July 14, 2022 - No. 31 In This Issue : Alabama aerospace industry blasts off with dynamic developments : Project Alpha revealed: North American Aerospace Industries eyeing Tallahassee airport : Pennar to acquire France-based aerospace machining company Cadnum SARL : Cranfield Aerospace signs up first customer for Islander hydrogen conversion : Oklahoma tops country in aviation curriculum for high school students : Summit Aviation Earns EASA Part 145 Approval : Promising Future Expected for Thermoplastic Composites : Cleveland Hopkins Airport Operations Lauded by FAA in Annual Report : Universal Hydrogen Inaugurates Engineering Design Center and European Headquarters in Toulouse, France Alabama aerospace industry blasts off with dynamic developments Spaceplane landings. New generation launch systems. A “digital first” factory to advance hypersonic technologies. Rocket engines roaring to life. Research accelerating 3-D printed parts in commercial aircraft. In case you missed a headline or two, these dynamic developments are taking shape right now in Alabama’s aerospace industry. And that’s only part of the picture as aerospace, aviation and defense companies continue to expand their activities in the state. “Alabama has long been major player in designing and manufacturing the most innovative, complex solutions to conquer skies and space, and we are continuing to influence the direction of the global industry today,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Companies around the world know our workforce has proven itself, time and time again, and that’s why they keep turning to Alabama to help solve the industry’s biggest challenges through groundbreaking work,” he added. Nima Shamsaei, left, and Steve Taylor of Auburn University's National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) are principal investigators on a research project for the Federal Aviation Authority. (Image: Auburn) Blue Origin is upgrading and refurbishing Test Stand 4670 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville to support testing of its Alabama-built BE-3U and BE-4 rocket engines. (Image: NASA/Marshall) As the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow gets under way near London, it’s an ideal time to explore some of the exciting developments that are energizing both the present and the future of Alabama’s multi-layered aerospace industry. Here is a brief look at a few of those developments. HUNTSVILLE SPACEPORT In May, the Huntsville International Airport won FAA approval to allow commercial space vehicles to land on its runway, making it the first commercial airport in the U.S. licensed to operate as a re-entry site for space vehicles. The decision means Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane is one step closer to landing in Huntsville, realizing a vision city leaders set into motion beginning in 2014. The Dream Chaser is a reusable re-entry vehicle to deliver supplies to the International Space Station as part of a NASA resupply program. The spaceplane could begin landing in Huntsville as soon as next year. “The landing of Dream Chaser at Huntsville International Airport is part of a vision for economic development that continues our legacy in space science and taps into our workforce expertise and assets developed for the International Space Station,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said. The FAA decision positions Huntsville’s airport as a potential landing spot for other space re-entry vehicles, according to the Huntsville Madison County Chamber. ‘DIGITAL’ HYPERSONICS FACTORY Lockheed Martin’s new facility in Courtland — known as Missile Assembly Building 4, or MAB4 — is no typical factory. Rather, it’s a “digital first” center for the development of hypersonic strike technologies. MAB4 was designed to pull together the best advanced production processes from across the entire company. Its team uses cutting-edge technologies, including robotics, electronic foam boards, smart torque tools, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and model-based data consumption. Lockheed Martin said MAB4, which opened in late 2021, represents a milestone in its strategic commitment to establish North Alabama as the “Home of Hypersonic Strike Production.” These weapons, flying at five times the speed of sound or faster, can intercept and destroy ultra-fast enemy missiles. “This Lockheed Martin factory underscores the fact that important defense work is being conducted in Alabama, enhancing national security and keeping us all safer,” Secretary Canfield said. SOLVING ADDITIVE RIDDLES Additive manufacturing, or industrial 3-D printing, is poised to revolutionize how aircraft components are made, but only if we can be certain the parts are reliable. That’s where Auburn University’s additive manufacturing research center comes in, thanks to its work with the FAA to improve commercial air travel by raising the reliability of 3-D printed metal aircraft components. The FAA said its $3 million partnership with Auburn’s National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) is intended to improve safety by standardizing certification of existing and emerging structural applications of advanced materials. NCAME’s researchers will help the FAA develop additive manufacturing specifications related to understanding how microscopic features in 3-D printed metal affect overall fatigue and fracture properties in parts, along with variability issues across different production platforms. “By understanding the sources of variability, controlling them, or accounting for them, we can generate more reliable materials data, and more reliable AM products,” said Nima Shamsaei, the NCAME director. In other words, the Auburn researchers will be cracking the code on 3-D printed parts to make them safer. ROARING ROCKET ENGINES When Blue Origin selected Huntsville as the site for its new, $200 million rocket engine factory, the spaceflight company had its eyes on the future — and the past. Specifically, Blue Origin glimpsed the resurrection of historic Test Stand 4670 at Marshall Space Flight Center, where NASA evaluated the engines that propelled the Saturn V rocket on the Apollo program’s journey to the Moon. The 300-foot structure, commissioned in 1965, had been inactive since 1988. Blue Origin launched an extensive rehabilitation project to put the test stand back in action for the BE-4 and BE-3U engines made at its new Huntsville facility. The first test could happen later this year, reviving the rocket engine roar residents remember from back in the day. “One of the coolest things about this whole project is the history,’’ David Helderman, Blue Origin’s director of Alabama test operations, told the Huntsville Business Journal in May. “We love that we’re building our history on history. It’s a cool, long history of America’s Space Program,” he added. Blue Origin’s Alabama-made BE-4 engines will power the company’s own New Glenn rocket as well as the United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket, which will soon launch on its first mission. ULA builds the Vulcan Centaur at the nation’s largest rocket factory in Decatur, just minutes away from Blue Origin’s facility and the NASA test stand in Huntsville. Vulcan Centaur’s future was given a boost in April 2022, when Amazon selected the ULA rocket for 38 launches supporting deployment for its ambitious Project Kuiper, Amazon’s initiative to increase global broadband access through a constellation of 3,236 advanced satellites in low Earth orbit. The 1.6 million-square-foot ULA factory in Decatur has been the production site for the company’s workhorse Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. CEO Tory Bruno tweeted in late July that the company has orders for 70 Vulcan rockets, with eight of them in the production flow in Decatur. https://www.madeinalabama.com/2022/07/alabama-aerospace-industry-blasts-off-with-dynamic-developments/ Project Alpha revealed: North American Aerospace Industries eyeing Tallahassee airport North American Aerospace Industries — specializing in aircraft teardown and recycling — is the mystery company behind Project Alpha. Tallahassee International Airport director David Pollard revealed the company's name during Wednesday's City Commission meeting, a day after the Tallahassee Democrat published an article about the project that could become the largest job creator in the capital city airport's history. About the project:What we know about Tallahassee Airport's 'Project Alpha': 985 jobs, $450M in economic impact More from Tallahassee airport:Airport's International Processing Facility to bring unseen global access to capital city North American Aerospace Industries has been identified as the company linked to Project Alpha. Mayor John Dailey hailed the project and other industries circling around setting up shop at Tallahassee's airport as "phenomenal," noting the $616 million in projected economic impact. "This isn't just a gamechanger for the city and county, this is a regional gamechanger," he said. David Pollard, aviation director of the Tallahassee International Airport. Headquartered in Kinston, North Carolina, the company is an industry leader for sustainable aircraft recycling of equipment, including interiors and seats. With an average retirement rate of more than 600 aircraft per year, the company reports the U.S. is the largest market for aircraft recycling. Company officials say the U.S. market is experiencing an increase of at least 10% to 15% due to the coronavirus pandemic. NAAI has a proprietary process for recycling and upcycling through its approach and partnership with sister company Aircraft Interiors Recycling Association (AIRA) based in the UK, which also has a teardown operation in place in Dubai. The company's website states its processes make North American Aerospace Industries "the only company in the world that can dispose of 100 percent of a commercial jetliner without putting any materials in landfills." In a Q&A interview with Airport Industry Review, NAAI CEO Sven Daniel Koechler said there are huge boneyards throughout Europe, the United States and other countries. Those boneyards are filling up fast. So, he said, establishing new aircraft parking locations is becoming increasingly difficult because of the environmental aspect. "Spare parts reused immediately after an aircraft's final journey retain the highest value in the marketplace," Koechler said in the interview. "We take them out pretty fast and ship them back to the owner. Sustainability is also a major point for us. Almost nothing of the aircraft is going to waste so we upcycle almost everything." If Project Alpha moves forward, the company will be the first of its kind to relocate to the capital city. Pollard said the city is still working through the negotiation process and Space Florida as "we piece this together." It is unclear at this time what type or how much in incentives may be offered to the company to entice them to the capital city. "They are working to develop agreements behind the scenes. This is an international company that is working on many different fronts to pull this together," Pollard told the Democrat. "They've got some other locations out there as well. They really have a vision for the 100 percent recycling of aircrafts. From that standpoint, it's something that continues to evolve." Pollard also noted that the company would be working with a "reputable developer," Western LLC, that would do the construction. He describes the pending agreement with North American Aerospace Industries as an "exciting opportunity." Plans call for a minimum land lease of 57 acres and the construction of three buildings at Tallahassee International Airport that represent a $110 million capital investment and $30 million in new revenue at the airport. Early conceptual map of Project Alpha, a proposed construction of three buildings marked as "hangar." Job count linked to Project Alpha If the company makes a deal with Tallahassee's airport, it's slated to generate 985 permanent jobs and 1,443 temporary construction jobs. It may spur a $450 million total economic impact, according to a report by Florida State University’s Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis. The airport is undergoing a massive transformation as construction is already underway to build a $28 million International Processing Facility. That, along with Project Alpha and a $35 million proposal by Burrell Aviation Tallahassee, LLC, to lease and build at the airport, represents nearly $175 million in new projects in the next few years. The International Processing Facility is slated to be complete by 2024. Once it is, officials said the airport’s $599 million economic impact in Tallahassee and the region is projected to reach $1 billion. Early rending of Tallahassee airport's international processing facility. Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sue Dick, who sits on the airport advisory board, said Project Alpha represents the economic development opportunity that aligns with the airport's strategic planning. "A regional economic asset located in Northwest Florida, investors and industry leaders recognize the opportunities available at our airport for private/public sector partnerships leveraging assets including land, world-class higher educational institutions, technical training programs and a committed business community," Dick said in a statement. "Florida’s capital city is a community that industry wants to invest in, creating jobs for our future workforce.” Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter. 5 things to know about North American Aerospace Industries 1. North American Aerospace Industries built a $100 million aircraft recycling facility in North Carolina and announced plans to hire and train 450 to 500 employees. 2. The North Carolina hangar will be one of the largest of its kind in the world. It's 130 feet tall, 900 feet long and 420 feet wide and accommodate, for example, three 747-8 jumbo jets. 3. NAAI CEO Sven Daniel Koechler said up to 90% of an aircraft is usually recyclable. An average commercial aircraft has 800 to 1,000 parts that can be recycled. The most valuable are the engine, landing gear, avionics and electronics. 4. Examples of recycled materials include converting leather from aircraft seats into shoes. Another example includes the use of aluminum to make sheds, window frames and doors. 5. Koechler said an estimated 12,000 to 17,000 aircraft are expected to be decommissioned worldwide by 2030, adding the COVID-19 pandemic grounded thousands of aircraft. Sources: https://airport.nridigital.com and simpleflying.com https://www.tallahassee.com/story/money/2022/07/13/project-alpha-north-american-aerospace-industries-tallahassee-airport-kinston-jobs/10053834002/ Pennar to acquire France-based aerospace machining company Cadnum SARL Pennar Industries announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Pennar Gmbh, Germany has entered into share purchase agreement with Serge DUMAS on 13 July 2022 to acquire 100% equity in Cadnum SARL. Cadnum is an engineering & precision machining company which was established in 1988. The facility is based out of Villebret, France. The acquisition will help Pennar in entry into aerospace OEM supply. The transaction involves a cash consideration of 1,80,000 Euros (approx. Rs 1.6 crore). https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cm/pennar-to-acquire-france-based-aerospace-machining-company-cadnum-sarl-122071400770_1.html Cranfield Aerospace signs up first customer for Islander hydrogen conversion Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) has secured German start-up Evia Aero as a potential launch customer for the hydrogen fuel cell conversion kit it is developing for the Britten-Norman BN2 Islander. Under a letter of intent, Bremen-based Evia Aero plans to acquire 10 conversion kits for the nine-seat BN2. No details of the contract value or delivery timelines were revealed, however. CAeS has previously indicated it hopes to obtain a supplemental type certificate for the modification in 2025. Evia Aero could take new aircraft with the conversion already performed by Britten-Norman, or acquire second-hand examples for retrofit. Florian Kruse, Evia Aero founder, says the zero-emission aircraft support its plans to develop sustainable aviation services in northern Europe. “By working closely with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and their quickly evolving hydrogen aircraft solution, combined with our commercial knowledge of the markets in Europe, Evia Aero is excited about the future and the application of this aircraft to fulfil an emerging need.” The latest pact follows an agreement signed on 16 June to collaborate on developing hydrogen-powered aircraft operations and the infrastructure required. CAeS is working towards a 2023 first flight of the modified Islander (G-HYUK) and is on course to start bench and ground testing this year. Development work is part-funded by the Aerospace Technology Institute under the CAeS-led Project Fresson. https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/cranfield-aerospace-signs-up-first-customer-for-islander-hydrogen-conversion/149368.article Oklahoma tops country in aviation curriculum for high school students Oklahoma ranks first in the nation for high schools teaching aviation curriculum, Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell announced this week. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, 57 school districts across the state will implement the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)’s four-year "You Can Fly" High School Curriculum. "From CareerTech certifications to a dozen collegiate programs, Oklahoma has led the way in aerospace education for decades," Pinnell said in a statement. "The implementation of AOPA Aviation Curriculum in high schools across the state marks the next milestone in growing aerospace talent in Oklahoma. Among Oklahoma programs is a new one at East Central High School in Tulsa. Starting in August, East Central will offer a four-course sequence that covers the material needed to pass the Federal Aviation Administration’s mechanic certification exam. American Airlines, Spirit AeroSystems and NORDAM are among the biggest aerospace-aviation companies in Tulsa. Aerospace/aviation is Oklahoma's second-largest industry, behind oil and gas, generating an annual economic impact of $44 billion and employing 206,000 people. Pinnell also has announced that Boeing awarded a $100,000 grant to the Norman Public School Foundation in support of its aviation academy. The investment will provide NHS students the opportunity to earn their private pilot’s licenses, unmanned aerial systems certifications, aviation maintenance technician certifications, as well as multiple semesters of college credit towards degrees in aviation, aerospace engineering and computer science. https://tulsaworld.com/business/local/oklahoma-tops-country-in-aviation-curriculum-for-high-school-students/article_e99bf584-037c-11ed-aaec-cb7e82ce5e01.html Summit Aviation Earns EASA Part 145 Approval Summit Aviation has received its EASA Part 145 maintenance organization certificate allowing the service provider to expand its customer base to include EU-registered aircraft. Summit is a factory-authorized service center for Sikorsky as well as Bell, Blackhawk, Cessna, and Raisbeck, and is a Department of Defense-approved contractor. MRO provider Summit Aviation has received its EASA Part 145 maintenance organization certificate, the Greenwich AeroGroup company announced today. The approval allows the Middletown, Delaware-based provider to perform maintenance services on aircraft registered in the European Union (EU). For Summit, that would include rotorcraft and corporate and foreign military aircraft. “We are excited to add EASA certification to our current list of accreditations,” said Summit v-p and general manager Ralph Kunz. “It permits us the opportunity to provide services for EU member customer aircraft that we have been unable to in the past.” An FAA-certified repair station since 1966, Summit offers aircraft maintenance, modifications, avionics, engines, mission equipment integration, paint, FBO services, sales and leasing, field training, flight testing support, and parts sales. It is a factory-authorized service center for Bell, Blackhawk, Cessna, Raisbeck, and Sikorsky, and is a Department of Defense-approved contractor. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-07-13/summit-aviation-earns-easa-part-145-approval Promising Future Expected for Thermoplastic Composites Long reliant on thermoset carbon-fiber materials for making very strong composite structural parts for aircraft, aerospace OEMs are now embracing another class of carbon-fiber materials as technological advances promise automated manufacture of new non-thermoset parts at high volume, low cost, and lighter weight. While thermoplastic carbon-fiber composite materials "have been around a long time,” only recently could aerospace manufacturers consider their widespread use in making aircraft parts, including primary structural components, said Stephane Dion, v-p engineering at Collins Aerospace’s Advanced Structures unit. Thermoplastic carbon-fiber composites potentially offer aerospace OEMs several advantages over thermoset composites, but until recently manufacturers could not make parts out of thermoplastic composites at high rates and at low cost, he said. In the past five years, OEMs have begun to look beyond making parts from thermoset materials as the state of carbon-fiber composite part manufacturing science developed, first to use resin infusion and resin transfer molding (RTM) techniques to make aircraft parts, and then to employ thermoplastic composites. GKN Aerospace has invested heavily in developing its resin-infusion and RTM technology for the manufacture of large aircraft structural components affordably and at high rates. GKN now makes a 17-meter-long, single-piece composite wing spar using resin infusion manufacturing, according to Max Brown, v-p of technology for GKN Aerospace’s Horizon 3 advanced-technologies initiative. OEMs’ heavy composite-manufacturing investments in the past few years have also included spending strategically on developing capabilities to allow high-volume manufacturing of thermoplastic parts, according to Dion. The most notable difference between thermoset and thermoplastic materials lies in the fact that thermoset materials must be kept in cold storage before being shaped into parts, and once shaped, a thermoset part must undergo curing for many hours in an autoclave. The processes require a great deal of energy and time, and so production costs of thermoset parts tend to remain high. Curing alters the molecular structure of a thermoset composite irreversibly, giving the part its strength. However, at the current stage of technological development, curing also renders the material in the part unsuitable for re-use in a primary structural component. However, thermoplastic materials don’t require cold storage or baking when made into parts, according to Dion. They can be stamped into the final shape of a simple part—every bracket for the fuselage frames in the Airbus A350 is a thermoplastic composite part—or into an intermediate stage of a more complex component. Thermoplastic materials can be welded together in various ways, allowing complex, highly shaped parts to be made from simple sub-structures. Today induction welding is mainly used, which only allows flat, constant-thickness parts to be made from sub-parts, according to Dion. However, Collins is developing vibration and friction welding techniques for joining thermoplastic parts, which once certified it expects will eventually allow it to produce “truly advanced complex structures,” he said. The ability to weld together thermoplastic materials to make complex structures allows manufacturers to do away with the metal screws, fasteners, and hinges required by thermoset parts for joining and folding, thereby creating a weight-reduction benefit of about 10 percent, Brown estimates. Still, thermoplastic composites bond better to metals than do thermoset composites, according to Brown. While industrial R&D aimed at developing practical applications for that thermoplastic property remains “at an early-maturity technology readiness level,” it might eventually let aerospace engineers design components that contain hybrid thermoplastic-and-metal integrated structures. One potential application could, for instance, be a one-piece, lightweight airliner passenger seat containing all of the metal-based circuitry needed for the interface used by the passenger to select and control his or her inflight entertainment options, seat lighting, overhead fan, electronically controlled seat recline, window shade opacity, and other functions. Unlike thermoset materials, which need curing to produce the stiffness, strength, and shape required from the parts into which they get made, the molecular structures of thermoplastic composite materials don’t change when made into parts, according to Dion. As a result, thermoplastic materials are far more fracture-resistant upon impact than thermoset materials while offering similar, if not stronger, structural toughness and strength. “So you can design [parts] to much thinner gauges,” said Dion, meaning thermoplastic parts weigh less than any thermoset parts they replace, even apart from the additional weight reductions resulting from the fact thermoplastic parts don’t require metal screws or fasteners. Recycling thermoplastic parts should also prove a simpler process than recycling thermoset parts. At the current state of technology (and for some time to come), the irreversible changes in molecular structure produced by curing thermoset materials prevent the use of recycled material to make new parts of equivalent strength. Recycling thermoset parts involves grinding up the carbon fibers in the material into small lengths and burning the fiber-and-resin mixture before reprocessing it. The material obtained for reprocessing is structurally weaker than the thermoset material from which the recycled part got made, so recycling thermoset parts into new ones typically turn “a secondary structure into a tertiary one,” said Brown. On the other hand, because the molecular structures of thermoplastic parts do not change in the parts-manufacturing and parts-joining processes, they can simply be melted down into liquid form and reprocessed into parts as strong as the originals, according to Dion. Aircraft designers can choose from a wide selection of different thermoplastic materials available to choose from in designing and manufacturing parts. “A pretty wide range of resins” is available into which one-dimensional carbon fiber filaments or two-dimensional weaves can be embedded, producing different material properties, said Dion. “The most exciting resins are the low-melt resins,” which melt at relatively low temperatures and so can be shaped and formed at lower temperatures. Different classes of thermoplastics also offer different stiffness properties (high, medium, and low) and overall quality, according to Dion. The highest-quality resins cost the most, and affordability represents the Achilles heel for thermoplastics in comparison with thermoset materials. Typically, they cost more than thermosets, and aircraft manufacturers must consider that fact in their cost/benefit design calculations, said Brown. Partly for that reason, GKN Aerospace and others will continue to focus most on thermoset materials when manufacturing large structural parts for aircraft. They already use thermoplastic materials widely in making smaller structural parts such as empennages, rudders, and spoilers. Soon, however, when high-volume, low-cost manufacturing of lightweight thermoplastic parts becomes routine, manufacturers will use them much more widely—particularly in the burgeoning eVTOL UAM market, concluded Dion. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2022-07-14/promising-future-expected-thermoplastic-composites Cleveland Hopkins Airport Operations Lauded by FAA in Annual Report Seven years ago, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport was hit with the largest fine in FAA history for a series of failures involving snow and ice removal during the previous three winters. This year, for the second year in a row, the airport received a report with no required or recommended changes from the Federal Aviation Administration, based on the agency’s recent annual inspection. Normally, an airport’s clean FAA inspection report might not be considered news. But in Cleveland, airport officials believe that it is. “It’s a home run,” said outgoing airport director Robert Kennedy, who is retiring next week after just over five years on the job. “A lot of people have put in a lot of work to get here. We’ve come a long way since 2016 – a long way.” Dennis Kramer, chief of planning and engineering for the airport, credited Kennedy for driving much of the change in the operational practices at the airport, on everything from record-keeping to training to information technology. “This is the second year in a row that the FAA found no discrepancies,” said Kramer, who will serve as interim director while the city conducts a national search for Kennedy’s replacement. “That’s a good thing. It means we’re doing everything we should be doing.” In a July 1 letter to the airport, FAA inspector Gordon S. Howard wrote: “We commend you for the procedures you are using in the day-to-day operation of the airport. The appearance of the airport indicates they are effective.” The FAA hasn’t always been so complimentary. In late 2015, the agency levied a $735,000 fine against the airport for a series of incidents in 2013, 2014 and 2015 during which the airport failed to follow mandated snow and ice control procedures. At the time, the fine was the largest ever imposed on an airport by the agency. The fine was later reduced to $200,000, which the city-owned airport paid off last year. “We’ve been working to institutionalize certain standards and recommended practices,” Kennedy said. “It’s great when the FAA says they can see the difference.” A spokeswoman for the FAA said the agency completes inspections at 518 commercial airports in the United States every year. She said the agency does not track how many reports have no discrepancies or recommendations for improvement. https://www.aviationpros.com/airports/news/21274120/cleveland-hopkins-airport-operations-lauded-by-faa-in-annual-report Universal Hydrogen Inaugurates Engineering Design Center and European Headquarters in Toulouse, France Attendees, including top aerospace industry leaders and dignitaries from the Occitanie Region, received a first look at latest Universal Hydrogen progress towards zero-carbon aviation solutions TOULOUSE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Universal Hydrogen Co., the company leading the fight to decarbonize aviation through the adoption of hydrogen as a universal fuel, today announced the inauguration of its engineering design center and European headquarters in Toulouse, France. Located in the historic Hangar B16 at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, the event was attended by industry leaders and dignitaries. Universal Hydrogen also debuted its newly-liveried ATR 72 test aircraft used for developing the hydrogen retrofit kit and hydrogen module operational handling experiments. “The EU has taken a leading role in developing hydrogen as a near-term decarbonization option for transport applications, including aviation” “Toulouse is the cradle of the European aerospace industry and has been an essential element of our talent and partner strategy,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “We’re eager to showcase our progress toward decarbonizing aviation.” Additionally, the opening event highlighted Universal Hydrogen’s liquid hydrogen modular capsule technology as well as the company’s renovation of the historic B16 hangar. The liquid hydrogen capsule development is one of the key focus areas for the Toulouse team and has exceeded key performance targets in latest full-scale prototype testing. Hangar B16 was originally built in the 1940s and was first used as a civil hangar for aircraft maintenance before being occupied by Airbus during the development of the Guppy and the Caravelle. After the opening of today’s Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in 1953, the hangar was modified, elevated, and divided into two separate facilities in the 1960s. Today, it remains one the most historic and storied buildings on the airport. Universal Hydrogen honors this rich legacy by making B16 the crucible of a new era of zero-carbon aviation. “The EU has taken a leading role in developing hydrogen as a near-term decarbonization option for transport applications, including aviation,” said Pierre Farjounel, General Manager Europe of Universal Hydrogen. “This is one of the main reasons we chose to have a significant EU footprint for Universal Hydrogen and we are keen to leverage Toulouse’s historical role as a leader in aerospace innovation to position the region as a leading hub in climate tech.” “The Occitanie Region has always been a pioneer in aviation. More than ever, we want to pave the way for zero-emission flight and place sustainability at the heart of the industry,” said Occitanie Region president Carole Delga. “We’ve been committed since 2018 to developing hydrogen technologies in the Region and we are delighted to welcome in Occitanie, Universal Hydrogen, one of the leading players in the decarbonisation of aviation.” About Universal Hydrogen Universal Hydrogen is making hydrogen-powered commercial flight a near-term reality. The company takes a flexible, scalable, and capital-light approach to hydrogen logistics by transporting it in modular capsules over the existing freight network from green production sites directly to the airplane anywhere in the world. The company is targeting regional and narrowbody/single aisle airplanes as the near-term and most impactful decarbonization opportunities. Universal Hydrogen is also working to certify a powertrain conversion kit to retrofit existing regional aircraft to fly on hydrogen. Contacts Media Kate Gundry press@hydrogen.aero https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220711005368/en/Universal-Hydrogen-Inaugurates-Engineering-Design-Center-and-European-Headquarters-in-Toulouse-France Curt Lewis