) deployment. NIAS is the synergist, clearinghouse, and learning accelerator establishing the premier smart ecosystem for Autonomous Systems which grows the AS Industry while safely integrating AS into the daily lives of the public. Learn more at https://nias-uas.com/nevada-global-drone-trade-alliance/ https://dronelife.com/2019/11/15/nevadas-institute-for-autonomous-systems-forms-drone-technology-and-funding-matchmaker/ Back to Top Turning the Upgrade Biz Inside Out Whether creating the interior of a new VIP aircraft, upgrading the tired cabin of a commercial airliner, or any project in between, the world's leading completion and refurbishment specialists stand ready to offer solutions, and they're displaying their capabilities at the Dubai Airshow. For heads of state seeking the latest technology for VVIP wide-body completions, Fort Worth, Texas-based GDC Technics (Stand 1756) this year delivered a pair of BBJ 787s to an undisclosed state customer that incorporate important firsts: Ka-band satcom antennas and Live TV. CEO Brad Foreman said these completions also feature forward-looking, downward-zoom, and tail cameras; humidification system and therapeutic oxygen discharge ports; and insulation that lowers noise sound interface levels to an extremely 47.5 dB. Interior weight was 20 percent below industry-standard estimates, "providing our client with an operational advantage and fuel savings," Foreman added. GDC arrives under new ownership, following its February assumption by Oriole Capital Group, Trive Capital, and Maz Aviation. The new ownership "broadens GDC's market reach and industry expertise," said Maz Aviation chairman Mohammad Alzeer at the announcement, calling 2019 "a transformative year for the company." Customers keen to combine old-world craftsmanship with state-of-the-art cabin technology will appreciate Basel-based Jet Aviation's (Chalet A11) emphasis on in-house capabilities that cover "almost every element of the completions process," said Jeremie Caillet, v-p of VIP completion programs. "Upholstery, carpentry, electrics, sheet metal work, paint, and installation are all performed in Basel." New skills and technologies are always in development, and for each custom completion, Jet Aviation's prototyping process "allows production to test drive any new ideas and present them to customers for sign-off before final production begins," Caillet said. He added prototyping is particularly helpful when working with an external design firm "that doesn't have day-to-day contact with the Jet Aviation workshops." Citadel Completions (Chalet A6) arrives at the Dubai Airshow on the heels of partnering with Saudi Arabia's VIP wide-body design and completion consultancy Aviation Link, and Citadel is showcasing its first joint project: a VIP conversion plan for the ultra-long-range Airbus A340-500. This has already "has generated significant interest in the Middle East, Africa and Asia," according to the U.S. completion facility. Citadel has demonstrated expertise in the platform. Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his family bought and renamed the company after it had performed the conversion on his own A340-500, and the proposed interiors were designed by Adelson, Citadel's president and CEO, according to managing director Joe Bonita. Citadel's two available floorplans each feature a stateroom, executive lounge, and first, business, and economy cabins. The VIP lounge is certified for 15 passengers for takeoff and landing and can seat 19 during flight. The first-class cabin seats 12, business accommodates 28, and 48 economy seats are in the rear cabin, still leaving room for 7,000 cu ft of baggage. Aviation Link president and CEO Abdulaziz Al Rowaished noted the A340-500 offers "exceptional performance capabilities with a young airframe, four-engine safety, global support, no ETOPS restrictions, and a range of over 9,000 nm...and provides a surprising and very compelling price point." Year-old Citadel, which made its debut at MEBAA 2018, has already completed several VIP interior refurbishment and heavy maintenance projects and in July added approved maintenance organization certification from the UAE's GCAA to its approvals from the FAA, EASA, and Bermuda's CAA. This gives Citadel authorization to maintain and modify UAE-registered aircraft. Fokker Services (Stand 315), a division of GKN that has extensive experience in bespoke aircraft completions and refurbishments, is highlighting in Dubai its commercial aircraft refurbishment capabilities, available for both Fokker and other aircraft types. Offerings include new interior lining kits, larger-capacity luggage bins, improved PSU panels and seat designs, along with a variety of cabin upgrades designed to enhance the quality and atmosphere of the cabin. High-quality metal plating, a staple of VIP cabin interiors, is an art and science of its own, and Signature Plating (Stand 1845), in its Dubai Airshow debut, is showcasing its custom metal-plating capabilities, spanning more than 150 finish options and custom color matching. Last year the U.S. company introduced metal-on-plastic plating, offering opportunities for "reducing the weight in some cases by half, and that equates into significant fuel savings," said Signature v-p of sales Zane Leake. Parts that could be replaced by plastic include headrest bezels; seat-adjustment levers and the recessed seat bezels they're often set in; placards; surrounds that border electronics switches; passenger service units and gaspers; and light trim. "We're looking at anything that's not structural," Leake said. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-11-17/turning-upgrade-biz-inside-out Back to Top Rolls-Royce Underlines Middle East Importance Rolls-Royce (RR, Stand 1015), here at Dubai Airshow to promote "forward-looking" technologies, is showing its Trent XWB high-bypass turbofan that powers the Airbus A350 large twin-aisle twinjet. "Digital capabilities ensure that we deliver 'Intelligent Care' to customers. Our IntelligentEngine [envisions] a world where products and services are increasingly inseparable, supercharged by digital technology and data usage," said the company. More than 160 RR-powered twin-aisle aircraft fly in nine Middle Eastern countries, with over 60 more operating in 16 African nations. There are also 28 Middle-East-based regional- and business-jets with RR engines and around 95 in service in 20 African countries. The two regions account for about 13 percent of the manufacturer's global civil large-engine fleet. Major airline customers in the areas include Air Mauritius, EgyptAir, Emirates, Etihad, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, and South African Airways, and the regional in-service engines fleet is expected to reach 1,800 by 2027. RR claims a 92 percent share (about 50 aircraft) of the African twin-aisle market backlog and almost half (45 percent or more than 220 aircraft) of that in the Middle East. The company said that an average of 20 RR-powered aircraft are delivered to the Middle East and Africa each year. In addition, the manufacturer highlighted the two regions' "transitioning" market as airlines and lessors transfer ownership of RR-engined aircraft. "We see a significant transitions market, particularly across Africa, from the Trent 700-powered [Airbus] A330." With aftermarket service sales increasingly a paramount consideration for all manufacturers and suppliers, RR is looking forward to increasing demand for its CareNetwork overhaul services. The in-service engine fleet will grow from 4,000+ today to almost 6,500 "in the mid-term-and even further beyond that," said RR. "Expansion of our global CareNetwork includes the development of an additional network of overhaul bases, in-field maintenance, and repair providers." In the Middle East, the engine manufacturer has expanded its global service network with a new independent Trent 700 authorized maintenance center (AMC) at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Under the nine-year, $6.5 billion agreement, Sanad Aerotech (formerly Mubadala Aerospace Turbine Services & Solutions) will offer engine-overhaul and component-repair services to global operators. "This agreement demonstrates commitment to an expanded services network [and] our ability to strategically plan greater capacity where we need it," said RR civil aerospace chief customer officer, Dominic Horwood. The new partnership supports RR's services strategy of "an increasingly capable, competitive, and flexible CareNetwork to maximize aircraft availability." Trent 700s power more than 800 Airbus A330s flying with over 80 operators, and the deal illustrates how RR is increasing maintenance capacity through "strategic partnerships with service centers in important regional locations." Here in the UAE, Rolls-Royce's Abu Dhabi customer service center (CSC) in Al Raha employs about 60 people, who provide operational planning and data insight, while also supporting sales campaigns and customer account management. The CSC, which was opened two years ago, is a hub for the manufacturer's airline-support teams based at the region's major airports and has local decision-making authority covering the Middle East and Africa. Connected to the RR aircraft-availability center (AAC) at its Derby (UK) headquarters, which tracks engine data and provides global engineering expertise, the CSC completed a global network extending across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Greater China, while a sixth team serves worldwide aircraft lessors. The AAC, which has been in 24-hour daily operation for 15 years, provides proactive engine support through advanced analytics and inspection techniques. Meanwhile, on the development front, RR says that work is progressing on the UltraFan geared-engine demonstrator that is expected to provide significant reductions in emissions, fuel consumption, and noise. The company reports completion of "successful worldwide tests of key technologies, ready for flight and ground testing in the coming years." Construction of Engine Testbed 80, claimed to be the "biggest, smartest testbed in the world," is underway at Derby, ahead of planned commissioning next year. "Equipped with precision x-ray equipment, state-of-the-art data systems, and the ability to test with sustainable aviation fuel, [it] will allow us to validate and understand engine technology better than ever before," said the manufacturer. Rolls-Royce also is bolstering its flight test capabilities with last month's delivery of a retired Boeing 747-400 from Australian carrier Qantas. The aircraft is being converted into an airborne laboratory that will, for the first time, provide the manufacturer with the capacity to test both high-bypass turbofan airliner engines and business-aviation engines. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-11-17/rolls-royce-underlines-middle-east-importance Back to Top All-electric X-57 debuts at NASA Armstrong On Nov. 8, NASA unveiled the agency's X-57 electric-powered research airplane for the first time in its initial all-electric configuration. The aircraft is being prepared for ground testing that will pave the way for flight tests next year. The primary purpose of the X-57 is to validate and demonstrate the benefits of distributed electric propulsion for future aviation applications. NASA aeronautics researchers are hoping to demonstrate how electric propulsion can make airplanes quieter, more energy efficient, and environmentally friendly. X-57 project manager Tom Rigney hailed the beginning of this latest phase in an ongoing effort to study electric aircraft propulsion. "The X-57 team will soon conduct extensive ground testing of the integrated electric propulsion system to ensure the aircraft is airworthy," he said. Plans call for the X-57 to undergo several major configuration changes, the final one featuring 14 electric motors and propellers (12 small, wing-mounted high-lift motors and two, slightly larger, wingtip cruise motors). Researchers predict the X-57 will demonstrate a 500-percent increase in high-speed cruise efficiency over conventional gas-powered propulsion, zero in-flight carbon emissions, and quieter flight characteristics that will reduce impact to communities below the airplane's flight path. Multi-phase program Planners divided the research effort into several phases, called modifications or mods. The first of these, dubbed Mod I, focused on investigating the overall potential for electric propulsion and on defining research requirements, conducting systems analysis, developing vehicle design parameters, and conducting a variety of ground-based and airborne tests. In 2014, researchers from NASA's Langley Research Center and Armstrong Flight Research Center partnered with two California companies, Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) in San Luis Obispo and Joby Aviation in Santa Cruz to perform ground validation of a high-lift, distributed electric propulsion system. In this initial effort, dubbed Leading Edge Asynchronous Propeller Technology, or LEAPTech, an experimental wing was mounted on a specially modified truck. The 31-foot-span, carbon composite airfoil was equipped with 18 electric motors powered by lithium ion batteries. Its design was highly representative of the full-scale wing that will eventually be installed on the X-57 research vehicle. Though fitted with propellers much smaller than those typically used on conventional aircraft, each motor generated significant lift by blowing air across the airfoil surfaces. Testing with the mobile ground rig in 2015 provided valuable data and risk-reduction that was applicable to future flight research. The test article was attached to load cells on a supporting truss while the truck was driven at speeds close to 80 miles per hour across a dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base. The electric motors demonstrated an energy output of 300 horsepower, and testing validated that airflow from the distributed motors generated more than double the lift of an unblown wing. In preparation for flight-testing, NASA acquired a Tecnam P2600T four-seat, high-wing, propeller-driven light aircraft. Powered by two gasoline-fueled, 100-horsepower, four-cylinder, internal combustion engines, the airplane was capable of cruising at 150 knots with a range of 669 nautical miles. In addition to being representative of a typical modern civil aviation aircraft, the P2600T was selected because it would be easy to modify into a variety of planned electric-powered configurations. NASA research pilots Tim Williams and Wayne Ringelberg, and a team of engineers, conducted a series of test flights for baseline data collection on lift, drag, cruise efficiency, energy usage, and ride quality of the standard P2600T airplane. For the current X-57 configuration, known as Mod II, the original fuel systems and engines were replaced with high-performance batteries and two 60-kilowatt electric motors developed by Joby Aviation. These reduced overall engine weight (including each propeller) from approximately 125 pounds to about 57 pounds, somewhat offsetting the weight of the batteries. For safety, and to provide a more direct comparison of performance and handling qualities, the original wing was retained and the motor locations unchanged. The propellers used with the electric motors are of comparable size and design to the original Tecnam configuration. "We wanted to demonstrate the new technologies on a safe configuration with known flight characteristics," said X-57 principal investigator Sean Clarke. Once all-electric flight-testing begins, Williams and Ringelberg will collect data for comparison to the baseline data set. This will help NASA's X-57 team meet several milestones for systems testing as well as validation of the safety and functionality of the airplane's electric motors, batteries, and instrumentation. The electric-powered X-57 is expected to cruise at about 150 knots, but flight duration will be limited to about 45 minutes due to battery charge limitations. "Battery life is one of our biggest technological hurdles right now," Williams noted. "Some day we may have more efficient fuel cells." Flight control engineers and technicians at NASA Armstrong developed a simulator to provide a virtual flight experience that replicates X-57 handling qualities and failure modes. "A lot of what we do in the build-up to flight is done in the simulator," said Williams. "I get to see any potential anomalies there before seeing them in flight, so I should have no surprises." The simulator helps familiarize pilots with aircraft systems and makes them more adept with reaction times and maneuvers. "It's a great tool for learning how controllable the aircraft is in various situations," Ringelberg added. This will become increasingly crucial when the X-57 enters Mod III. The third phase of testing will be the first time the aircraft flies with an entirely new, high-aspect-ratio wing. Additionally, the cruise motors will be moved out to the wingtips. These changes will alter the airplane's handling qualities and increase risk in the event of a single-engine failure. The new airfoil configuration features a large reduction in wing area, and stress loads are expected to increase from 17 pounds per square foot to 45 pounds per square foot. The airfoil's high aspect ratio will contribute to more efficient cruise flight by decreasing friction drag. Moving the cruise motors from their Mod II inboard position to the wingtips for Mod III will allow recovery of energy that would otherwise be lost due to wingtip vortices. The Mod III wing will have 12 small nacelles (bullet-shaped outer casings) along the leading edge, where high-lift motors will eventually be placed for Mod IV testing. Lack of either high-lift motors or any sort of flaps in the Mod III configuration will necessitate relatively high landing speeds compared to previous and later configurations. Mod IV, the final phase of X-57 flight research, will include installation of motors along the wing's leading edge to fully demonstrate distributed electric propulsion and blown-wing lift. This will allow the X-57 to take off and land at standard Tecnam P2006T speeds, even with the high-aspect-ratio experimental wing. The Mod IV aircraft is also expected to be less sensitive to gusts and turbulence. To increase energy efficiency, the high-lift motors will deactivate during cruise mode, and the five propeller blades for each motor will stop rotating and fold into the nacelles to minimize unwanted drag. Flight will be sustained using only the two wingtip-mounted cruise motors. Prior to touchdown, the high-lift motors will reactivate to provide appropriate lift for approach and landing. Future benefits The X-57 project operates under the Integrated Aviation Systems Program's Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project within NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. Its primary goal is to share the aircraft's electric-propulsion-focused design and airworthiness process with regulators in order to advance certification of distributed electric propulsion in emerging electric aircraft markets. Additionally, the X-57 team is focused on specific technical challenges to drive lessons learned and best practices. All-electric-powered aircraft have the potential to enable new markets for aviation and improve existing markets. Among the most promising new markets is urban air mobility, which includes short-hop commuter flights and inter-urban air taxi services. Reduced operations and maintenance costs could change the economic model for short-haul aviation and make such flights more economically viable than has previously been the case. Additionally, the quieter flight characteristics of electric aircraft would go a long way toward mitigating public opposition that often comes with increased air operations over urban environments. Currently, helicopters represent the most common platform for urban air mobility, but they have been historically both noisy and costly to operate. "Electric airplanes have the potential to solve those problems," said Brent Cobleigh, NASA Armstrong project manager for Demonstrations and Capabilities. The new technologies offer not only noise reduction but also potentially lower ticket prices based on reduced operating costs. "Use of electric aircraft could also open up more small, feeder airports to commercial service," Cobleigh added. The biggest breakthrough, said Williams, is the use of scalable electric motor technology. "We can control each motor individually, using software," he said. "We can, for example, modify the lift curve over the entire wingspan." He acknowledged that the greatest remaining hurdle is battery technology. "Lithium ion batteries are very heavy," he said, "and have a high rate of discharge." Clarke agreed that existing batteries pose serious challenges, particularly with regard to weight and energy storage. "The amount of energy we can store in a battery is not as much we could store in a gasoline or hybrid system," he said. The X-57 weighs around 3,000 pounds, of which the batteries account for 850 pounds. Distributed electric propulsion, Clarke noted, offers lower maintenance costs and redundancy for increased safety compared to internal combustion engines. Cobleigh said that the current state of the art in electric aircraft technology is most applicable to small aircraft in the near term. "Right now, battery technology limits potential applications," he said. "There is no battery technology on the horizon for larger commercial aircraft configurations." He suggested that some sort of combination of fuel and electric, similar to the concept of hybrid automobiles, would allow for design trades to improve efficiency in larger aircraft. "The short-term stuff we are doing now is very exciting," he said, potentially leading to viable applications within five to ten years. Larger electric configurations may be 20 to 40 years in the future. "Even a few percent increase in efficiency has a huge benefit in the aviation world," Cobleigh said, "and [with further development] there is potential for 10 percent or better improvement in large airplanes." If the X-57 performs as predicted, it will also help validate the concept of environmentally friendly aviation. The goal of zero carbon emissions in flight would surpass NASA's 2035 efficiency goals. Electric propulsion provides not only a five-to-ten times reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but also offers a technology path to eliminate the use of 100 Low Lead AvGas, which is the leading contributor to current lead-based environmental emissions. https://www.aerotechnews.com/blog/2019/11/15/all-electric-x-57-debuts-at-nasa-armstrong/ Back to Top Etihad Celebrates First Middle East 3D-printed Parts Facility At a ceremony attended by Ernst Peter Fischer, German Ambassador to the UAE, Etihad Engineering (Chalet S15) unveiled on Sunday the Middle East's first additive manufacturing facility with design and production approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency, making it the first airline MRO to receive such approval to design, produce, and certify 3D-printed cabin parts using powder-bed fusion technology, according to Etihad. The laboratory, created in partnership with EOS and BigRep, is located at the Etihad Engineering facility adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport and has two approved industrial 3D printers: the EOS P 396; and BigRep's One, among the world's largest serial-built thermoplastic-extrusion 3D printers. The EOS machine, with a total build volume of 340 x 340 x 600 mm, enables tool-free manufacture of serial components, spare parts, functional prototypes, and models directly from CAD data, while the ONE can manufacture large parts, jigs and fixtures, and molds. "The launch of the new facility is in line with Etihad Engineering's position as a leading global player in aircraft engineering, as well as a pioneer in innovation and technology," said Bernhard Randerath, the airline's v-p of design, engineering, and innovation. The partnership will allow the division of the Etihad Aviation Group to make faster repairs, more lightweight designs, and customizable parts. Going forward, the 3D printing facility will "design, produce and certify additively manufactured parts for the aircraft cabin of the future," according to the company. Claiming title as the region's largest commercial MRO provider, Etihad Engineering's facilities include hangars covering some 66,000 sq m (710,000 sq ft), including one that can accommodate three Airbus A380s simultaneously. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-11-18/etihad-celebrates-first-middle-east-3d-printed-parts-facility Back to Top The TSA is planning to shoot down drones near airports. GOP congressmen say that's dangerous and probably illegal. The TSA wants to give air marshals the power to use Defense Department equipment to shoot down drones near airports, two congressmen said Friday, seeking to tackle the small automated aircraft that can harass much larger planes and leave flights grounded. But in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security that summarizes the plan, the top Republicans on the House Transportation and Homeland Security committees said the idea goes far beyond what they envisioned when they gave the federal government new powers to counter drones last year. Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said only the Federal Aviation Administration has the expertise to manage the nation's skies. "Nobody wants drones to cause disruptions at our airports, but to hastily hand over authority to shoot down drones to an agency that doesn't have the critical knowledge or experience of how our airspace system functions is irresponsible and dangerous," the congressmen said in a statement. DHS began working with other government departments to develop an emergency plan this summer, after a drone grounded traffic at London's busy Gatwick Airport shortly before Christmas, an incident that was first reported in Politico. The plans were finalized last month. British police arrested two people after repeated drone sightings near Gatwick led to 150 flights being canceled, disrupting the travel plans of 120,000 people. In January, authorities briefly stopped traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after two drones were spotted. The incidents vividly demonstrated a risk posed by drones that authorities have long warned about. The small aircraft run the risk of colliding with planes and helicopters, especially when they're taking off, and could even be converted into flying bombs. In response to the threat, Congress at the Trump administration's urging last year gave DHS new authority to tackle drones, including the power to destroy them, if they posed a danger to the security of sensitive locations, like Customs and Border Protection facilities and Secret Service offices. But in their letter, Graves and Rogers said Congress did not contemplate airports being covered in the new law. The congressmen also said the specifics of the DHS plan were ill-conceived, calling the department's experience using counter-drone technology "sorely lacking" and saying that the air marshals had a "complete absence of any experience in such matters." DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the plan, and it's not clear what kind of weapons it envisions using to tackle the drones. At this year's United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Secret Service and Coast Guard tested counter-drone technology, saying it planned to detect radio signals and potentially locate pilots to discuss what they're up to. If that didn't work, the authorities planned to use "technology to mitigate the threat by disrupting or disabling" the drones, according to a public disclosure. The FAA, which regulates drones, has been working on safety rules that would allow them to be remotely identified. But even as the government has sought new ways to counter the risks posed by drones, the FAA is increasingly embracing the technology, working with start-ups and established businesses alike to unlock its commercial potential. In recent weeks, offshoots of Google and UPS have both begun the first regular commercial deliveries using drones. https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2019/11/15/tsa-is-planning-shoot-down-drones-near-airports-gop-congressmen-say-thats-dangerous-probably-illegal/ Back to Top Honeywell sees Regional Growth Despite Muted Bizav Demand Honeywell's regional aviation business is growing, despite lower demand for business jets, according to Raghed Talih, aerospace leader Middle East for Honeywell Aerospace. Just over half the company's regional aerospace business is with airlines, and defense and business aviation take an equal share of the rest, he said. "Saudi Arabia and UAE are the two key countries across all three businesses. The Gulf Cooperation Council makes up a big portion of our regional business in the Middle East, plus Egypt." The three business segments are growing. "Kuwait is doing well. On the airline side, we see that they have good, solid plans. I think once they have this new terminal up and running and the infrastructure [in place] at the airport, it's going to help overall, in terms of their ambitions to grow." Honeywell's Global Business Aviation Outlook again, as last year, reported flat purchase plans in the Middle East, due to political tensions and ongoing conflict in the region. "[Some] 12 percent of respondents said they will replace or add to their fleet with a new jet purchase, down from 14 percent last year," it said. "About 32 percent of operators responding to the survey plan to schedule [a] new purchase within the first two years of the five-year horizon. The share of projected five-year global demand attributed to the Middle East and Africa is 4 percent, in line with the historical range of 4 percent to 6 percent." The company recently launched 'Honeywell Forge,' a platform serving aviation and other industries, through big data and machine-learning capabilities. Talih said this new platform will drive airline profitability. "Based on data analytics and artificial intelligence, we identify and resolve problems faster, making fleet management, flight operations, and ground operations more efficient," he said. The service will benefit airlines' daily operations, he said. "Analyzing flight delays and cancellations, a huge cost to airlines, any percentage that you can save in performance enhancement allows operational growth in their revenue. The experience is also tailored, depending on what the customer wants to focus on. "With the technology around connected [technology] moving so fast, now you have a true pipeline into the aircraft, a live view into what's happening on the flight, from takeoff to landing. There's so much data that you can take out of this process. This is the power of it." Depending on where the airline chooses to focus in terms of fleet optimization, it could implement a model based on Forge. "We can help them focus on certain areas of their operation," he said. "In the end, it's about increasing the availability of their fleet and reducing costs of operation, flight delays, and so forth. If you can improve an operation by a point or two, that's tremendous. It's a level of intelligence that the operators never had before." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2019-11-16/honeywell-sees-regional-growth-despite-muted-bizav-demand Back to Top New Audit Reveals NASA Paid Boeing $2 Billion More Than SpaceX for Same ISS Mission In 2014, NASA awarded two multi-billion-dollar contracts to Boeing and SpaceX, commissioning them to each build a spaceship system that can transport U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), in a move to end the space agency's sole reliance on Russian Soyuz vehicles for this mission. The two companies are essentially building the same project for NASA, but for dramatically different prices. The contracts, awarded under NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP), are valued at $4.3 billion for Boeing and $2.5 billion for SpaceX. But the preferential treatment doesn't stop there. On top of Boeing's already higher contract amount, NASA agreed to pay the company nearly $300 million extra, a new audit by the space agency's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has found. To transport astronauts to the ISS, Boeing plans to use its Starliner spacecraft and an Atlas V rocket, while SpaceX will be using the Dragon 2 capsule and Falcon 9 rocket. NASA awarded each contractor six round-trip crewed missions to the ISS. But due to the technical complexity of the project, both companies are currently running more than two years behind schedule. Seeing a possible 18-month gap in NASA's access to the ISS between Boeing's second and third mission, NASA agreed to pay the company an additional $287.2 million above its existing contact to speed up Boeing's third through sixth missions and to ensure that Boeing will continue as the agency's second commercial crew provider, according to the audit report published on Thursday. "For these four missions, NASA essentially paid Boeing higher prices to address a schedule slippage caused by Boeing's 13-month delay in completing the ISS Design Certification Review milestone and due to Boeing seeking higher prices than those specified in its fixed price contract," NASA's Inspector General Paul Martin wrote in the report, adding that the compensation was "unnecessary" based on a 2016 analysis of the risk of delays between Boeing missions. Boeing disagreed with Martin's reasoning that the extra payment was to keep the company around for longer, noting that Boeing "has made significant investments in the commercial crew program" and is "fully committed to flying the CST-100 Starliner and keeping the International Space Station fully crewed and operational," a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement. Martin also raised the question of why NASA didn't seem to consider SpaceX as a potential solution to the access gap problem. "Given that NASA's objective was to address a potential crew transportation gap, we found that SpaceX was not provided an opportunity to propose a solution, even though the company previously offered shorter production lead times than Boeing," he wrote. Of the two companies' current budget, Boeing's costs for development and test flights were $2.2 billion, while SpaceX's were $1.2 billion, the audit report estimated. Assuming that each mission will take four astronauts on board, the average cost per seat will be approximately $90 million on Boeing's Starliner and $55 million on SpaceX's Dragon 2. "This doesn't seem right," tweeted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in response to an Ars Technica report about NASA's extra payments to Boeing, "meaning not fair that Boeing gets so much more for the same thing." https://observer.com/2019/11/nasa-audit-boeing-spacex-iss-ccp-mission-spacecraft-budget/ Curt Lewis