July 6, 2021 - No. 52 In This Issue : IAI and Atitech to open passenger aircraft conversion site in Italy : Which Aircraft Types Have Zero Hull Loses? : ChampionX Announces Acquisition of Scientific Aviation, Inc. : Aviation AM Centre founded to supply certified 3D printed cabin interior parts : Jaguar I-PACE provides ground support for all-electric flight speed record bid : Hyundai's Urban Air Mobility Division Partners with ANRA Technologies to Advance the AAM Industry : Eviation unveils production design for all-electric Alice aircraft : Hidden Level develops drone detection system for security, aviation applications : Shell and Rolls-Royce sign MoU to support the decarbonisation of aviation : New joint industry-research institution laboratory for aviation materials created in France : SpaceX CEO Elon Musk teases nine-engine Starship, Raptor upgrades IAI and Atitech to open passenger aircraft conversion site in Italy Aviation manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has agreed with MRO service provider Atitech to open an aircraft conversion site in Italy. The new site at Atitech’s centre in Naples, Italy, will facilitate the conversion of Boeing 737-700/800 into freighter aircraft. The centre is being established in response to the increasing demand for cargo aircraft of this model. The site is also expected to increase income from aircraft conversions. Upon completion, the MRO centre will provide solutions in remodelling passenger planes to cargo aircraft. It will also offer training and support in licensing and registration. IAI executive VP general manager Yossi Melamed said: “Today, IAI’s converted freighter aircraft serve the world’s largest cargo companies and most of the e-commerce market. “Atitech was selected as a business partner to provide a solution to the European market among other markets as well. “I feel confident the collaboration between these companies will mutually contribute to IAI and Atitech business.” The new project marks the first cargo conversion site in Europe for IAI. It will complement its two existing cargo conversion sites in China. Atitech is certified by the US Federal Administration Agency (FAA Part 145) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA Part 145). Atitech president Gianni Lettieri said: “Freighter conversions require huge investment, advanced technology, and skilled personnel, with high barriers to entry in the sector. “Based on its world-class MRO infrastructure, Atitech will convert in parallel, two aircraft, in a nose to tail lines contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of the Italian aviation industry.” https://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/iai-atitech-passenger-freighter-italy/ Which Aircraft Types Have Zero Hull Loses? Aviation is getting safer as time goes on. Accidents today are an unusual occurrence, thanks to ongoing improvements in aircraft technology and operational safety. Some aircraft types have made it through their entire operational lives without a single hull loss – we take a look at which ones, and why. The zero-loss planes Aviation accidents are not the norm, particularly in more recent times. As technology has improved, flying has become safer than ever, with major accidents now an unusual event. Despite this, hull losses do sometimes occur, even today. These range from fatal disasters like the accidents involving the 737 MAX to more minor incidents that don’t include loss of life, but do make the aircraft beyond economical repair. Over the years, some aircraft types have managed to operate without a single hull loss. That includes dramatic accidents through to minor on-ground incidents resulting in the aircraft being written off. According to Boeing data, we can see that these are: Boeing 717 CRJ700, 900 and 1000 Airbus A380 Boeing 787 Boeing 747-8 Airbus A350 Bombardier C-Series/Airbus A220 The Airbus A320neo family Of the types that did have hull losses, the A340 never had a fatality onboard. It had 0.59 hull losses per million departures, and two hull losses included on the Boeing data. This included one runway excursion, and an aircraft attacked by the Tamil Tigers in Colombo (CMB). So what makes these plane types so immune from accidents? Low utilization and newer construction With the exception of the CRJs, the 717 and the 787, most of these aircraft are relatively new. In fact, all the rest of the aircraft types on the list had, at the time the data was generated, yet to log more than a million departures. That might seem surprising when you consider that aircraft like the A380 have been around for more than a decade. However, given that the 747-8, the A350 and the A380 are all very much long-haul aircraft, they will be doing a maximum of one or two departures per day. Therefore, it can take a long time to notch up a million departures. Given their profile of spending more of their working lives cruising and less time taking off and landing, these types spend fewer hours in the ‘risk’ phase of the flight. Data from Boeing suggests that 65% of fatal accidents occur during takeoff and initial climb, or final approach and landing. Some 7% of fatal accidents take place even before the aircraft has started to move. For the aircraft that have racked up more than a million departures, it is likely their low market penetration that has seen them operating so incident-free. The 717, for example, only ever numbered 155 in-service aircraft, a world away from the 10,000 plus Boeing 737s that have flown over the years. And it’s not been without its incidents entirely – the 717 has been involved in five accidents and incidents, including an on-ground collision, an emergency landing where the nose gear didn’t extend, and an attempted hijacking. The real outlier here is the 787. More than 1,000 Dreamliners are in operation today, but not one has been involved in a hull loss. Of course, 1,000 is still far fewer than some other aircraft lines, but it’s still a significant fleet. The benefit for the 787 is that, for a start, it was a clean-sheet design, able to benefit from all the modern technologies available at the time. And it hasn’t been without its incidents – in total, five noteworthy accidents have taken place. These included fuel leaks, battery fires and engine malfunctions. However, none have yet resulted in an aircraft being written off. https://simpleflying.com/aircraft-types-zero-hull-losses/ ChampionX Announces Acquisition of Scientific Aviation, Inc. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, July 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChampionX Corporation (“ChampionX” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CHX) announced today the completion of its acquisition of Scientific Aviation, Inc., a market leader in site-specific and regional methane emissions monitoring solutions for continuous and periodic monitoring applications. “Our acquisition of Scientific Aviation further demonstrates our commitment to the strategic priority of evolving our portfolio for sustained growth as the energy industry evolves. This acquisition follows our investment in QLM Technology Ltd and is consistent with our growth pathway of building out our emissions management portfolio that helps our customers achieve their emissions reduction goals. We are excited about the future growth potential as we combine Scientific Aviation’s industry leading methane emissions detection and monitoring solutions with our extensive expertise and presence in upstream production well sites and midstream solutions,” said Sivasankaran “Soma” Somasundaram, President and Chief Executive Officer of ChampionX. “By combining our methane detection technology with ChampionX’s artificial intelligence predictive failure algorithms and extensive network of field technicians, this partnership will help upstream and midstream operators further enhance their environmental stewardship practices and make progress toward the goal of meaningfully reducing global methane emissions. I am excited about this combination and look forward to the next chapter in our story!” said Dr. Stephen Conley, CEO and Founder of Scientific Aviation. About ChampionX ChampionX is a global leader in chemistry solutions and highly engineered equipment and technologies that help companies drill for and produce oil and gas safely and efficiently around the world. ChampionX’s products provide efficient functioning throughout the lifecycle of a well with a focus on the production phase of wells. To learn more about ChampionX, visit our website at www.championX.com. About Scientific Aviation, Inc. Scientific Aviation was founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2010 by Stephen Conley, Ph.D., an atmospheric scientist, to offer plane-based measurements of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. The company introduced its drone-based methane emissions detection system in 2018 and launched its ground-based continuous fence line monitoring solution in 2020. In March 2021, a joint energy industry partnership study (Project Falcon) was launched with a focus on the optimal deployment of continuous methane monitoring technology. The industry partnership is using Scientific Aviation’s SOOFIE (Systematic Observations of Facility Intermittent Emissions) system, a ground-based technology that measures methane emissions 24 hours a day, and immediately alerts operators about potential concerns. To learn more about Scientific Aviation, visit www.scientificaviation.com. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/07/05/2257860/0/en/ChampionX-Announces-Acquisition-of-Scientific-Aviation-Inc.html Aviation AM Centre founded to supply certified 3D printed cabin interior parts AM Global GmbH has launched its Aviation AM Centre business in partnership with RANDERATH GmbH to enable the 3D printing of certified cabin interior parts. As part of the LANGER GROUP, AM Global works with EOS to jointly develop and industrialise additive manufacturing applications. By partnering with RANDERATH, a turn-key project delivery company, the additive manufacturing firm is hoping to do the same for the aviation sector. The Aviation AM Centre has been founded to develop aviation components that are lighter, stronger and use materials more efficiently. Production cells are to be developed to ‘drive more innovative and sustainable’ manufacturing solutions that are also able to output puts that meet European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards. The new venture will start operations in the EOS Innovation Centre in Dusseldorf, Germany, utilising EOS polymer 3D printing technology and its own best practice workflows as it provides full design, manufacturing and certification services. Among the primary users of these services are airlines, maintenance organisations, cabin interior suppliers and original equipment manufacturers. By working with the Aviation AM Centre, AM Global and RANDERATH are confident that these customers can reduce downtime, improve the speed and efficiency of servicing aircraft interiors, and benefit from the on-demand production of parts via a digital warehouse. “Airline operations are facing very demanding time and cost saving imperatives, especially in the current environment,” commented Bernhard Randerath, founder and Chairman of the Board of the Aviation AM Centre. “We are very proud to celebrate the opening of this new venture which will provide tailored solutions, efficient processes and cutting-edge technology for airlines and other parts of the commercial aviation industry. Our partnership with AM Global brings together deep 3D printing technology know-how, with our understanding of the market for commercial aviation and additive manufacturing – the perfect basis for a strong business.” “The Aviation AM Centre is a ground-breaking new venture that will enable the aviation industry to use the benefits of additive manufacturing through a collaborative approach,” added Daniel Lichtenstein, Managing Director of AM Global Holding GmbH. “We are excited about the innovations that will come out of the Aviation AM Centre, with its world-class know-how of aircraft operation and maintenance, and the AM Global team’s expertise, developing new sustainable and efficient integrated production solutions for the aviation sector.” https://www.tctmagazine.com/additive-manufacturing-3d-printing-news/polymer-additive-manufacturing-news/aviation-am-centre-founded-to-supply-certified-3d-printed-ca/ Jaguar I-PACE provides ground support for all-electric flight speed record bid Jaguar is providing ground support for a UK all-electric flight speed record attempt with the supply of an all-electric Jaguar I-PACE for towing and transport The Rolls-Royce ‘Spirit of Innovation’ all-electric plane is aiming to break 300mph to claim the record during a flight later this year As a proudly carbon-neutral UK-led programme, ‘Spirit of Innovation’ chose the zero emissions I-PACE as its on-ground support vehicle The Jaguar brand will be all-electric from 2025, with Jaguar Land Rover a net carbon zero business by 2039 ‘Spirit of Innovation’ is a key stage in developing electrified flight technologies for Rolls-Royce, aiming to be net zero carbon by 2050 Whitley, UK: The all-electric Jaguar I-PACE is the towing and support vehicle for a UK-led programme aiming to claim the electric flight speed record later this year, with a target of 300+mph. The Rolls-Royce ‘Spirit of Innovation’ team has already completed key ground-testing and taxiing ahead of the first test flights in a matter of months, ably supported throughout by the I-PACE. The aircraft has been created by the ACCEL programme, short for ‘Accelerating the Electrification of Flight’, which includes key partners YASA, the electric motor and controller manufacturer, and aviation start-up Electroflight. The ACCEL team have continued to innovate while adhering to the UK Government’s social distancing and other health guidelines. Rob Watson, Director of Rolls-Royce Electrical said: “Rolls-Royce and Jaguar Land Rover are UK pioneers who are focused on advancing electrical technology for their respective sectors. We are delighted that Jaguar Land Rover are loaning us I-PACE vehicles as we bid to develop the world’s fastest all-electric plane. It is important to us that the ACCEL programme was carbon neutral and this will be supported by having all-electric cars for ground-support.” The Spirit of Innovation features an electric motor propulsion system delivering 500hp+ with the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft providing enough energy to fuel 250 homes or fly London to Paris on a single charge. The I-PACE uses two electric motors producing a total of 394hp with power delivered by a state-of-the-art 90kWh Lithium-ion battery featuring 432 pouch cells. Coincidentally, I-PACE is capable of 292 miles (WLTP) on a single charge – exactly the distance by road from London to Paris. With the ability to charge at 100kW, I-PACE drivers can add 78 miles of range in as little as 15 minutes. Rawdon Glover, Jaguar Land Rover UK MD, said: “The I-PACE is a real pioneer; when it launched in 2018 it was the world’s first premium all-electric SUV, establishing Jaguar as a leader in electrification and setting the brand on a path to become fully electric by 2025. We’re delighted to be supporting another Great British innovator with the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ team, as they look to bring electrified aviation into the nation’s psyche with this incredible 300mph record.” The ACCEL project highlights Rolls-Royce’s commitment to ensuring new products will be compatible with net-zero operation by 2030, and all products will be compatible with net-zero by 2050. Rolls-Royce will be using the technology from ACCEL and other electrification activities to bring a portfolio of electric and hybrid-electric products into the urban air mobility, commuter and more electric aircraft sectors. In a similar vein, the Jaguar Racing Formula E team’s experiences on track help generate real-world improvements in Jaguar’s road-going electric vehicles. Several members of the ACCEL project team have come from Formula E backgrounds. Just as Spirit of Innovation will pave the way to a future of electrified flight, I-PACE is an all-electronic forerunner of Jaguar’s future. By the middle of the decade, Jaguar will have undergone a renaissance to emerge as a pure electric luxury brand with a dramatically beautiful new portfolio of emotionally engaging designs and pioneering next-generation technologies. https://www.suasnews.com/2021/07/jaguar-i-pace-provides-ground-support-for-all-electric-flight-speed-record-bid/ Hyundai's Urban Air Mobility Division Partners with ANRA Technologies to Advance the AAM Industry Recently, the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) division of Hyundai Motor Group partnered with ANRA Technologies to develop the operating environment for the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry. Together with ANRA, Hyundai will identify research opportunities to help inform regulatory decisions and advance infrastructure projects. Additionally, ANRA will provide strategic insight on Hyundai’s concept of operations (ConOps) for AAM airspace management and ground mobility integration. “We are pleased to partner with ANRA Technologies to begin building toward the safe and efficient integration of AAM into existing airspace,” said Pamela Cohn, chief operating officer, Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group. “As an emerging mobility solution, it is critical diverse parties work together to co-create the AAM ecosystem, including its necessary digital and physical infrastructure. ANRA brings a unique background of operational history in the drone services sector that will help define the operating environment for all AAM vehicles.” During the last few years, ANRA has been actively developing tools to help with the advancement of the commercial drone industry, including UAM and AAM. Last year, the company launched SmartSkies, an airspace solution providing commercial AAM services for both NASA and European Union/EASA AAM initiatives. SmartSkies eases the process for drone pilots to obtain approval for drone operations within controlled or sensitive airspace and provides real-time, automated processing of airspace authorizations based on criteria set by stakeholders such as Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) or regulators. Established in 2019, Hyundai’s UAM division is committed to “provide customers with freely moving seamless mobility that connects the sky and the ground.” The group expects to commercialize its passenger drones by 2028 and is focusing on creating an agile product roadmap and securing core technologies such as aircraft design, flight control software, and safety technology. Hyundai also plans to maximize synergy by actively utilizing automotive technologies such as batteries, motors, lightweight materials, and autonomous driving. As their first vision of the UAM business, they unveiled its S-A1 drone concept at CES 2020, along with a partnership with Uber. By 2026, before the commercialization of UAM, Hyundai expects to commercialize its medium-to-large-sized unmanned Air Cargo aircraft to carry heavier payloads for cargo transport. As Hyundai moves toward its goal, “development of supporting infrastructure is imperative,” said Cohn after partnering with UK’s Urban Air Port, earlier this year. As part of the UK Future Flight Challenge, Urban Air Port’s Air-One was chosen to “develop aviation infrastructure and systems that enable the next generation of electric and autonomous air vehicles.” According to the company, it is the world’s smallest airport and a world-first fully operational hub for future eVTOL aircraft, set to help lead the way in developing a robust, accessible, and intermodal infrastructure network for future mobility. Dr. Shin Jai-won, Hyundai Motor Group’s executive vice president and head of the UAM division, believes there are several reasons Hyundai has a chance in the UAM business, especially due to Hyundai’s mass production capacity, which is a huge advantage over competitors. “No matter how well you design a UAM aircraft, it won’t mean anything if it can’t reach mass production,” he told Korea JoongAng Daily last year. “We’re also seeing more technology shared by aircraft and vehicles. Electrification or navigation and monitoring using big data are growing fields in both industries. UAM is an area that can be sought out by companies on both sides. Self-driving and electrification technologies are a must - this is another reason why carmakers can have as much potential.” These partnerships show that Hyundai is set on driving the development of safe and convenient UAM & AAM use cases. Later this year, Commercial UAV Expo’s 2021 Conference Program will host the “Getting to Autonomy with Latest Drone Technologies” conference where panelists, including John Suh, Vice President & Founding Director of New Horizons Studio at Hyundai Motor Group, will discuss the essential components for achieving next-level capabilities in the commercial UAS space. https://www.commercialuavnews.com/infrastructure/hyundai-s-urban-air-mobility-division-partners-with-anra-technologies-to-advance-the-aam-industry Eviation unveils production design for all-electric Alice aircraft US-based electric aircraft developer and manufacturer Eviation Aircraft has unveiled the production design for its all-electric Alice aircraft which the company expects will fly its first flight later this year. Based in Washington State, Eviation has been working towards the launch of its Alice all-electric aircraft for several years now. A nine-passenger, two-crew member aircraft, Alice produces no carbon emissions while in flight and significantly reduces noise as well as costs, which are a fraction of what current planes cost per flight hour. With a maximum range of 440-nautical-miles (NM) and maximum cruising speed of 220-knots, the launch of Alice’s production configuration puts the plane on track towards its certification and eventual entry into service, which is expected to be as soon as 2024. “Sharing our production Alice design is a special day for Eviation and our partners. It also represents a final step in our iterative journey toward Alice’s first flight,” said Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay. “Electric aviation will continue to open up new possibilities for affordable, sustainable regional travel around the world. Alice is poised to turn that possibility into reality soon.” Alice is powered by two magni650 electric prolusion units from magniX – another Washington State-based aviation, but one which was originally founded on the Gold Coast – which has already had its magni650 engines flight-tested in other aircraft, making it the only flight proven electric propulsion system available at the scale of Alice. The aircraft’s advanced fly-by-wire – a term for fully electric control systems – was made by American technology company Honeywell, while the single-volume, high-energy density battery system onboard is made from currently available battery cells and is not yet reliant on future battery technology advancements. As such, based as it is on proven technologies, Alice is a seamless step forward for pilots while nevertheless creating what Eviation hopes will be a “superior passenger flying experience”, one which will accelerate the aircraft’s path to market. “Alice is a beautiful aircraft and represents the future of flying, plain and simple,” said Eviation Executive Chairman Roei Ganzarski. “Add in zero emissions, less noise, and significantly lower operating costs, and communities will be connected like never before starting sooner than you think.” Eviation’s Aircraft is currently expected to be first available in the United States and European Union markets first, but in 2019 Eviation nevertheless referred to the “process of gaining certification in Australia”. However, Australian certification will likely be easier to acquire once Alice has already gained certification in major overseas markets. https://thedriven.io/2021/07/06/eviation-unveils-production-design-for-all-electric-alice-aircraft/ Hidden Level develops drone detection system for security, aviation applications Syracuse, N.Y. — A Syracuse startup has developed a system that detects small, low-flying drones that radars can’t see. Hidden Level recently raised $17.6 million in investment funding, bringing the total amount of venture capital it has raised to $21 million. The latest round was led by Lobby Capital, with participation from existing investors Lockheed Martin, Alsop Louis Partners, Pipeline Capital, Quest Venture Partners, Lauder Partners, and others. Jeff Cole, Hidden Level’s CEO and co-founder, said the new funding will allow the company to double its staff within the next 18 months and advance development of its sensor technology and services. Hidden Level employs 20 people and now has 12 openings for procurement, business development, engineering, finance and program management positions. The company recently moved from a 2,500-square-foot office on West Fayette Street to a 10,000-square-foot office at 1014 N. Geddes St. The company says its system can help security personnel, air traffic managers and others to track in real time drones flying over sensitive facilities such as airports, power stations, sports stadiums and, other public venues and events. That provides a big advantage over radar systems, which are pretty good at tracking airplanes but have trouble detecting small, low-flying drones. Without the ability to detect drones, air traffic controllers have no real way of managing the skies to prevent potential collisions between drones and manned aircraft, and security personnel would have no way to detect drones flying over sensitive facilities or public events crowded with people. Hidden Level uses sophisticated sensors that can detect drones flying over wide areas. According to the company’s website, just 10 of its sensors can detect drones over a 170-square-mile area, enough to cover the entire city of Atlanta, including Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Installations with just 15 or fewer sensors are sufficient to cover the skies over nearly half of the top 40 US cities by population, according to the company. The sensors contain antennas and are strategically placed on cell towers, rooftops and the sides of buildings. The antennas are completely passive. Unlike radars, they emit no radio signals. Instead, they look for the radio frequencies, or RF signals, that drones transmit, then triangulate their positions. “Really, what we’re trying to do is mimic air traffic systems,” Cole said. Cole, 38, a computer science engineer, founded the company with Gary Dominicos, 52, in July 2018. Both men previously worked at SRC, where Cole was director of programs for an SRC spinoff, Gryphon Sensors, and Dominicos was Gryphon’s controller. Dominicos serves as chief financial officer for Hidden Level. Hidden Level is not selling its sensors. Instead, it is selling subscriptions to its service to, among others, urban air mobility and drone delivery providers, the Federal Aviation Administration, police agencies, operators of the nation’s power grid, owners of sports stadiums and operators of special events. The real-time data from its sensors can be integrated into existing solutions such as air traffic control systems. Cole said Hidden Level owns and maintains all the system’s hardware. Customers do not need to acquire any hardware of their own. The company plans to deploy one of its systems in the Syracuse area within four weeks, monitoring drone flights over Onondaga Lake, the New York State Fairgrounds and St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater. Cole said the company plans to use the local site to test and showcase the capabilities for customers. Hidden Level also plans to install its system in other cities later this year, he said. The company cannot yet publicly disclose which cities those are, because of agreements with customers in those cities, he said. Coles said he expects demand for the company’s service to expand as drone delivery services such as those being developed by Amazon, UPS and other companies come online. “Air traffic controllers can now use our data to safely keep air traffic moving,” he said. https://www.securityinfowatch.com/perimeter-security/robotics/anti-drone-technologies/news/21229304/hidden-level-develops-drone-detection-system-for-security-aviation-applications Shell and Rolls-Royce sign MoU to support the decarbonisation of aviation The MoU will see Shell Aviation and Rolls-Royce expand and accelerate several existing areas of cooperation to help to decarbonise aviation, including advancing the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Shell and Rolls-Royce have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that aims to support the decarbonisation of the aviation industry and its progress towards net zero emissions. The long-term agreement builds on more than a century of cooperation between the two companies and embodies a shared perspective that collaboration across the aviation value chain is necessary for the decarbonisation of the sector. In recognition of the scale of the challenge, the MoU will expand and accelerate several existing areas of cooperation between the companies, such as advancing the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This includes Rolls-Royce’s new SAFinity service, for which Shell is the exclusive SAF supplier, and working together on demonstrating the use of 100 per cent SAF as a full ‘drop-in’ solution. This will see the companies explore opportunities to help to progress the use of 100 per cent SAF towards certification, building on Rolls-Royce’s ongoing 100 per cent SAF testing programme. “The heritage of collaboration between Rolls-Royce and Shell is a strong foundation for the future, particularly when it comes to our shared ambitions for achieving net zero emissions,” said Anna Mascolo, President of Shell Aviation. “Being from different parts of the aviation value chain means that Rolls-Royce and Shell bring complementary expertise, experiences and ideas to the table. Wide-ranging cooperation can drive new solutions that will help the aviation industry and our customers to navigate a pathway to net zero.” “Supporting the decarbonisation of aviation while continuing to enable progress in flight are goals that Rolls-Royce and Shell both share,” said Paul Stein, Chief Technology Officer at Rolls-Royce. “We believe that working together on these aims can deliver benefits for both the development of new innovations as well as collaborating to find ways to unlock the net carbon emissions reduction potential of technology that is already in use today. SAFs will not only power large aircraft and business aviation, but also hybrid electric Urban Air Mobility (e.g. ‘flying taxis’) and the forthcoming generation of hybrid fixed wing city hoppers, which is why we place such importance on the ramp up of SAF adoption across the industry.” The MoU will explore opportunities for Shell and Rolls-Royce to provide decarbonisation solutions to meet their respective targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This will include both companies contributing technologies and expertise to help to reduce operational emissions. Shell will assess opportunities to support Rolls-Royce in reducing travel emissions through the supply of SAF, while Rolls-Royce will lend its technical expertise to advise Shell in its new fuels development, as well as innovative low carbon energy alternatives for new aircraft and power systems. The MoU will also set the foundation for Rolls-Royce and Shell to work together to proactively engage industry bodies and forums to progress strategic policy issues, and address existing barriers associated with the aviation sector’s pathway to decarbonisation. As part of this, Rolls-Royce and Shell also expect to work closely with stakeholders from across the aviation community to help to support wider progress towards net zero. As part of the MoU, Rolls-Royce and Shell will assess broader opportunities for cooperation across aviation, as well as infrastructure in other mobility sectors, such as shipping and rail. https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/161184/shell-rolls-royce-mou-decarbonisation-aviation/ New joint industry-research institution laboratory for aviation materials created in France French aerospace group Dassault Aviation, renowned for its Mirage and Rafale fighters and Falcon business jets, has combined with leading French research institutions to establish a laboratory to research and develop new materials for use in aviation, particularly regarding acoustics, anti-icing and electromagnetism. The institutions concerned are the National Centre for Scientific Research (abbreviated to CNRS in French), the University of Lorraine and the University of Strasbourg. The new research centre is designated the Innovative Functional Materials for Aviation (which acronyms to MOLIERE in French) laboratory, and it is also supported by the French Defence Innovation Agency. The agreement creating the laboratory has an initial term of four years, but can be renewed. (MOLIERE is of course a reference to the great French 17th century playwright Molière, real name Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, whose works have had a profound impact on the French language.) “For the aviation industry, mastering innovative materials is a key differentiating factor on many commercial and defence products,” highlighted Dassault Aviation chairperson and CEO Eric Trappier. “Whether for the internal acoustics of our Falcons (absorbent materials), the stealth technology of our combat aircraft (materials for electromagnetic discretion) or the safety of all our aircraft (anti-icing materials), we must absolutely keep our lead. I am therefore delighted about this partnership with CNRS and the Universities of Strasbourg and Lorraine, which all boast world-class researchers, methods and tools.” “Our two research laboratories involved in this partnership with Dassault Aviation have internationally recognised expertise in materials,” pointed out CNRS chairperson and CEO Antoine Petit. “I am very pleased to see more than 25 years of scientific cooperation with Dassault Aviation materialise again [Tuesday], this time with the creation of a joint research laboratory. This signature is part of the steps being taken by the CNRS to strengthen our relationships with businesses which particularly involve over 170 joint laboratories in activity, like the MOLIERE joint lab established [Tuesday].” “I am delighted that this partnership has come to fruition, highlighting the importance of bringing together complementary experts from academic research and business to meet today’s technological, economic and societal challenges,” enthused University of Lorraine president Pierre Mutzenhardt. University of Strasbourg president Michel Deneken affirmed that he was “proud to see this long-standing partnership successfully lead to the creation of a joint research laboratory. The MOLIERE laboratory aims to meet the economic and environmental challenges facing aviation.” The new joint laboratory will seek to develop new and high value-added materials for aviation, replacing current materials and providing new or improved properties and functionalities, while delivering material savings. To these ends, it will combine theory, digital processes and experimentation. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/new-joint-industry-research-institution-laboratory-for-aviation-materials-created-in-france-2021-07-06 SpaceX CEO Elon Musk teases nine-engine Starship, Raptor upgrades In his latest round of SpaceX-related tweets, CEO Elon Musk says that the company has plans to boost Raptor’s performance by at least 15% and the number of those engines installed on Starship by 50%. Those updated goals came hand in hand with significant changes to the design and operation of both Starship and its Super Heavy booster, which at one point was expected to utilize a “Boost” variant of Raptor that would trade thrust vector control (TVC; i.e. gimballing) and a wide throttle range for far greater thrust. At least according to Musk’s latest account, that substantially different “Raptor Boost” variant is now no more. On July 3rd, NASASpaceflight forum member and photographer BocaChicaGal captured photos of SpaceX delivering three new Raptor engines to its Boca Chica Starship factory. Two of those engines (RB3 and RB4) featured Raptor Boost labels and were likely the first engines of their kind to complete qualification testing in McGregor, Texas. As of their arrival in South Texas, it was assumed that Raptor Boost still represented a variant of the engine with almost 50% more thrust at the cost of gimbal and throttle authority. However, Musk himself replied to some of the resulting tweets later that evening, revealing that Super Heavy’s outer ring of up to 20 “Raptor Boost” engines would indeed have no ability to gimbal but would still be able to throttle. Later the same day, the SpaceX CEO clarified further, stating that the company now plans to upgrade Raptor’s existing design to boost engine thrust to ~230 tons (~510,000 lbf) while still maintaining a wide throttle range and optional thrust vector control. With such an engine, “all Raptors on [a Super Heavy] booster, whether fixed or gimbaling, would be the same.” The only unique aspect of “Raptor Boost,” then, would be their installation around the inner ‘ring’ of Super Heavy’s skirt and their resulting lack of gimbal authority. It’s somewhat unclear, then, why two of the engines SpaceX delivered on July 3rd were labeled “RB#” and one explicitly outfitted with a name tag reading “Hello, my name is Boost.” Notably, a quick side-by-side comparison enabled by those photos strongly implies that Raptor Booster engine 3 (RB3) and Raptor 79 (R79) are virtually identical aside from RB3’s rerouted plumbing and unique mounting hardpoints. In other words, barring surprises, the “boost” nomenclature appears to be more vestigial than anything. Ultimately, as Musk notes, if SpaceX manages to boost “Raptor 2” to 230 tons of thrust, a Super Heavy booster with 33 mostly identical engines would have a peak liftoff thrust around 7600 tons (~16.8 million lbf), translating to a thrust to weight ratio of more than 1.5. For a large rocket with liquid propulsion only, a TWR greater than 1.5 is very respectable and improves acceleration off the launch pad, reduces gravity losses in the first few minutes of ascent, and thus boosts overall efficiency. Already, Musk’s implication that 33 engines could ultimately be installed on Super Heavy is a departure from comments the CEO made barely a month ago when he revealed a base increase from 28 to 29 engines with the possibility of expanding to 32 down the road. Also new is the implication that SpaceX is considering adding three more vacuum-optimized engines to Starship’s six planned Raptors, leaving ships with six Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines and three sea level-optimized engines (the same variant on Super Heavy). Musk says that SpaceX has yet to decide if Raptor Vacuum will be commonized with Raptor 2, boosting its thrust, or if greater efficiency will be pursued instead. Regardless, even with six 200-ton-thrust RVacs and three Raptor 2s, Starship would produce upwards of 2000 tons of thrust in vacuum, creating an upper stage with almost as much thrust as Falcon Heavy and a fully-fueled thrust to weight ratio of ~1.7 – even better than Super Heavy. https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-elon-musk-starship-raptor-upgrades-2021/ Curt Lewis