April 12, 2021 - No. 28 In This Issue : UPS orders electric aircraft to transport cargo between its facilities : Biden Boosts Supersonic Travel : What Is The Emergency Descent Mode On The Airbus A220? : How researchers plan to integrate the structural battery into aircraft components : Two new airlines await travelers ready to fly : BAE Systems Tests SABER Technology For The New EC-37B Compass Call : WheelTug to improve airline efficiency : Boeing warns of potential electrical issue in certain 737 MAX aircraft : Embry-Riddle Research Park in Daytona to add manufacturing plant : Wheels Up and Bell Textron announce strategic initiative : Possible SpaceX Rocket Debris Found on Oregon Coast UPS orders electric aircraft to transport cargo between its facilities UPS is ordering 10 electric aircraft that are designed to take off and land like a helicopter, allowing it to fly cargo directly between its facilities in small markets, bypassing larger airports. The electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft made by Beta Technologies would be flown by an onboard pilot when UPS begins getting them in 2024, pending Federal Aviation Administration certification. Burlington, Vermont-based Beta Technologies is conducting flight testing on the aircraft at a test facility in Plattsburgh, N.Y. But the aircraft are designed to “someday operate autonomously” once the technology and regulations are developed, according to Sandy Springs-based UPS, which did not disclose the purchase price. UPS has an option to purchase an additional 140 aircraft. It plans “to take delivery and see how they perform within the network, and then move from there,” said UPS spokesman Matthew O’Connor. After years of testing drone delivery technologies, UPS in 2019 got Federal Aviation Administration approval for a drone airline called UPS Flight Forward and has partnered with CVS for prescription drone deliveries. In recent years, UPS has also tested self-driving tractor-trailers and vans, ordered 10,000 electric delivery trucks and worked to develop electric vehicles capable of automated movement in UPS depots. The eVTOL aircraft would be used to supplement cargo shipments in UPS’s small feeder air network, currently served by contract operators that use Beechcraft and Cessna 208 Caravan planes to fly cargo between small and medium-sized markets. But since the eVTOL aircraft would be able to take off and land at UPS facilities, the company would save the time and labor for loading and transferring at airports between planes and trucks that drive the packages to UPS facilities. That could speed urgent shipments such as pharmaceuticals and documents. “By utilizing vertical takeoffs and landings, we can turn relatively small spaces at existing UPS facilities into a micro air feeder network without the noise or operating emissions of traditional aircraft,” said Beta founder and CEO Kyle Clark in a written statement. The Beta Technologies eVTOL aircraft are designed to have a range of 250 miles on a single charge, and be able to charge in an hour or less at charging stations that could also be used for electric ground vehicles. They would have a cruising speed of up to 150 miles per hour, and produce zero emissions while operating. https://www.dailyitem.com/business/ups-orders-electric-aircraft-to-transport-cargo-between-its-facilities/article_32e6c055-ac53-52e5-b1d6-d72edeb8eb85.html Biden Boosts Supersonic Travel President Joe Biden might need a refresher in high school physics but his heart seems to be in the right place when it comes to advancing aviation technology. As part of the pitch on his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal, Biden mused about harnessing the country’s R&D capabilities and develop, among other things, hypersonic passenger airliners capable of flying 21,000 mph, which is practically impossible in the atmosphere. At any rate, the comments indicated general support for supersonic travel as part of a pep talk to stoke national pride. “I tell the kids, the young people who work for me, tell my kids when I go on college campuses: they’re going to see more change in the next 10 years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years,” the president said. “We’re going to talk about commercial aircraft flying at … supersonic speeds.” It might have had an element of enlightened self interest, too. The Air Force is pursuing a proposal to create a supersonic Air Force One. Civilian supersonic flight over land is currently illegal in the U.S. but companies developing new supersonic designs are pushing the FAA to allow testing of new technologies that will prevent the shockwave and its boom from reaching the ground. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/biden-boosts-supersonic-travel/ What Is The Emergency Descent Mode On The Airbus A220? Modern aircraft are fitted with new systems that give airlines another layer of safety on their services. One such feature is the Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) that is part of the Airbus A220 Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). This system can help the aircraft descend rapidly if there is a depressurization emergency. Automatic steps The Emergency Descent Mode can be activated automatically or manually. The automatic mode initiates when the cabin altitude exceeds 14,500 feet while the plane cruises above 25,000 feet. A220 pilot Hicham Chraibi tells Simple Flying that without any input from the flight deck crew, the system automatically carries out the following: Actions the “EMERGENCY DESCENT” aural warning. Deploys the autopilot if not deployed already. Activates the auto-throttle if not engaged already. Decreases the thrust to idle. Sets 15,000 feet in the autopilot altitude window. Initiates a rapid, high-speed descent Engages the heading mode and flies the plane’s present heading Sets the Emergency Transponder code to 7700 Sets the Seat Belt sign to ON Altogether, the manual and automatic mode perform the same features automatically except “Sets Emergency Transponder code to 7700” and “Seat Belt sign to ON.” These factors are solely part of the automatic activation mode. Nonetheless, all these tools are conducted manually and by memory by pilots on older generation planes. Therefore, there was a previously greater risk due to pilots having to remember all these procedures effectively during a sensitive moment. Notably, the processes are reviewed regularly during yearly simulator training. Now, with these automatic systems, there is even greater security in the cockpit. A potential savior Importantly, EDM could have been integral in preventing several previous tragedies in the skies. For instance, on August 14th, 2005, a Helios Airways Boeing 737-31S was performing flight 522 from Larnaca, Cyprus to Prague, Czech Republic, with a stopover to Athens, Greece, but the aircraft crashed amid crew incapacitation due to loss of pressurization. Had EDM been around, 121 lives could have been saved that day. This type of system can be seen across the board with modern aircraft. For instance, the Airbus A350-1000 is equipped with a safety feature that will now be standard across all of the widebody’s models, the automated emergency descent (AED). This tool engages the plane’s autopilot function to automatically and quickly lower the aircraft in the event of cabin depressurization. This mode is activated when the cabin pressure falls below a predetermined limit. After alerting the flight crew, the system engages the autopilot to bring the jet to a lower, safe altitude if there is no reaction from the crew members within 15 seconds. “Depressurisation events are extremely rare,” said Yann Besse, an autopilot laboratory test team engineer for Airbus in a statement shared by the manufacturer. “Our goal was a simple system that provides significant workload alleviation when a rapid descent is required.” Great support Overall, these systems highlight how far passenger aviation technology has come over the years. Even though such emergencies are rare, if they do happen, all relevant factors must be considered. So, these processes will go a long way in the mission to maintain safe operations. https://simpleflying.com/airbus-a220-emergency-descent-mode/ How researchers plan to integrate the structural battery into aircraft components European researchers want to get hybrid-electric aircraft off the ground. Their path leads via the structural battery, which will be demonstrated for the first time for an aviation application. Thank you for sharing this story! However, please do so in a way that respects the copyright of this text. If you want to share or reproduce this full text, please ask permission from Innovation Origins (partners@innovationorigins.com) or become a partner of ours! You are of course free to quote this story with source citation. Would you like to share this article in another way? Then use this link to the article: https://innovationorigins.com/how-researchers-plan-to-integrate-the-structural-battery-into-aircraft-components/ Aviation is the fastest growing transport sector and experts expect this trend to continue post-pandemic. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), aviation already contributes around 2.5 percent of global CO2 emissions to man-made climate change. If the EU’s Clean Aviation Roadmap is to be adhered to, there is an urgent need for action. It foresees that the first hybrid-electric aircraft should take to the skies in 2035. Electrification of aviation As in the automotive industry, the aviation industry wants to switch to renewable energies. Electric propulsion solutions are the most promising. The solid-state battery is seen as the ideal battery solution in both sectors. While the first cars with solid-state batteries are expected to appear as early as 2025, research in aviation is still in its infancy. This is due, among other things, to the disproportionately higher requirements for energy density and system reliability. Thank you for sharing this story! However, please do so in a way that respects the copyright of this text. If you want to share or reproduce this full text, please ask permission from Innovation Origins (partners@innovationorigins.com) or become a partner of ours! You are of course free to quote this story with source citation. Would you like to share this article in another way? Then use this link to the article: https://innovationorigins.com/how-researchers-plan-to-integrate-the-structural-battery-into-aircraft-components/ “The electrification of aircraft began with secondary systems such as de-icing or actuator systems,” explains Dr. Helmut Kühnelt, a researcher at the Center for Low-Emission Transport at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. He points to the Boeing Dreamliner 787 launched in 2011, where bleed air systems as well as pneumatic and hydraulic systems were electrified for the first time. “But now we’re talking about the electrification of the powertrain, and that’s where development is still pretty much at the beginning,” the researcher says. Battery hybrid solutions At AIT, problems are approached in a holistic manner. Research is currently being carried out in three European projects which are advancing the electrification of aviation: IMOTHEP, ORCHESTRA and SOLIFLY. The focus is on battery-hybrid solutions aimed at the regional aircraft segment for around 50 passengers. Once aviation-grade battery cell technologies are available, this would be the fastest solution to implement on the market, explains Kühnelt. He himself heads the SOLIFLY project, which aims to develop the structural battery for aviation applications. The structural battery comprises components that have both mechanical and energy storage properties. As such, it has the potential to reduce weight and can increase the overall system efficiency of aircraft. It will probably not be possible to use this new type of energy storage system for the powertrain, explains Kühnelt. But in the electric aircraft of the future, he says, there will likely be not just one energy storage solution, but a hybrid system drawing on different energy sources. Structural battery The project tackles the issue of the battery concept and structural integration. It will also lead to a first-time demonstration of the novel system in an aerospace-relevant component. The SOLIFLY team can initially draw exclusively on academic fundamentals since the investigation of targeted aerospace applications is a first, says Kühnelt. Actual expectations for the structural battery will also be incorporated via industry partners. The researchers are building on existing approaches to develop two different battery concepts and compare their performance. Both concepts are based on semi-solid-state batteries in which the electrolyte consists of an open-pore polymer matrix and an ionic liquid. The latter is a non-flammable salt that is safer than conventional liquid electrolytes. The electrolyte must be optimized. Current active materials with high energy density are used for both the cathode and the anode. In one of the two battery concepts, active material for coating carbon fibers will be used. As an anode, carbon fibers could also serve as a current conductor and structure if uncoated. This is also the circumstance to which the unconventional choice of semi-solid-state battery is owed, Kühnelt says. In the implementation, carbon fibers are used as structural current conductors on the anode and cathode sides. The coatings are then used for energy storage. In the second battery concept, the material will be formed into thin battery cells and then integrated into the structure in the carbon composite. The integration problem When integrating the battery concepts, it is important to avoid premature damage. Concepts for connecting the structural element and energy storage device are developed and subsequently optimized with computer models. “The two battery concepts have different degrees of integration, but might also be suitable for different applications,” Kühnelt explains. The energy-storing component is exposed to high static and dynamic loads in the application which can damage the battery. In addition, different zones of the component are exposed to different types of loads. The researchers are therefore investigating which areas of the component are best suited for integration with energy storage devices. Energy must be supplied to and discharged from the cell integrated in the structure. This requires electrical conductors. These will probably not be cables, but electrically conductive strips. Kühnelt says: “Here, too, one challenge is to integrate the electrical conductors into the structure in such a way that no premature damage occurs.” Industrialization The components in which the structural battery can be implemented must also be researched. Relevant applications will be identified together with industrial partners. The researchers are initially concentrating on the interior, meaning that factors relating to the outer skin, such as foreign object impact and lightning protection, are no longer relevant. However, the structural battery should in any case be located close to the device to be powered in order to minimize electrical connections. The technical research goal will be achieved when the developed technology can be integrated into a demonstrator, its structural and electrical performance characterized, and is comparable to a conventional panel. The demonstrator in this case is a stiffened panel that represents a standard component and has a size of 40 by 80 centimeters. In addition, the researchers will determine whether the production processes can actually be industrialized and what it would take to industrialize the structural battery. To this end, a technology roadmap and a technology readiness level scale-up strategy will be created. Thank you for sharing this story! However, please do so in a way that respects the copyright of this text. If you want to share or reproduce this full text, please ask permission from Innovation Origins (partners@innovationorigins.com) or become a partner of ours! You are of course free to quote this story with source citation. Would you like to share this article in another way? Then use this link to the article: https://innovationorigins.com/how-researchers-plan-to-integrate-the-structural-battery-into-aircraft-components/ Bridge technology Initially, the project will pursue a semi-solid-state approach. However, after further technology development steps, it should be possible to integrate solid-state batteries in the future. Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, solid-state battery technology does not require liquid electrolytes. High-performance batteries that can be integrated into commercial aircraft must first be developed first, although the energy densities required by the powertrain are not yet available, either. But it will take much longer before the structural battery is researched, says Kühnelt. At the same time, aircraft construction must also be reconsidered, as the AIT researchers are doing in the IMOTHEP project, for example. The researcher hopes that the two development strands can be brought together by 2030. If that happens, then the EU’s ambitious Clean Aviation Roadmap can be met and the first hybrid-electric aircraft can take off in 2035. About the project The project name SOLIFLY is short for Semi-Solid-state LI-ion Batteries FunctionallyLY Integrated in Composite Structures for Next Generation Hybrid Electric Airliners. The AIT researchers are conducting research in collaboration with the aeronautics research centers in ONERA, France; CIRA, Italy; the University of Vienna, Austria; the University of Naples, Italy; and the mid-sized company CUSTOMCELLS Itzehoe, Germany. https://innovationorigins.com/how-researchers-plan-to-integrate-the-structural-battery-into-aircraft-components/ Two new airlines await travelers ready to fly Americans are traveling in the greatest numbers in more than a year, and soon they will have two new leisure-oriented airlines to consider for those trips. Both hope to draw passengers by filling in smaller strands on the spider web of airline routes crisscrossing the United States. Avelo Airlines said Thursday that it will begin flying later this month to 11 destinations from Burbank, California. The startup plans to add other routes in the West as soon as it grows its fleet of three Boeing 737 jets. Avelo was started by a longtime airline executive who thinks there is room for another low-fare carrier besides the several budget airlines already in the market. "There are too few seats in the United States being offered by low-cost carriers. That's why we think the opportunity is huge," said Avelo Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy. "Customers want a really inexpensive way to get from Point A to Point B." Waiting in the wings is Breeze Airways, the latest creation of David Neeleman, who helped start Canada's WestJet before founding JetBlue Airways and the Brazilian airline Azul. Breeze plans to fly to "neglected, forgotten" markets, including many that larger airlines have abandoned. Breeze is currently running proving flights for the Federal Aviation Administration and could announce details around routes and fares as soon as next week and be carrying passengers in May. The planning for both airlines started before the coronavirus pandemic hit, but they are starting up just as long-homebound Americans look to break out and travel like it's 2019 again. More than 1 million Americans have been flying each day for nearly a month now, and people who kept their jobs through the pandemic have saved more, which they could tap for trips. The last new U.S. airline was Virgin America, which began flying in 2007 and disappeared after Alaska Airlines bought it in 2016. It's hard to start an airline because of high costs for planes, fuel, technology, and labor. The pandemic has helped, however, by leading to a glut of planes and available workers, says Jonathan Kletzel, a transportation expert at consultant PwC. Still, start-ups face another risk — fierce pushback if they threaten a market valued by an established airline. When new entrants show up in a city, "the majors can always deploy (flights) there at a low price point and completely crush them," Kletzel says. "These entrants need to make sure that they target places that aren't going to ruffle the wrong feathers." Avelo Levy is a former Allegiant Air and United Airlines executive who has finally achieved a yearslong dream of starting an airline. Avelo's strategy is straight out of the low-cost-carrier playbook first written by Southwest Airlines in the 1970s and copied by others, including Allegiant. Part of that strategy involves sticking to secondary airports that have lower costs and less congestion — planes land, take on new passengers, and take off quickly, spending more time in the air and less on the ground. "It's not that it hasn't been done before, it's just that it hasn't been done in a really long time — staying away from the really big airports wherever it is possible," Levy says. One of Avelo's first destinations, Ogden, Utah, "is a nice, convenient, easy-to-navigate airport," he says. "There are a lot of those around the country that have been unserved or at least underserved. Those are the markets we're going to target." Allegiant is the only airline currently flying to Ogden, and only from Phoenix, while nearly a dozen carriers compete at nearby Salt Lake City. Avelo's first flight on April 28 will be from Burbank to Santa Rosa, in Northern California's wine country. No other airline flies that route, although Alaska Airlines goes to Santa Rosa from John Wayne Airport, about a 90-minute drive from Burbank. The airline will fly 189-seat Boeing 737-800 planes, which are plentiful and, Levy says, a bargain on the used-plane market. The planes won't have on-board internet access, at least not this year. Avelo launched with $19 promotional fares. Like other budget airlines, Avelo will charge extra for many options, including an assigned seat and carry-on bags that go in the overhead bins. Costs at a start-up airline "are real easy to forecast; the revenue is the hard part," Levy says. If Avelo hits revenue targets, "we will definitely be profitable before the end of this year, and 2022 will be a profitable year." That is roughly the same outlook that analysts have for major U.S. airlines, which are known commodities with established customer bases. Breeze Breeze hasn't detailed where it will begin operations, although the airline has hinted it will be in the Southeast, including Florida, a popular destination for leisure travelers. Neeleman says the timing is right. "Leisure traffic is crazy right now. A lot of people have vaccines, and younger, healthier people are like, 'I'm good,' " Neeleman said in an interview. "There is a lot of pent-up demand, probably more than the seats that are available." In contrast to Avelo, Breeze will start out using smaller planes, 118-seat Embraer E-190s that it will lease, including some from Azul. Neeleman said the lower operating costs of the smaller planes will help his new airline succeed on routes that others are passing up or have abandoned. "We can get trip costs that are 20% to 25% below where the other guys are," he said. "Because we have a smaller airplane, we can go into markets that may not make sense for them but make all the sense in the world for us." There are "hundreds" of such overlooked routes, Neeleman says. He says about 80% of the airline's capacity will be deployed on routes where there is no other nonstop service, only indirect connections. Like Avelo, Breeze planes won't have a separate cabin for first-class or business-class seating, but Neeleman isn't ruling that out when his airline begins flying slightly larger Airbus A220 jets later this year. Neeleman figures Breeze needs to fill about 60% of its seats to break even. "We fully expect to be profitable next year," he said. https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/national/story/2021/apr/10/two-new-airlines-await-travelers-ready-fly/866791/ BAE Systems Tests SABER Technology For The New EC-37B Compass Call SABER technology is part of a critical upgrade of the Compass Call system that will be rehosted on the EC-37B. BAE Systems successfully flight tested its Small Adaptive Bank of Electronic Resources (SABER) technology for the new EC-37B on a U.S. Air Force EC-130H from Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The company and Air Force’s personnel worked together during the flight test campaign that produced a total of 11 flights and assessed the correct functioning of this critical upgrade for the Compass Call system. According to the statement from BAE Systems, SABER is a major technological advance that will allow the Compass Call weapon system to transition from hardware to software-based electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) warfare capability. The SABER system is built on a suite of Software Defined Radios (SDRs) using an open system architecture and will provide the backbone of the new EC-37B’s operating system. “SABER allows flexibility to update systems without significant physical reconfiguration,” said Pam Potter, director of Electronic Attack Solutions at BAE Systems. “It also adapts to new applications as well as revisions to existing applications. It is the technology that will enable the U.S. Air Force to rapidly and proactively respond to emerging enemy threat systems.” Additional testing this year will focus on simultaneity of engagement capacity, dynamic resource sharing, rapid integration, and operation of multiple additional applications to explore the vast possibilities of the upgraded Compass Call system and deploy the optimum 21st century electronic attack platform. As you may know already, the Compass Call system is an airborne tactical electronic attack weapon system installed on a heavily modified version of the C-130 Hercules, called EC-130H Compass Call. This system disrupts enemy command and control communications, radars, and navigation systems and limits adversary coordination, which is essential for enemy force management. Together with the EA-18G Growler and the F-16CM Block 50/52 Fighting Falcon, the Compass Call is part of the US Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) triad. The EC-130H is operated by the 55th Electronic Combat Group (ECG) at Davis-Monthan AFB as a geographically separated unit of the 55th Wing based at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. The latter provides Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Electronic Warfare (EW), Command and Control (C2) and national treaty verification capabilities for the U.S. forces with numerous variants of the C-135 and C-130 airframes. The EC-130H flew for the first time in 1981 and was delivered to the Air Force a year later. The aircraft, with a crew of 13 people (four responsible for flight and navigation and nine for the EA mission equipment), has been upgraded throughout the year from the initial Baseline 1 to the current Baseline 3. The Compass Call is one of the busiest assets of the entire US inventory, which took part in every conflict where US troops were engaged in combat, and is also longest continuously deployed Air Force asset, being deployed since 2002 in Afghanistan. After 40 years, however, the EC-130H is in need of a replacement. Following the type’s retirement announced in 2014, the U.S. Air Force initiated the Compass Call Rehost program, which will move the current Compass Call systems from the EC-130H to the new EC-37B, based on the Gulfstream G550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning Aircraft (CAEW) airframe. As for the EC-130H, BAE Systems is the contractor for the Prime Mission Equipment (PME) and L3 Communications is the contractor for aircraft integration and depot maintenance. The selection of the G550 was the conclusion of a series of assessments that led the Air Force to choose to rehost the existing Compass Call mission system onto a commercial derivative aircraft, resulting in a sole-source contract to L3 Communications and Gulfstream in 2017. Boeing and Bombardier protested but were later dismissed as the G550 CAEW was the only airframe available that would not need further development or certifications to be adapted to the Compass Call mission and has also been performing these types of special military missions for years with multiple operators. Ten EC-37Bs, the firsts of which are currently being modified in Savannah (Georgia), are scheduled to replace entire EC-130H fleet. Some of the oldest EC-130H have already been divested, including the first one to be modified into this airborne electronic attack platform, with about ten aircraft still in service out of the original 14 built. According to a 2020 planning of the 55th Wing available online, EC-37B testing should begin at Davis-Monthan AFB in January 2022 and the first five aircraft will be delivered to the Air Combat Command in 2023. These first five aircraft will host the Baseline 3 variant of Compass Call, while the remaining five aircraft are scheduled to receive the newer Baseline 4 variant currently in development, which will reportedly introduce a new low-band jammer system. Available info mention that the EC-37B’s weight and operating costs will be cut in half compared to the EC-130H Compass Call, while also being able to perform its mission at higher altitudes and speed and longer ranges and durations. The G550-based aircraft will also be optimized to perform missions in Anti-Access, Area-Denial (A2/AD) environments, while also being able to be easily upgraded to face new threats thanks to its Modular Open Systems Architecture. It is worth noting that a similar aircraft has been delivered to the U.S. Navy and should become operational this year, with the designation NC-37B, as the replacement for one of the three NP-3D “Billboard” Orions operated by VX-30 “Bloodhounds” at Naval Air Station Point Mugu (California). The aircraft, like the EC-37B, is a derivative of the G550 CAEW airframe and is equipped with telemetry systems and other specialized equipment for the range support role. https://theaviationist.com/2021/04/12/bae-systems-tests-saber-technology-for-the-new-ec-37b-compass-call/ WheelTug to improve airline efficiency Hyderabad: Globally, airport traffic continues to grow with crowded bottlenecks, more ground vehicles and busy schedules leading to more incidents in ramp areas. US-based WheelTug promises to bring its technology to airports at no cost, reduce traffic and ground clutter making them safer and quieter. The electric taxi pioneer has already signed letters of intent with over 25 airlines (including IndiGo and SpiceJet in India) representing more than 2,000 aircraft-already 15 per cent of all Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s in service (13,000). Airline interest in securing the WheelTug systems is growing. In 2020 alone, WheelTug almost doubled the number of positions reserved by airlines. The company is in talks with airlines worldwide, including major Asian, European and US carriers. Isaiah Cox, CEO, WheelTug told Telangana Today, in an exclusive interview, “We are currently engaged in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval process. We are looking at June-July 2022 to roll out the system, starting with airlines that have ordered our system first. IndiGo and SpiceJet have signed up with us already, and because they account for 60 per cent of the local market, India is among the top three WheelTug markets.” “As per the 737NG (next generation) program, we expect deliveries from mid-2022 onwards. SpiceJet may get its deliveries in 2022. WheelTug is on track to complete the 737 system and is looking to raise funds for the A320 launch. The A320 program is yet to be launched so IndiGo may get its deliveries accordingly. Airlines on five continents have also signed up with us. We offer the system as a retrofit, making an old aircraft more efficient, thus making an airline more competitive. One of the other key drivers is going to be tackling congestion at the busiest airports of the world,” he added. System features The system enables pilot-controlled forward and reverse movement in the gate and terminal areas without tractors or jet engines. WheelTug’s system employs high-torque motors powered by the aircraft APU (auxiliary power unit) installed in the nose wheels of the aircraft, which give pilots control of the aircraft when performing ground operations. Pushback tugs will not be required to back up from gates, and aircraft will not generate jet blasts in the terminal areas, which as a result allows faster taxi-back clearances. It also cuts safety clearance delay and increases aircraft movement. He said, the onboard camera system provides situational awareness through the pilot’s electronic flight bag, giving a lot of useful insights. WheelTug may help the aviation sector move towards automation on the ground. Aircraft driving back automatically could be possible in future with the help of enhanced data insights. Tangible benefits “By choosing WheelTug electric taxi systems, airlines can make ground operations more efficient, faster and safer, besides reducing carbon emissions. The system ensures dependable departures and better aircraft utilisation leading to optimised network scheduling. With WheelTug, airports can significantly reduce congestion. The taxiway will be used for moving airplanes, and the ramp area will be used only for turning airplanes,” Isaiah Cox added. Delays on the ground have a direct correlation to the trailing financial performance of the airline companies. The technology will help reduce up to 30 per cent of ground time. Every minute saved on pushback may save an airline $150 (over Rs 11,000). Depending on an airline’s current fleet and schedule, WheelTug productivity gains may increase. When asked about the manufacturing arrangement, he said, “We are a FAA STC (supplemental type certificate) applicant as a legal manufacturer. We source components from the US and software from Europe. For the A320 programme, the supplier base will be in Europe as the certification will start from the continent. In terms of supply chain, we have everything in place. We will establish MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) relationships for installation and support in each market we will enter, including India.” Looking beyond civil aviation, Isaiah Cox added, WheelTug also sees opportunities to cater to military aircraft. The company may sell military rights and also explore opportunities in the areas of rotorcraft and drones. “While WheelTug is focused on the civilian market, we welcome conversations with potential partners for the military market,” he added. https://telanganatoday.com/wheeltug-to-improve-airline-efficiency Boeing warns of potential electrical issue in certain 737 MAX aircraft Boeing has warned that some of its 737 MAX aircraft could have a possible electrical issue, prompting several US airlines to temporarily suspend the use of the jet. The new problem comes at a time when the aircraft was approved to return to service just a few months ago after remaining grounded for nearly two years following two fatal crashes in March 2019. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared the Boeing 737 Max to resume operations in November last year, with European and other market regulators following suit. In a statement, the company said that it has ‘recommended to 16 customers that they address a potential electrical issue in a specific group of 737 MAX airplanes prior to further operations. The recommendation is being made to allow for verification that a sufficient ground path exists for a component of the electrical power system’. Boeing added: “We are working closely with the US Federal Aviation Administration on this production issue. We are also informing our customers of specific tail numbers affected and we will provide direction on appropriate corrective actions.” Meanwhile, the FAA said it was notified by Boeing of a manufacturing issue affecting the backup power control unit’s operation. The agency said that it ‘is in contact with the airlines and the manufacturer and will ensure the issue is addressed’. Late last month, Boeing restarted delivery of its 787 Dreamliner after a five-month suspension amid ongoing inspection on the aircraft’s deck windows. https://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/boeing-737-max-electrical/ Embry-Riddle Research Park in Daytona to add manufacturing plant DAYTONA BEACH — Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University plans to break ground in the next two months on a manufacturing facility that will expand its aviation/aerospace research park here to five buildings since its opening in 2017. The 10,000-square-foot Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center is expected to open by April of next year, said Rodney Cruise, the university's chief operating officer and senior vice president. The two-story building will likely cost $2 to $3 million to construct. he said. It will be located behind Embry-Riddle's printing shop along the east side of Clyde Morris Boulevard, south of Bellevue Avenue. It will also have a far simpler design than the $21 million spaceship-looking MicaPlex business incubator across the street that became the research park's first building when it opened in March 2017. That makes it no less significant. "It's strategically important as it will bring true production and manufacturing space into the mix," said Cruise. WeatherFlow-Tempest Inc., a startup company whose offices are on the second floor of the 50,000-square-foot MicaPlex, has agreed to lease a 5,000-square-foot space that will be used to produce the equipment needed for its real-time weather forecasting and modeling smart-phone app. Embry-Riddle will use the rest of the building for various research park-related operations. Research park a decade in the making Mori Hosseini, chairman of the board of trustees for Embry-Riddle, said this soon-to-be latest addition to the research park is another step towards fulfilling what he and the other trustees envisioned more than a decade ago. "We saw that to take the university to the next level, we had to have a research arm," said Hosseini, the chairman and CEO of Daytona Beach-ICI Homes. Hosseini also chairs the board for the University of Florida and serves on the board for Space Florida, the state's aerospace economic development agency. The primary goal of the research park is to encourage faculty and students to work with people in the private-sector to figure out and launch commercial applications for their research that can create high-paying jobs. "By providing an environment where academia, industry and entrepreneurship can share their best ideas, entrepreneurs in Embry-Riddle's Research Park are translating innovation into new products, services and solutions," said Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler, in a news release. Efforts have already created 100+ jobs To date, the research park has served 22 companies, many of them startups. Those commercial ventures have raised more than $41 million in funding from grants and investors. They have also created more than 100 full-time jobs that pay an average annual salary of $67,000, and provided internships for 159 students. The research park has also resulted in five patent applications in the past year, according to Stephanie Miller, executive director of technology transfer and research park initiatives for the university. In addition to the MicaPlex, the research park is home to a 16,000-square-foot wind tunnel complex, a 7,500-square-foot research hangar that connects to the runways at Daytona Beach International Airport next door, and a 4,000-square-foot warehouse. All are on the 15 acres for the research park on the west side of Clyde Morris. The planned Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center will be the first building on the research park's 85 acres on the east side of Clyde Morris. It will increase the total square footage at the park to 87,500. The university is just barely tapping the research park's full potential, said Hosseini. "We have the land and capability to build hundreds of thousands of square feet of buildings for research at Embry-Riddle, close to a half-million square feet," he said. Big draw for companies Kent Sharples, president of the CEO Business Alliance, a group of local business leaders dedicated to recruiting employers to Volusia County, said the Embry-Riddle Research Park is a big selling point. "I think the addition of the manufacturing facility will enhance the attractiveness of Embry-Riddle and Volusia County as the northern leg of Florida's Space Triangle, which includes Kennedy Space Center (in Brevard County) and the University of Central Florida and the Orlando area," Sharples said. The hope, he said, is that as the commercial space launch industry grows in Brevard County where the majority of companies involved in those efforts are located, more, especially suppliers, will start to branch out into neighboring Volusia County. "What Embry-Riddle has done over the past few years has been phenomenal, We've got a couple prospects on the drawing board now," he said. Cruise said the new building "adds another unique opportunity for businesses to partner with Embry-Riddle. This latest expansion of the research park demonstrates the continued success of Embry-Riddle's plan." https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/business/real-estate/2021/04/10/embry-riddle-research-park-daytona-add-manufacturing-plant/7147178002/ Wheels Up and Bell Textron announce strategic initiative Wheels Up, the leading brand in private aviation, has announced an initiative with Bell Textron, a Textron Inc. company, to lead the industry both in short- and long-term solutions with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). The collaboration between the industry leaders will set a new standard in addressing the growing demand for convenient intra-urban travel from/to city-centers and regional airport helipads. The new initiative demonstrates a shared commitment to innovation and the expansion of the Wheels Up total aviation solution portfolio by providing VTOL transportation products and services. The initial list of high-demand markets are under review with an expected launch of service in 2021. The introduction of VTOL transportation in the select markets will add to the seamless travel experience along the entire travel journey for the Wheels Up Members and Customers. This initiative will also enhance air travel flexibility and reduce vehicular congestion, while enabling Wheels Up and Bell to actively explore innovation opportunities to reduce overall environmental impact. The collaboration with Bell, which has designed, certified, and manufactured commercial and military aircraft for more than 85 years, will enable Wheels Up Members and Customers to travel via Bell’s industry-leading VTOL aircraft across a number of intra-city markets. Bell is a global leader in VTOL, and the engineering, technical expertise, and track record of the team at Bell is unsurpassed in the industry. “We are always looking for different ways and new features to enhance the services we provide to our Members and Customers and this is a logical evolution of our systematic disruption of the aviation industry, and a vision to extend our holistic approach to air transportation,” said Kenny Dichter, founder and CEO of Wheels Up. “Our strategic initiative with global innovation leader Bell is focused on serving our members’ and customers’ travel needs using our leading-edge Avianis Flight Management System technology platform for helicopter service.” “Bell is proud to join with Wheels Up to make this cutting-edge travel solution a reality,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO, Bell. “We have a history of setting new standards within the industry and utilizing our ability to deliver flexible travel solutions to market. We are excited to work with a company like Wheels Up to display the convenience of helicopter-based travel.” Wheels Up also plans to provide this connectivity and new transportation option to customers of Delta Air Lines, an existing partner. Currently, Wheels Up members and Delta customers can travel seamlessly using private and commercial options and will be able to select VTOL as another solution in their travel journey. “We must challenge the status quo as we envision the future of travel,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta Air Lines chief customer experience officer. “We look forward to our customers being able to take advantage of the latest innovations from Wheels Up.” https://verticalmag.com/press-releases/wheels-up-and-bell-textron-announce-strategic-initiative/ Possible SpaceX Rocket Debris Found on Oregon Coast Well there’s something you don’t see every day… Apparently, last Friday, the Lincoln County Sheriffs reported they found what appears to be charred debris from the Falcon X rocket. As many of you reading this probably recall, at the end of March the rocket made a glorious appearance in the skies and was spotted in multiple places on the west coast. The debris has been found after reportedly another piece of the rocket was recovered in eastern Washington recently. An astrophysicist, Jonathan McDowell, at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said the Falcon 9 second stage from the March 4 Starlink launch failed to make a deorbit burn as it entered Earth’s atmosphere. More than 100 SpaceX rockets have been shot into orbit since 2010. According to the sheriff’s office, the chunk of fuel container-like debris washed up in the was recovered in Waldport after washing up in the Alsea Bay. Around 3:15 p.m. Friday, April 9, deputies responded and set up an exclusion perimeter while officials assessed the object and any possible hazards. A local fisherman had removed the debris and stored it inside a local business. “Central Oregon Coast Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and determined the object was not an immediate hazardous materials threat,” the county said. “After further consultation with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, SpaceX was contacted.” While it was not confirmed by SpaceX if the object was from their rocket, the sheriff’s office did note it was consistent with a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. “The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office thanks Central Oregon Coast Fire and Rescue, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and SpaceX for their rapid response to this incident,” the office said. https://thatoregonlife.com/2021/04/possible-spacex-rocket-debris-found-on-oregon-coast/ Curt Lewis