July 20, 2020 - No. 053 In This Issue Electric Aviation Group Unveils World's First Hybrid Electric 70+ Seater Aircraft Airbus Starts Hamburg Deliveries With Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Etihad Boeing 787-10 To Be Used As ecoDemonstrator Government unveils £400m green aviation funding as it touts 'FlyZero' R&D initiative NEC to supply temperature screening technology to Hawaii's airports Bell Autonomous Pod Transport Completes Beyond Visual Line of Sight Flight Seat Partitions To Block Covid Raise Feasibility Questions Green flight must become the 2020s 'moon landing mission' BAE Reduces Sizes of Energy Systems For Electric Aircraft NASA Will Bring SpaceX Dragon Crew Back to Earth August 2 Electric Aviation Group Unveils World's First Hybrid Electric 70+ Seater Aircraft BRISTOL, England, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A pioneering design for a Hybrid Electric Regional Aircraft which will deliver a technical and commercial entry point for sustainable mass air transport is being unveiled today. The disruptive design has been developed by the Electric Aviation Group (EAG), the UK-based engineering and development firm, which expects its first aircraft to be in service by 2028. EAG has optimised the latest technology, economics and operational parameters to create the design for the Hybrid Electric Regional Aircraft (HERA), to ensure it can solve the challenges of decarbonisation and mass transportation. Key information about the 70+seater HERA: Whisper-quiet operation reduces noise pollution Innovative airborne battery regeneration to minimise turn-around time Efficient battery integration Thermal management of motors and power electronics Gear Assisted Take-Off Run (GATOR) gives rapid acceleration for a quick lift-off reducing energy requirements Short take-off-and-landing (STOL) performance enables new route opportunities affording greater profitability to operators Cabin-flex design enables passenger operation during the day and cargo operation at night Suitability for operating from regional airports brings convenience to travellers and gives increased proximity to warehouses, enabling private sector cargo to optimise last-mile terrestrial logistics and delivery systems and reduce carbon emissions Future-proof design to accommodate alternative energy sources if available before 2030 Flexibility to transform into an all-electric or carbon-neutral as the battery density improves or alternative fuels and associated powertrain technologies mature and become affordable. The design, which is being unveiled to coincide with the opening of FIA Connect, the virtual Farnborough Airshow today, has received unequivocal support from EAG's JetZero consortium, which includes some of the UK's leading engineering and manufacturing organisations and senior academic advisors. "Significant investments have been raised to develop sub-19 seat hybrid and all-electric aircraft which we believe is the wrong strategy. These small planes cannot meet the demands of mass air transportation or the requirements of decarbonisation," commented Kamran Iqbal, founder and CEO at EAG. "Our design is for an aircraft that will initially offer 800 nautical miles range at launch in 2028, and which will be able to carry over 70 people. We will be a first mover in what is a $4.4 trillion market." EAG will draw on the rich heritage and strong aviation industry in Bristol when it begins production of the new aircraft for which it has already developed and filed a total of 25 patents covering a wide range of technologies. The organisation expects to initially create more than 25,000 jobs and unlock $5 billion investments in the UK aerospace industry. "We expect this to be a great example of British design, engineering and build," said Kamran Iqbal. "Not only will the development of the HERA help the Department of Transport accelerate its 'Jet Zero' carbon reduction goals, it will also help to create much needed job opportunities in the aerospace, manufacturing, engineering and services industries post-Brexit. This represents the future of both passenger and cargo flights internationally and as an opportunity for investment, it could not be better timed." https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electric-aviation-group-unveils-worlds-first-hybrid-electric-70-seater-aircraft-301095546.html Back to Top Airbus Starts Hamburg Deliveries With Sustainable Aviation Fuel Airbus is expanding its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) operations, now including aircraft deliveries from its site in Hamburg, Germany. Air Transat took delivery of two brand new A321LR on lease from AerCap. Both used a 10 per cent sustainable aviation fuel blend to fly the aircraft from Hamburg to Montreal, Canada, non-stop. Airbus has already successfully established SAF flights out of Hamburg with its Beluga transport aircraft since December 2019. Today's commercial delivery is another milestone that underlines Airbus' continuing commitment to minimizing air transportation's environmental impact - which includes becoming the first aircraft manufacturer offering customers the option of receiving new jetliners with sustainable fuel in their tanks. Such delivery flights have been available since 2016, starting from the Airbus headquarters production facility in Toulouse, France, followed by Mobile, Alabama, USA. Airbus offers this option as part of its strategy to promote the more regular use of sustainable fuels within the aviation industry. The fuel for Air Transat's A321LR aircraft delivered from Hamburg was supplied by Air bp and produced by Neste. Airbus and Air Transat have a long history of cooperation on environmental affairs. Airbus supported the airline to launch its environmental program 13 years ago and both have worked together on environmental projects such as fuel efficiency. Air Transat has been operating Airbus single-aisle and widebody aircraft since 1999. "Sustainability and efficiency are essential for our customers and for Airbus. Sustainable aviation fuel developments will play a key role in reducing the environmental footprint of the aviation industry. By using sustainable aviation fuels on delivery flights with partners like AerCap and Air Transat, who are flying the aircraft from Hamburg to their Canadian homebase nonstop, we take concrete action to contribute to a more sustainable aviation future," said Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer Airbus. "We are very pleased to be a part of this historic milestone, working together with our partners at Airbus and with our long-time customer, Air Transat, to help them meet their sustainable growth ambitions," said Philip Scruggs, President and Chief Commercial Officer of AerCap. "AerCap is committed to facilitating the move towards more sustainable air travel underpinned by its target to transition its fleet to approximately two-thirds new technology aircraft by 2021." "It is an honor for us and a sign of confidence from Airbus to be its first customer to take advantage of this new delivery option at its Hamburg plant," said Jean-François Lemay, President and General Manager, Air Transat. "This initiative is part of our commitment to reducing our own carbon footprint while contributing to the achievement of the airline industry's ambitious decarbonization targets." Both today and tomorrow's delivery flights will be carbon-neutral because the kerosene fossil fuel portion will be offset by the purchase of carbon credits. "We are proud to be the first Canadian carrier to operate carbon-neutral flights, and we will continue to pursue our commitment to providing our passengers with a travel experience that takes account of our environmental footprint," Mr. Lemay continued. https://www.aviationpros.com/engines-components/aircraft-engines/electric-green-engine-technology/press-release/21146747/airbus-airbus-starts-hamburg-deliveries-with-sustainable-aviation-fuel Back to Top Etihad Boeing 787-10 To Be Used As ecoDemonstrator oday, on day one of the virtual Farnborough Air Show, Boeing announced its latest ecoDemonstrator program. The Chicago-based manufacturer will use a 787-10 Dreamliner to run a series of tests looking at noise pollution, airflow, and new Air Traffic Control technology. After testing is complete, the jet will join Etihad's fleet of Dreamliners. This latest announcement builds on the existing eco-partnership between Etihad and Boeing, which was announced in November 2019. Testing the 787-10 This will be the first time a 787-10 has been used as a part of the ecoDemonstrator program. Boeing will work with several other partners, including NASA and Safran Landing Systems, to test new technology. The testing will begin in August. Over approximately four weeks, the jet will be examined to try to reduce noise pollution and adapt future aircraft designs for quieter operations. According to FlightGlobal, the plane will be fitted with 222 pressure sensors and over 1,000 microphones to examine its landing gear and noise signature. Additionally, new software will be trialed, which will connect pilots to Air Traffic Control and Airline Operation Centers to optimize routes. If successful, the software could help minimize congestion over airports, reduce workload and radio traffic as well as improving efficiency. The technology will help map aircraft more accurately in four dimensions; latitude, longitude, altitude, and time. All of the test flights will use a mixture of sustainable aviation fuel to minimize carbon emissions. Etihad and Boeing's partnership Back in November 2019, Boeing and Etihad announced they were planning to collaborate to develop an "Ethiad Greenliner." Etihad is the largest operator to the Dreamliner in the Middle East. According to a statement from Etihad, the announcement today will "leverage the Etihad Greenliner program as part of the broader Etihad-Boeing Strategic Partnership to test cutting-edge technologies and explore "blue sky" opportunities to improve airspace efficiency, reduce fuel use, and cut CO2 emissions." Despite Etihad's enthusiasm to be a part of the program, the tests will not be as expansive this year due to financial pressure. It's thought there will be several days of testing over the four weeks. The jet is due to fly from Boeing's South Carolina assembly facility in the next few weeks. It will then remain in Montana until September for the testing process and will then return to South Carolina before heading to Etihad in late September. The ecoDemonstrator program Boeing launched its ecoDemonstrator program back in 2010, with the first test flights taking place in 2012. This new collaboration is the seventh. Previously, Boing collaborated with FedEx to test on a 777 Freighter, Embraer to test an E170, Stifel to test a 757 and American Airlines to test a 737-800. It has also tested several of its own aircraft, including a 777-200 and a 787-8. The testing has varied over the years, and the program has now trialed over 165 technologies. Everything from winglets, wing coatings, wireless sensors to Vortex Generators, and turbulence detectors have been looked at. The program offers the unique opportunity of taking testing outside of a lab environment and into the field. In a statement, Boeing said its ecoDemonstrator program helps drive sustainability by "testing promising technologies that can reduce emissions, help commercial aviation meet our climate goals, and allow the industry to grow in a responsible manner that respects our planet and its natural resources." Boeing is already planning its next collaborations for the program in 2021 and 2022, but it has not released any details. https://simpleflying.com/etihad-boeing-787-10-eco-demonstrator/ Back to Top Government unveils £400m green aviation funding as it touts 'FlyZero' R&D initiative Zero emissions aviation has edged closer to take-off in the UK after the government today unveiled £400m in private and public sector funding for technologies and research aimed at helping the aviation sector to "go green". The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) today announced that projects aiming to develop high performance engines, new wing designs and ultra-lightweight cabin seats that reduce fuel consumption are among the winners of a £200m funding round led by its Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the funding, to be matched by a further £200m from industry, would help support ambitious green aviation projects and high-skilled jobs opportunities as the aviation sector navigates a bruising period due to plummeting flight travel since the outbreak of Covid-19. Higher education institutions across the UK will also contribute to the projects, including the universities of Nottingham and Birmingham, he added. Winners of funding announced today include an Oxford-based project led by Williams Advanced Engineering which aims to develop ultra-lightweight seat structures that reduce the weight of aircraft, and a Rolls-Royce-led initiative geared at producing more efficient engine technology. Other successful bidders include a project led by Safran Electrical and Power UK focused on developing more efficient electric aircraft systems, and an Airbus-led project geared at improving the efficiency of plane wing assembly. "We have an incredible aerospace industry right here in the UK that defines the way aircraft are manufactured globally," said Sharma. "This £400m ATI investment will help secure our world-leading position in developing new flight technology to make air travel safer and greener into the future." In addition, Sharma further launched a new research initiative bringing together around 100 experts to study and tackle issues involved in designing and building commercial zero emission aircraft technology. Dubbed FlyZero, the initiative is aimed at helping to boost UK manufacturing by bringing together engineers and technologists to accelerate the development of low carbon aviation. It follows a letter from 35 cross-party MPs - led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sustainable Aviation - called on the government to invest £500m in green aviation efforts in the UK to help "supercharge" the struggling airline sector in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. It also said the Treasury should increase its funding to the Aerospace Technology Institute to help develop more efficient planes as well as hybrid and electric aircraft. But Gary Elliott, chief executive of the ATI, insisted the FlyZero iniative announced today could help establish the UK as a global leader in aviation technology as the industry seeks to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, which has seen passenger numbers slump to unprecedented levels and thousands of job cuts announced in the sector. "FlyZero represents an acceleration of the UK's ambition to lead the world in green aviation," he said. "These are challenging but also exciting times for the aerospace sector; we need to help UK companies to recover while also creating new approaches to technology development and innovation." FlyZero follows the launch of the Jet Zero Council in June, an industry body that will allow industry and government to boost the low carbon aviation sector. The government confirmed today that the FlyZero study will help the Council move towards its aim of net zero emissions flights. https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4017987/government-unveils-gbp400m-green-aviation-funding-touts-flyzero-initiative Back to Top NEC to supply temperature screening technology to Hawaii's airports The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) has selected Japanese technology firm NEC and its partner Infrared Cameras to provide facial recognition and thermal temperature screening technology to its public airports. This technology is expected to aid in the safeguarding of the community and to identify passengers who may have a higher body temperature. The two companies submitted a proposal of $23.3m for the equipment and installation, along with a ten-year maintenance plan with a price of $1.42m each year. The total amount of the contract is $37.5m. HDOT plans to deploy the thermal temperature screening equipment at Daniel K Inouye International Airport (HNL), Kahului Airport (OGG), Lihue Airport (LIH), Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA), and Hilo International Airport (ITO). Hawaii Governor David Ige said: "Taking these steps to implement the technology at our airports shows our commitment to providing preventative measures against Covid-19 for the community. "We recognise that temperature screening won't catch every infected passenger, but it is an available tool that can be implemented and combined with the additional measures the state is providing to help prevent the spread of this virus, while helping rebuild the economy." https://www.airport-technology.com/news/nec-to-supply-temperature-screening-technology-to-hawaiis-airports/ Back to Top Bell Autonomous Pod Transport Completes Beyond Visual Line of Sight Flight In the race to provide viable, aerial solutions to move goods and information, Bell's Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) surpassed a significant step in this journey: beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight. Delivering goods and information to critical - sometimes inaccessible - locations calls for an aircraft that can fly autonomously, over long distances and land vertically. At the beginning of the year, Bell's APT proved that it can handle this type of flight through its first BVLOS flight carrying 60lbs of payload at a testing site in Oklahoma. This new development is made possible through Bell's partnership with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO). In an agreement announced in late 2019, CNO and Bell announced that Bell had joined CNO's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program (UASIPP) team where flights and tests will be conducted as part of the FAA UASIPP in preparation for future advanced UAS operations. CNO is one of nine active UASIPP sites selected by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao in May 2018. Both organizations share an interest in the growth of technology to serve communities, which is why CNO has supported Bell APT flight testing on their test site location in rural, southeastern Oklahoma. Bell and CNO signed an additional agreement in early 2020 to establish a relationship which will provide Bell a flight test location for Bell's unmanned vehicles. CNO became the obvious choice for flight test activity for Bell because of its proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth and their commitment to building facilities that support requirements necessary for these operations. In return, Bell is providing guidance to CNO on the creation of their Emerging Aviation Technology Test Center in regard to safety and efficient flight operations. Bell is eager to expand APT's BVLOS flights to eventually support medical supply drops, basic supply chain operations and even kiosk deliveries. Our strong partnerships and continued innovation bring us closer to achieving this future goal, one flight at a time. https://www.suasnews.com/2020/07/bell-autonomous-pod-transport-completes-beyond-visual-line-of-sight-flight/ Back to Top Seat Partitions To Block Covid Raise Feasibility Questions Covid-19 has prompted several manufacturers of airliner interiors products to speed the development of systems to inhibit the spread of germs between passengers using seat partitions and transparencies. But certification experts and International Air Transport Association director general Alexandre de Juniac harbor doubts about their viability given the stringent requirements the FAA and EASA impose on any modification to aircraft seating. Companies marketing the products include Italy's AvioInteriors, whose fairly ambitious Janus product features a middle seat that faces in the opposite direction; Dutch firm Aviation Glass, which offers a less elaborate tempered glass divider that fits between seats; and Lyon, France-based Vision Systems, which offers a so-called "plug-and-play" transparency that does not require an adaptation to the seats. Tier 1 suppliers that have joined the effort include Safran, which bills its Ringfence product as a simple and efficient removable partition; and Lufthansa Technik, which expects its rather rudimentary plastic transparency inserted into middle-seat magazine compartments to gain supplemental type certificate (STC) approval in two to three months. Speaking during a June 9 conference call on the financial state of member airlines during the pandemic, de Juniac specifically raised the potential difficulties associated with emergency evacuation requirements for gaining STCs for the more elaborate concepts. "I don't think airlines will implement this type of equipment that looks now not useful and could be difficult to certify," he said. In fact, most of the companies began to market the products when concerns began to spread over the potential for regulations that would require open middle seats in a three-abreast seat configuration, for example. Guidelines issued since then by the International Civil Aviation Organization's Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) do not call for mandated empty seats, raising the question of whether part of the initial rationale for the partitions still exists. Speaking with AIN from his home base outside Washington, D.C., Michael Rioux, the chief operating officer of technical services and consultancy firm JDA Aviation Technology Solutions, explained that several certification challenges could present practically impenetrable cost and time barriers. To gain an STC with the FAA, for example, would raise weight and balance considerations as well as the need for 16-g crashworthiness, flammability, and 90-second evacuation testing. Operator manuals would need adaptation to reflect installation, cleaning, and maintenance requirements. Finally, the company marketing the product would need to prove its effectiveness in preventing airborne droplets from spreading from passenger to passenger and convince potential airlines of its utility. "Most of the time, when someone submits a supplemental type certification plan in normal times, whenever that is, you're looking at a couple of years," said Rioux. "If you want to do it really fast, probably 18 to 24 months, and most of the time it's probably 24 to 36 months." In terms of retesting seats to 16-g crashworthiness requirements, Rioux explained that several variables come into consideration, including how a glass or acrylic partition gets fastened to the seat. "If it's some kind of temporary fastening system, and I'm not saying that necessarily will be the case, but if you put a 16-g load on it, what happens if it comes off?" asked Rioux. "Does it become a projectile? Does it shatter?" Also referencing the regulations highlighted by de Juniac involving emergency evacuation, Rioux questioned the ability of an entire load of passengers exiting an airliner within 90 seconds with seat partitions adding an extra obstacle to negotiate in a cabin filled with smoke. "When I worked in the airline industry, I actually went to [the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute in Oklahoma City], and went through an emergency evacuation," he said. "They filled the cabin up with smoke and you couldn't see your fingers right in front of your eyeball. And we had to get out in 90 seconds and it was tough. You literally have to crawl on your hands and knees." Apart from the time needed to clear regulatory hurdles, cost considerations for gaining an STC come into play. Each airline customer could need separate approval or at least a variance to account for different airplane configurations and each aircraft type would certainly need its own STC. Retired McDonnell Douglas and Boeing senior FAA certification engineer and designated engineering representative Butch Gumm estimated that an STC for such products could cost, in total, as much as $2 million. Whether or not such a cost renders a product unmarketable, said Gumm, boils down to simple economics and how the cost gets shared between the manufacturer and the customer. "I guess it comes down to how much the airline was to spend and if the seat manufacturer is willing to absorb some of that cost, so that he's now the guy up front who says, 'Hey, Mr. Southwest, I've got this brand new [product]. I've already got it certified to this point and we want to put it into your airplane,'" said Gumm. "And then [the customer will] absorb the costs to do the certification for the airplane. So you've got to ask who's going to provide what funds to get things done. Now you go to, let's say United, which has a very diverse fleet of both Boeing and Airbus or whatever. You have to go through a certification process for each model of airplane. So if United is willing to spend, let's say another $150,000 per model to get that put in their airplane, it's not cheap." Responding to some of the certification concerns raised by De Juniac and Rioux, Aviation Glass managing director Jaap Wiersema noted that his company introduced its glass product in response to flammability issues associate with plastic shields. Calling AeroGlass "light in weight, scratch-resistant, and fireproof," Wiersema said it already has passed 60-second burn and heat-release tests and meets requirements related to smoke density and toxicity. Wiersema didn't address the challenges of the evacuation tests, however, noting that responsibility lies with the design organization in charge of the installation of the product. While conceding that certification could take up to two years "in normal circumstances," he said he expected that the parties involved-including the seat manufacturer and the engineering firm applying for the STC-can accelerate the process for this particular application. "We are all aware that the Covid-19 crisis is not a normal situation," said Wiersema. "If the customers and industry need this safe solution for traveling and if EASA/FAA sees this also as a priority, the process can be accelerated. A lot of testing of the AeroGlass has already been performed in connection with other applications." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2020-07-18/seat-partitions-block-covid-raise-feasibility-questions Back to Top Green flight must become the 2020s 'moon landing mission' Ed Davey, the Acting Leader of the UK political party, Liberal Democrats, has outlined a proposal for a plan to make all domestic UK flights zero carbon by 2030. Davey states that the UK has a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of an environmentally sound aviation technology that will 'boost growth, help solve the noise and air pollution crisis in our cities, and make sure that our Covid-19 recovery is truly green'. This statement follows EAG's reveal of the first hybrid-electric 70+ seat aircraft design. Davey has also drawn upon his experience as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to propose how the UK Government can invest to bring about radical green change in a short timeframe. Davey's five-point plan for green flight for the first five years of the 2020s: A new £1.5 billion innovation fund designed for universities to focus on both electric and hydrogen options. The initiative would include special prize competitions aimed at specific technical challenges, including increasing battery capacity and lowering battery and aircraft weight, with a view to boosting the technology and research excellence the UK has in this field at many organisations such as Cranfield University. A second £2 billion innovation fund for SMEs and start-ups, delivered with a combination of grants, tax incentives and zero percent loans, for the design, development and trialling of new electric and hydrogen airplane technologies. A £5 billion funding offer to Britain's existing aerospace industry and airlines, based around a new 'pound for pound' investment scheme, to incentivise them to help develop technology and to partner with UK universities and SME and start-up sectors. The party also proposes setting up a retraining fund of £100m to support those in today's aircraft industries as they transition to the new zero-carbon aerospace sector. An international co-operation drive, based around the UK hosting COP26, to create both a global target for green flight technology development and the rapid development of new international flight regulations ready for zero-carbon flight technologies. A new taskforce to prepare new regulations and training schemes so the UK is ready for "wheels up" in 2030. "To achieve green-powered planes on all domestic routes by 2030 will take a major step-change in funding and ambition from Government; this is more important than ever considering the impact the Coronavirus crisis has had on the sector," stated Davey. "Whether the winning technology is electric aircraft or hydrogen aircraft or both, more rapid progress to green flight will mean shorter runways, quieter aircraft, better air quality, and the real possibility of achieving net-zero carbon ahead of 2045. "The Liberal Democrats have always pushed for the UK to be at the heart of global innovation, this needs to be the UK's "moon landing mission" for the 2020s, and with the experience I gained in leading Britain's renewable power revolution, I'm convinced we can have a green air flight revolution too. "If we harness the power of green technology we can save jobs and create jobs, and give hope to people in communities across our country. Green flight could be one of the next transformational technology shifts, and the UK must be at the forefront of this new era of aircraft." Former CEO of Siemens UK, Juergen Maier added, "The UK can be a global leader in this exciting zero-carbon flight technology revolution. We have significant expertise at universities like Cranfield and tremendous engineering companies like Rolls-Royce and Airbus that can be our leaders. It is essential for our planet and will provide significant employment opportunities as we transition from old to new green aerospace technology." https://www.aircraftinteriorsinternational.com/news/industry-news/green-flight-must-become-the-2020s-moon-landing-mission.html Back to Top BAE Reduces Sizes of Energy Systems For Electric Aircraft BAE Systems is reducing the size and weight of its energy management and engine controls technology to be used with propulsion systems for new hybrid-electric and electric aircraft. The company has already produced equipment that is 40 percent smaller and lighter than units now in service on much larger turbofans, while claiming that they will deliver 10 times the processing power. The project, which BAE unveiled in June, is part of a wider effort by the group to partner with developers of new electric aircraft. The group is also offering flight controls and power conversion technology for programs such as Jaunt Air Mobility's family of eVTOL aircraft. Just like the larger energy management and engine control units, the new reduced scale units use a series of sensors to monitor the performance of the propulsion systems. Based on the information collected, the controls can automatically adjust power settings as needed. The data is also used to predict when failures might occur and manage any required maintenance safely and efficiently. UK-based BAE already has extensive experience of providing this technology for electrically powered buses, trucks, and ships. This aspect of its work with electric aircraft developers is being run by the Controls & Avionics Solutions business of its U.S.-based Electronic Systems division. It recently opened a new electrification laboratory at its facility in Endicott, New York. Yeshwanth Premkumar, BAE's head of business development and strategy for aircraft electrification, told AIN that he expects to see its equipment flying on various prototypes in development from about the middle of 2021. In addition to Jaunt, the group has publicly confirmed its partnership with Wright Electric, which is working with UK low-cost airline EasyJet to develop a hybrid-electric 186-seat airliner. BAE says it is working with several other new aircraft programs on a confidential basis. As part of the eVTOL sector's ambitions to achieve autonomous flight, BAE is looking to develop new integrated flight controls for functions such as managing aircraft stability and redundancy. "Our work in this area is taking in all aspects of the aviate, navigate, and communicate functions and we are trying to consolidate all these controls in a single, smaller box with the reduced weight that these aircraft need," said Premkumar. One key challenge on which the company's engineers are focused is the need to avoid latency and lag in the operation of systems supporting increasingly automated, and eventually autonomous flight. The miniaturization process is also being applied to the power conversion units that the new generation aircraft will require for their electric propulsion systems. Back in the 1990s, BAE was among the first companies to use lithium-ion batteries for ground-based applications. Acknowledging the limitations of current battery technology in terms of power-to-weight ratios, Premkumar said that the company wants to prepare the way for more extensive use of new generation batteries in aviation, while for now focusing much of its effort on a hybrid powerplant. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2020-07-19/bae-reduces-sizes-energy-systems-electric-aircraft Back to Top NASA Will Bring SpaceX Dragon Crew Back to Earth August 2 NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley made history in May when they rode the SpaceX Falcon 9 into space and docked the Dragon capsule at the International Space Station (ISS). The pair have been on the station all summer, but their tour of duty is coming to an end soon. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the Dragon will leave the ISS on August 1st and will land the following day. The May SpaceX launch was the culmination of years of planning to bring crewed spaceflight back to US soil. Ever since the end of the Space Shuttle program, American astronauts have only been able to get to and from the station in Russian Soyuz capsules. That arrangement helped bridge the gap between the Shuttle and private vehicles, but the cost was extremely high. SpaceX is one of two companies that got approval from NASA to build human-rated spacecraft, the other being long-time government contractor Boeing. Despite an early lead and more funding, Boeing suffered several software issues with its capsule during a late 2019 test. Boeing's CST-100 Starliner has yet to perform a make-up mission, leaving SpaceX to cross the finish line first with the DM-2 mission. The Crew Dragon capsule has been docked at the ISS these last six weeks, and getting it back to Earth with the crew will be the final major test. After this, SpaceX and NASA can begin regular operations to move crew to and from the ISS. Whenever Boeing catches up, that will further expand NASA's access to the station. In future missions, astronauts may return to Earth aboard a different vehicle than they arrived in. This is technically a demonstration mission, so Behnken and Hurley will be using the same capsule to come home. On August 1st, Behnken and Hurley will board the Dragon and undock from the ISS. Reentry into the atmosphere is the most dangerous part of spaceflight aside from launch, so NASA will be looking at how the Dragon's head shield and parachute systems perform. After splashing down in the ocean, the crew will be picked up by a SpaceX recovery vessel. The crew should be safely back on Earth on August 2nd. NASA has another crew Dragon flight scheduled for September, but it could delay or even cancel that flight if there are any problems during the last phase of DM-2. https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/312907-nasa-will-bring-spacex-dragon-crew-back-to-earth-august-2 Curt Lewis